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Transpired the manager endured a loss to lower-league opposition. He weathered a decisive continental showpiece against a particularly poor Tottenham teams for many years. He could survive home defeats against domestic rivals, finishing 15th, the tactical inflexibility, squandering the team's best academy products, a poor winning percentage, labeling the squad the worst in Manchester United history. But there was a single opponent with whom the Portuguese coach was not permitted to tango. If you challenge Jason Wilcox, and you best not miss.

Regrettably, similar to numerous Premiership right-back during Blackburn Rovers' championship 1994-95 season, Amorim took on the executive and appears to have missed. The most casual observer will notice the irony here: a manager who frequently berated at his players for losing individual battles succumbing in the face of the intense pressure and animal charisma of a England's top division's most intimidating football executives.

In truth, this entire bruising episode appears to portray the director in a whole new light. It may have been tempting, based on his nine months of experience with the Saints, to view him as little more than a drudge in the United exoskeleton: an individual who owed his position as much to his friendship with his former boss a fellow executive rather than any demonstrable skill. How mistaken we all were. In brilliantly outsmarting United’s feted manager, as he outmanoeuvred the hapless a previous executive before him, Jason Wilcox has demonstrated as one of the sport’s true generals: a tactical intellect that the club's mid-table rivals are now justifiably concerned.

A Strategic Clash Regarding Formation & Philosophy

For example, it was the director , after being involved in the hierarchy that hired the rigid 3-4-3 advocate Amorim originally, was instrumental in attempting to convince Amorim to ditch his beloved 3-4-3. Unsurprisingly, these pleas were resisted. But perhaps these judgements carry more weight when delivered from the mouth of a man the unimpeachable football pedigree of Jason Wilcox, holder of international appearances and a role in a title-winning side from 31 years ago.

Perhaps in time Jason Wilcox might agree to outline his reasoning to the rest of us. Perhaps at some point questions may arise why Amorim is walking away with full compensation, without any penalty clause activated. The director speaks rarely in public, and with very good reason. The true intellectuals in football – individuals such as him – function on a plane beyond our own mundane comprehension. If he ever did speak, probably we would perceive would be high-frequency signals and four-dimensional whirring. Wanting is not the same as being prepared to comprehend it.

An Supreme Authority Behind the Throne

Naturally, by focusing our attention on Jason Wilcox we are obscuring the real power behind the club's current leadership. The director is, after all, merely executing the commands of his superior Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who privately has emphasized his desire for a four-man defense. It is reported, the owner has also suggested deploying the forward as a right wing-back. The owner is eager for United to adopt analytics and metrics. Per reports, in an executive meeting early in his investment, he declared that the team's approach of play “shall be decided by this group”.

Ultimately, Ratcliffe is an expert in this technical footballing stuff, drawing from his previous experience in industry and sailing. Most importantly he remains immensely wealthy, and as we all know, the wealthy are the best of us: more insightful, more wise, strategically brilliant, fundamentally superior. Whom else would you trust to manage a strategic plan of cost-cutting, the building of a modern arena that looks similar to someone’s leftover knitting, the acquisition of a new striker?

A New Football Hierarchy: Executives Over Coaches

This represents a shift that is becoming prevalent in top-tier football. Historically, clubs foolishly entrusted big footballing decisions to low-level employees like managers, talent spotters – even footballers. Perhaps it was once possible for an up-and-coming, visionary coach with ideas and energy to join a club and implement their plan through to completion. Yet how many companies have such individuals established? How many large-scale layoffs have they managed? Better by far to place genuine authority where it belongs: the executive class, the casually dressed executives, the guys with the jaw-dropping LinkedIn profiles. Better by far to decide the strategy by the directors and hire someone who can tailor their offering to suit. If coaches were once chefs, they are now more like delivery personnel: not really responsible for the food, but still ultimately answerable if it arrives poorly or leaks out to meet standards.

In the meantime, a coach's role is increasingly not about defining the vision and more about marketing it: the front-facing representative on the front desk, the visible figurehead for a club they have minimal power to influence. Enzo Maresca takes a squad of very young players into Europe and secures domestic cups, and effectively gets sacked for talking. Wilfried Nancy finds his standing damaged while those individuals who hired him continue to make errors indefinitely.

A Modern Corporate Football: Accountability for the Few

And perhaps in a small way this represents neoliberalism in action: the elevation of a privileged overclass who are infallible, whose choices are always sacrosanct, whose errors can invariably be resolved by sacking without explanation. Hire the 3-4-3 coach only to fire them for playing excessively 3-4-3. Hire the process guy and later bin him for taking too long. And most importantly be grateful; for the incremental season ticket price rises, for the latest player acquisitions, for the fact that the grownups – regardless of their expertise – are in charge.