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Itbecame clear the manager endured defeat by Grimsby. He weathered losing a crucial continental showpiece against one of the worst Tottenham teams for many years. He could survive losing at home against West Ham and Wolves, a lowly league position, an unwavering system, laying waste to the team's best academy products, a poor winning percentage, labeling his team the poorest in Manchester United history. Yet, there existed one adversary with whom Ruben Amorim would not be allowed to dance. You come at the sporting director, and you best not miss.

Regrettably, like many a Premiership defender in Blackburn’s title-winning campaign, Amorim took on the executive and appears to have failed. The most casual observer will notice the paradoxical situation: a coach who frequently berated his squad for failing in one-on-one duels crumbling in the face of the white heat and animal charisma of a the Premier League’s most feared football executives.

And frankly, this whole bruising episode seems to paint Jason Wilcox in a different perspective. It may have been tempting, based on his brief stint in a similar role at Southampton, to regard Jason Wilcox as merely a functionary in the United exoskeleton: an individual whose appointment was due as much to his close relationship with his former boss Omar Berrada rather than any demonstrable skill. How wrong everyone was. In brilliantly outmanoeuvring the club's celebrated head coach, just as he bested the unfortunate a previous executive before him, Jason Wilcox has proved himself to be among football's true generals: a strategic mind of which United’s competitors are now rightly wary.

A Strategic Conflict Over Formation & Ideology

For example, this was the director who having been part of the hierarchy that hired the rigid 3-4-3 advocate the coach originally, was instrumental in attempting to convince Amorim to ditch his beloved 3-4-3. Unsurprisingly, these entreaties were resisted. But perhaps such directives carry more weight when delivered by a man with the unimpeachable soccer background of Jason Wilcox, holder of three England caps and a role in a championship team from 31 years ago.

Maybe eventually he might agree to outline his reasoning to the rest of us. Perhaps at some point questions may arise why Amorim is departing with a full payout, without any penalty clause in place. The director seldom speaks publicly, for excellent reasons. The true intellectuals of this sport – individuals such as him – function on a plane beyond our own mundane comprehension. If he ever did speak, most likely all we would hear would be ultrasonic blips and four-dimensional whirring. Desiring an explanation is not quite equivalent to being ready to receive.

The Ultimate Authority In the Throne

But of course, by focusing our attention on the sporting director we are obscuring the real power behind the club's current leadership. The director is, in reality, simply carrying out the directives of his ultimate superior Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who privately has emphasized his desire for a back four. It is reported, the owner has also proposed playing Bryan Mbeumo as a right wing-back. The owner is eager for United to embrace data science and analytics. According to ESPN, during a leadership summit soon after his investment, he declared that the team's approach of play “shall be decided by this group”.

After all, Sir Jim is an expert in this technical footballing stuff, drawing from his previous experience in industry and sailing. Most importantly he remains incredibly rich, and it is known, the rich are the best of us: more perceptive, sagacious, more tactically astute, fundamentally better. Whom else could one trust to oversee a strategic plan of austerity, the construction of a new stadium that looks similar to an abstract design, the acquisition of Benjamin Sesko?

A New Soccer Hierarchy: Directors Over Coaches

This represents a shift we are increasingly seeing at the elite levels of the game. Historically, clubs foolishly delegated big footballing decisions to low-level employees such as coaches, talent spotters – even footballers. Maybe previously feasible for a young, visionary coach with a philosophy and energy to go into a club and see their vision supported to fruition. But how many businesses have such individuals set up? What number of large-scale layoffs have they overseen? Far preferable to invest the real power where it rightly belongs: the leadership tier, the open-necked shirt brigade, the individuals with impressive professional resumes. It is wiser to determine the strategy by the directors and hire someone who will adapt their methods accordingly. If managers were once chefs, they have become more like delivery personnel: not responsible for the product, but still finally accountable should it be delivered poorly or fails to meet standards.

Nowadays, their job has become not about defining the vision and more about selling it: the front-facing representative on the front desk, the visible figurehead of an organisation they have minimal power to change. Enzo Maresca leads a team of very young players into Europe and secures two medium-sized trophies, and effectively is dismissed for speaking out. A manager at Celtic sees his reputation ruined whereas the people who hired him live to blunder another day.

The Neoliberal Game: Responsibility Only for the Few

And perhaps in a small way this represents neoliberalism in action: the elevation of a gilded elite who are infallible, whose choices remain sacrosanct, whose errors can always be sacked away without justification. Hire the system coach only to dismiss him for playing too much 3-4-3. Bring in the process guy and later discard him for taking excessive time. And above all be grateful; for your modest season ticket price rises, for your new summer signings, for the fact that the grownups – however well qualified – are in charge.