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Iturns out he endured defeat by lower-league opposition. Survive a decisive European final versus one of the worst Spurs sides for many years. He withstood losing at home against domestic rivals, finishing 15th, an unwavering system, squandering some of the club’s most promising academy products, a poor winning percentage, labeling his team the worst in Manchester United history. Yet, there existed one adversary against whom the Portuguese coach was not permitted to tango. You come at the sporting director, you had better succeed.

Regrettably, like many a Premiership right-back in Blackburn’s title-winning campaign, the coach took on the executive and seems to have missed. The most distracted of readers can see the paradoxical situation: a manager who often railed his squad for failing in one-on-one duels succumbing when confronted by the white heat and formidable presence of one of England's top division's most feared football executives.

And frankly, this whole bruising episode appears to portray the director in a whole new light. It may have been easy, based on his brief stint of experience with the Saints, to view him as little more than a drudge in the United exoskeleton: a man who owed his position largely to his close relationship with his former boss a fellow executive rather than any verifiable talent. How mistaken we all were. In brilliantly outmanoeuvring the club's celebrated manager, as he outmanoeuvred the unfortunate a previous executive earlier, Jason Wilcox has proved himself to be among the sport’s strategic masterminds: a strategic mind that the club's mid-table rivals are now justifiably concerned.

The Tactical Conflict Regarding System and Philosophy

For example, this was Jason Wilcox , after having been part of the leadership that appointed the rigid 3-4-3 advocate Amorim originally, was instrumental in trying to persuade Amorim to abandon his beloved formation. Naturally, these pleas met a certain resistance. But perhaps these judgements carry more weight when issued by a man of a man the unimpeachable football pedigree he possesses, holder of three England caps and a contributor to a title-winning side decades past.

Perhaps in time he might agree to outline his thought processes to the rest of us. Maybe one day he might be asked regarding why the coach is departing with full compensation, without any compensation reduction clause activated. The director speaks rarely publicly, and with very good reason. The real thinkers in football – men like Jason Wilcox – function at a level exceeding our prosaic understanding. Were he to speak, most likely we would perceive is a series of high-frequency signals and four-dimensional whirring. Desiring an explanation is not quite the same as being ready to receive.

The Supreme Power Behind the Throne

But of course, by focusing our attention on Jason Wilcox we overlook the true genius behind the modern United throne. Jason Wilcox is, in reality, merely executing the directives of his ultimate line manager Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who privately has emphasized his desire for a back four. It is reported, Ratcliffe has also proposed playing Bryan Mbeumo as a right wing-back. The owner is eager for the club to embrace analytics and metrics. According to ESPN, during a leadership summit early in his investment, he declared that the team's approach of play “will be decided in this room”.

After all, Ratcliffe is an expert in these intricate football matters, drawing from his previous experience in petrochemicals and sailing. Above all he is immensely wealthy, and it is known, the wealthy are superior: more insightful, sagacious, more tactically astute, fundamentally better. Whom else would you trust to oversee a strategic plan of austerity, the building of a new stadium that looks a lot like an abstract design, the acquisition of a new striker?

A Modern Football Hierarchy: Executives Above Coaches

This is a trend we are increasingly seeing at the elite levels of the game. For decades, clubs foolishly delegated major sporting choices to low-level employees like managers, talent spotters – players themselves. Maybe previously possible for a young, innovative manager with ideas and drive to join an organization and implement their plan through to completion. Yet how many businesses have such individuals established? How many large-scale layoffs have they managed? Better by far to invest genuine authority where it rightly belongs: the executive class, the casually dressed executives, the guys with impressive LinkedIn profiles. Better by far to decide 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 creating the food, but still ultimately answerable should it be delivered poorly or fails to meet standards.

In the meantime, their job has become not about crafting the philosophy and more about selling it: the front-facing representative of the operation, the public face of an organisation they have minimal power to influence. Enzo Maresca leads a team of very young players into the Champions League and wins domestic cups, and effectively gets sacked for speaking out. Wilfried Nancy finds his reputation ruined while those individuals who appointed him live to blunder indefinitely.

The Neoliberal Football: Responsibility Only for the Few

And perhaps in a small way this represents neoliberalism at work: the rise of a gilded overclass who are infallible, whose decisions remain sacrosanct, whose mistakes can always be sacked away without explanation. Appoint the system coach only to dismiss them for playing too much 3-4-3. Bring in the project manager and later discard them for requiring too long. And most importantly show gratitude; for your modest increases in ticket costs, for the latest player acquisitions, for the fact that the grownups – however well qualified – are in charge.