Amorim's Critical Mistake? Challenging The Executives and an Unassailable Executive Tier

Tbecame clear Ruben Amorim could survive defeat by Grimsby. He weathered a decisive European final against a particularly poor Tottenham teams for many years. He withstood losing at home against West Ham and Wolves, finishing 15th, the tactical inflexibility, squandering the team's best academy products, the 32% win rate, calling the squad the worst in Manchester United history. But there was one adversary with whom the Portuguese coach was not permitted to tango. If you challenge Jason Wilcox, and you best not miss.

In truth, this whole painful saga seems to paint Jason Wilcox in a whole new light. Perhaps it might have been tempting, 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 whose appointment was due largely to his close relationship with ex-colleague a fellow executive as any demonstrable skill. How mistaken everyone was. By masterfully outsmarting the club's celebrated head coach, as he outmanoeuvred the hapless Dan Ashworth earlier, he has proved himself to be among football's true generals: a strategic mind that the club's competitors will now be rightly wary.

The Tactical Clash Over Formation & Philosophy

To illustrate, it was Jason Wilcox who being involved in the hierarchy that appointed the rigid 3-4-3 advocate the coach originally, was instrumental in trying to persuade him to ditch his beloved 3-4-3. Naturally, these pleas were resisted. However, such directives hold greater authority when delivered from the mouth with the impeccable soccer background of Jason Wilcox, a veteran of international appearances and a role in a title-winning side from 31 years ago.

Maybe eventually Jason Wilcox may be persuaded to outline his thought processes to the rest of us. Perhaps at some point questions may arise regarding why the coach is departing with a full payout, without any compensation reduction clause activated. But Jason Wilcox speaks rarely publicly, and with very good reason. The true intellectuals of this sport – individuals such as him – function at a level beyond our own mundane comprehension. If he ever did speak, most likely we would perceive is a series of ultrasonic blips and complex calculations. Desiring an explanation is not equivalent to being prepared to comprehend it.

The Supreme Power In the Throne

Naturally, in training our focus on Jason Wilcox we are obscuring the true genius behind the club's current leadership. The director is, in reality, simply carrying out the commands of his superior the billionaire owner, who privately has emphasized his preference for a four-man defense. According to reports, the owner has also proposed deploying the forward as a right wing-back. Ratcliffe is keen for United to embrace data science and metrics. Per reports, in an executive meeting early in his investment, he declared that United’s style of play “shall be decided in this room”.

Ultimately, Sir Jim is a specialist in these intricate footballing stuff, drawing from his background in petrochemicals and sailing. Above all he remains incredibly rich, and it is known, the wealthy are superior: more insightful, more wise, more tactically astute, fundamentally better. Whom else would you trust to manage a strategic plan of austerity, the construction of a modern arena that appears a lot like someone’s leftover knitting, the signing of Benjamin Sesko?

The Modern Football Hierarchy: Directors Above Coaches

This is a trend we are increasingly seeing in top-tier of the game. For decades, teams mistakenly delegated major sporting choices to low-level employees such as coaches, talent spotters – players themselves. Perhaps it was once feasible for a young, innovative manager with a philosophy and energy to go into an organization and implement their plan through to completion. Yet how many companies have these guys set up? How many mass redundancies have they overseen? Better by far to place the real power where it belongs: the leadership tier, the open-necked shirt brigade, the guys with impressive professional resumes. Better by far to decide the strategy by the directors and hire someone who will adapt their methods to suit. If managers were once chefs, they are now more akin to Deliveroo drivers: not really responsible for the product, yet finally accountable should it be delivered poorly or leaks out to meet standards.

Nowadays, their job has become less about defining the vision and more about selling it: the front-facing representative of the operation, the visible figurehead of an organisation they can do little to change. Enzo Maresca leads a team of very young players into Europe and wins two medium-sized trophies, and effectively is dismissed for talking. Wilfried Nancy finds his reputation ruined while the people who appointed him live to blunder indefinitely.

The Neoliberal Game: Responsibility Only for the Coaches

And possibly in a small way this is simply neoliberalism at work: the rise of a privileged elite who are infallible, whose decisions remain sacrosanct, whose mistakes can always be resolved by sacking without justification. Hire the system coach and then dismiss him for using excessively 3-4-3. Bring in the project manager and then discard him for requiring too long. And most importantly show gratitude; for your modest increases in ticket costs, for the latest summer signings, for the fact that the adults – however well qualified – are in charge.