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Transpired Ruben Amorim endured defeat by Grimsby. Survive a decisive European final versus a particularly poor Spurs sides in living memory. He could survive home defeats to domestic rivals, a lowly league position, an unwavering system, undermining some of the club’s best homegrown talent, a poor winning percentage, calling the squad the worst in Manchester United history. But there was one adversary against whom Ruben Amorim was not permitted to dance. If you challenge Jason Wilcox, and you best not miss.

Regrettably, like many a top-flight defender in Blackburn’s championship campaign, the coach came at the executive and appears to have missed. The most distracted of readers can see the irony here: a manager who frequently berated his squad for failing in individual battles succumbing when confronted by the white heat and animal charisma of a England's top division's most intimidating sporting directors.

And frankly, this entire painful saga appears to portray the director in a different perspective. Perhaps it might have been easy, based on his nine months of experience at Southampton, to view him as merely a drudge in the United exoskeleton: a man whose appointment was due as much to his close relationship with ex-colleague Omar Berrada rather than any demonstrable skill. How mistaken we all were. By masterfully outmanoeuvring the club's celebrated head coach, just as he bested the hapless a previous executive before him, he has demonstrated as one of football's true generals: a strategic mind of which United’s mid-table rivals are now justifiably concerned.

A Strategic Clash Regarding System and Ideology

To illustrate, it was the director , after having been part of the leadership that hired the rigid 3-4-3 advocate Amorim originally, was instrumental in attempting to convince him to ditch his beloved 3-4-3. Unsurprisingly, these entreaties were resisted. But perhaps such directives hold greater authority when issued from the mouth with the impeccable soccer background of Jason Wilcox, holder of international appearances and a contributor to a title-winning side decades past.

Perhaps in time Jason Wilcox may be persuaded to explain his reasoning to the rest of us. Perhaps at some point he might be asked why Amorim is walking away with full compensation, with no compensation reduction clause in place. But Jason Wilcox seldom speaks publicly, for excellent reasons. The true intellectuals in football – men like Jason Wilcox – function at a level beyond our own mundane comprehension. Were he to speak, probably we would perceive is a series of ultrasonic blips and four-dimensional whirring. Desiring an explanation is not the same as being ready to receive.

An Supreme Authority Behind Command

Naturally, in training our focus on Jason Wilcox we are obscuring the real power behind the modern United throne. The director is, after all, simply carrying out the directives of his superior Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who in private has emphasized his desire for a back four. It is reported, Ratcliffe has also suggested deploying the forward as a right wing-back. Ratcliffe is keen for the club to adopt data science and analytics. Per reports, during a leadership summit soon after his investment, he announced that United’s style to football “will be decided in this room”.

Ultimately, Ratcliffe is an expert in these intricate football matters, leveraging his background in industry and yachting. Most importantly he remains immensely wealthy, and as we all know, the rich are the best of us: more insightful, sagacious, strategically brilliant, simply superior. Whom else would you trust to manage a strategic plan of cost-cutting, the construction of a new stadium that appears a lot like someone’s leftover knitting, the signing of Benjamin Sesko?

A Modern Soccer Hierarchy: Directors Above Coaches

This is a trend that is becoming prevalent at the elite levels football. For decades, teams mistakenly delegated big footballing decisions to subordinate staff like managers, scouts – players themselves. Maybe previously feasible for an up-and-coming, innovative manager with a philosophy and energy to join an organization and implement their plan through to completion. Yet how many companies have such individuals established? How many mass redundancies have they overseen? Far preferable to invest genuine authority where it rightly belongs: the leadership tier, the casually dressed executives, the individuals with impressive professional resumes. It is wiser to decide the tactics by the directors and appoint someone who can tailor their methods accordingly. If coaches were formerly chefs, they have become more like delivery personnel: not creating the food, but still ultimately answerable should it be delivered cold or fails to meet standards.

Nowadays, their job is increasingly less about crafting the philosophy and more about marketing it: the front-facing representative on the front desk, the public face of an organisation they have minimal power to influence. Enzo Maresca takes a squad of literal children into Europe and secures two medium-sized trophies, and essentially gets sacked for talking. Wilfried Nancy sees his standing damaged while the people who hired him live to blunder indefinitely.

A Neoliberal Game: Accountability Only for the Few

And perhaps in a small way this represents corporate governance at work: the elevation of a privileged overclass who can never be wrong, whose decisions are always untouchable, whose errors can always be resolved by sacking without justification. Hire the system coach and then dismiss them for playing excessively 3-4-3. Bring in the process guy and later bin him for requiring too long. And above all be grateful; for your modest increases in ticket costs, for the latest summer signings, for the fact that the grownups – however well qualified – are in charge.