🔗 Share this article

Itranspired Ruben Amorim could survive losing against lower-league opposition. Survive a decisive continental showpiece versus one of the worst Tottenham teams for many years. He withstood losing at home to West Ham and Wolves, a lowly league position, an unwavering system, squandering the team's most promising academy products, the 32% win rate, calling his team the poorest in Manchester United history. Yet, there existed one adversary against whom Ruben Amorim would not be allowed to tango. If you challenge the sporting director, and you best not miss.

Regrettably, similar to numerous Premiership defender during Blackburn Rovers' title-winning 1994-95 season, the coach came at the executive and appears to have failed. Even the most distracted of readers will notice the paradoxical situation: a manager who often railed his squad for failing in individual battles crumbling when confronted by the intense pressure and formidable presence of a England's top division's most intimidating football executives.

And frankly, this entire painful saga seems to paint the director in a different perspective. Perhaps it might have been easy, given his brief stint of experience at Southampton, to regard Jason Wilcox as merely a functionary in the United exoskeleton: a man who owed his position as much to his friendship with ex-colleague Omar Berrada as any demonstrable skill. How mistaken 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 demonstrated to be among football's true generals: a tactical intellect of which the club's competitors are now rightly wary.

A Tactical Conflict Over Formation & Philosophy

For example, it was Jason Wilcox who being involved in the hierarchy that appointed the 3-4-3 fundamentalist the coach in the first place, was instrumental in trying to persuade him to ditch his favored 3-4-3. Naturally, these entreaties were resisted. However, such directives carry more weight when delivered from the mouth of a man the unimpeachable soccer background he possesses, a veteran of international appearances and a contributor to a championship team decades past.

Maybe eventually Jason Wilcox may be persuaded to explain his thought processes to the rest of us. Perhaps at some point he might be asked regarding why the coach is walking away with a full payout, without any penalty clause activated. But Jason Wilcox seldom speaks publicly, and with very good reason. The real thinkers in football – individuals such as Jason Wilcox – simply operate at a level exceeding our prosaic understanding. Were he to speak, probably all we would hear would be ultrasonic blips and four-dimensional whirring. Wanting is not quite equivalent to being prepared to receive.

The Supreme Power In the Throne

Naturally, in training our focus on the sporting director we overlook the real power behind the modern United throne. Jason Wilcox is, after all, simply carrying out the commands of his ultimate superior the billionaire owner, who in private has made very clear his desire for a four-man defense. It is reported, Ratcliffe has also proposed playing Bryan Mbeumo as a right wing-back. Ratcliffe is keen for the club to embrace data science and metrics. Per reports, during a leadership summit soon after his minority ownership, he announced that the team's approach to football “shall be decided by this group”.

Ultimately, Sir Jim is a specialist in these intricate football matters, drawing from his previous experience in industry and yachting. Above all he is immensely wealthy, and it is known, the wealthy are the best of us: more insightful, sagacious, strategically brilliant, fundamentally superior. Who else would you trust to manage an enlightened programme of cost-cutting, the construction of a new stadium that looks similar to someone’s leftover knitting, the signing of Benjamin Sesko?

A Modern Soccer Order: Directors Over Coaches

This is a trend that is becoming prevalent at the elite levels football. For decades, clubs foolishly delegated big footballing decisions to subordinate staff like managers, scouts – even footballers. Perhaps it was once possible for an up-and-coming, innovative manager with ideas and energy to join a club and see their vision supported to fruition. But how many businesses have these guys set up? What number of mass redundancies have they managed? Better by far to invest the real power where it belongs: the leadership tier, the casually dressed executives, the guys with impressive LinkedIn profiles. Better by far to determine the strategy in the boardroom and appoint a coach who can tailor their methods to suit. If managers were once chefs, they have become more like delivery personnel: not really creating the food, yet finally accountable should it be delivered cold or fails of the box.

In the meantime, their job is increasingly less about defining the vision and more about marketing it: the receptionist of the operation, the visible figurehead of an organisation they can do little to influence. A coach at Chelsea leads a team of literal children into the Champions League and secures domestic cups, and effectively is dismissed for speaking out. Wilfried Nancy sees his reputation ruined whereas those individuals who appointed him continue to make errors indefinitely.

A Neoliberal Football: Accountability for the Few

And perhaps on some microcosmic level this represents corporate governance at work: the elevation of a gilded overclass who are infallible, whose choices are always sacrosanct, whose mistakes can invariably be sacked away without justification. Appoint the system coach and then dismiss them for using excessively that system. Hire the process guy and then bin them for taking too long. And most importantly show gratitude; for your modest season ticket price rises, for your new player acquisitions, for the fact that the grownups – however well qualified – remain in control.