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Iturns out the manager could survive defeat by lower-league opposition. He weathered losing a crucial continental showpiece versus a particularly poor Spurs sides in living memory. He could survive losing at home to domestic rivals, finishing 15th, his rigid approach, squandering some of the club’s most promising homegrown talent, a poor winning percentage, calling the squad the poorest 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 defender during Blackburn Rovers' championship 1994-95 season, Amorim came at Jason Wilcox and seems to have missed. The most casual observer will notice the irony here: a manager who often railed his squad for losing one-on-one duels succumbing when confronted by the white heat and formidable presence of a England's top division's most intimidating football executives.

And frankly, this whole bruising episode seems to paint Jason Wilcox in a different perspective. It may have been tempting, given his brief stint in a similar role at Southampton, to view him as little more than a drudge within the club's structure: an individual whose appointment was due largely to his friendship with his former boss Omar Berrada as any demonstrable skill. How wrong we all were. By masterfully outsmarting the club's celebrated head coach, just as he bested the unfortunate a previous executive earlier, Jason Wilcox has proved himself as one of football's true generals: a strategic mind that United’s mid-table rivals are now rightly wary.

A Strategic Clash Regarding System and Philosophy

For example, it was Jason Wilcox who being involved in the hierarchy that hired the rigid 3-4-3 advocate Amorim in the first place, played a key role in attempting to convince Amorim to ditch his beloved 3-4-3. Unsurprisingly, these entreaties were resisted. But perhaps these judgements hold greater authority when delivered by a man with the impeccable football pedigree of Jason Wilcox, holder of international appearances and a role in a title-winning side from 31 years ago.

Maybe eventually Jason Wilcox may be persuaded to explain his thought processes to the rest of us. Maybe one day he might be asked why Amorim is walking away with full compensation, without any penalty clause in place. But Jason Wilcox speaks rarely in public, for excellent reasons. The real thinkers in football – men like him – simply operate on a plane exceeding our mundane comprehension. Were he to speak, most likely we would perceive is a series of ultrasonic blips and complex calculations. Wanting is not quite equivalent to being ready to comprehend it.

The Supreme Power In Command

Naturally, in training our focus on Jason Wilcox we overlook the real power behind the club's current leadership. Jason Wilcox is, after all, simply carrying out the directives of his superior Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who in private has emphasized his desire for a four-man defense. According to reports, the owner has also proposed playing Bryan Mbeumo as a right wing-back. Ratcliffe is keen for United to embrace analytics and metrics. According to ESPN, during a leadership summit early in his investment, he announced that the team's approach of play “will be determined by this group”.

Ultimately, Ratcliffe is an expert in these intricate football matters, drawing from his background in industry and sailing. Above all he remains incredibly rich, and it is known, the wealthy are superior: more perceptive, more wise, strategically brilliant, simply superior. Whom else would you trust to manage a strategic plan of austerity, the construction of a modern arena that looks similar to an abstract design, the signing of a new striker?

The Modern Football Hierarchy: Directors Above Coaches

This represents a shift we are increasingly seeing in top-tier of the game. Historically, clubs foolishly entrusted big footballing decisions to subordinate staff such as coaches, scouts – players themselves. Maybe previously possible for a young, innovative manager with ideas and energy to go into an organization and see their vision through to completion. Yet how many companies have these guys set up? How many mass redundancies have they overseen? Far preferable to invest the real power where it belongs: the leadership tier, the open-necked shirt brigade, the individuals with impressive LinkedIn profiles. Better by far to determine the strategy by the directors and appoint someone who will adapt their methods to suit. If managers were formerly chefs, they have become more akin to Deliveroo drivers: not really responsible for the food, yet ultimately answerable should it be delivered cold or fails of the box.

In the meantime, a coach's role has become not about crafting the philosophy and more about marketing it: the receptionist on the front desk, the public face for a club they can do little to change. A coach at Chelsea takes a squad of literal children into the Champions League and wins domestic cups, and effectively is dismissed for talking. A manager at Celtic sees his reputation ruined whereas the people who hired him live to blunder indefinitely.

The Neoliberal Football: Accountability Only for the Few

And possibly in a small way this is simply neoliberalism at work: the elevation of a privileged elite who can never be wrong, whose choices are always sacrosanct, whose errors can invariably be resolved by sacking without justification. Appoint the 3-4-3 coach and then fire him for playing too much 3-4-3. Hire the project manager and later bin them for taking too long. And most importantly be grateful; for your modest season ticket price rises, for your new summer signings, for the reality that the grownups – however well qualified – remain in control.