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Itranspired the manager endured defeat by lower-league opposition. He weathered a decisive continental showpiece versus one of the worst Spurs sides in living memory. He withstood losing at home against domestic rivals, finishing 15th, the tactical inflexibility, undermining the team's best homegrown talent, the 32% win rate, calling the squad the worst the club has ever seen. Yet, there existed a single opponent with whom Ruben Amorim was not permitted to dance. If you challenge the sporting director, and you best not miss.

Unfortunately, similar to numerous Premiership defender during Blackburn Rovers' title-winning 1994-95 season, the coach came at Jason Wilcox and seems to have failed. Even the most casual observer will notice the paradoxical situation: a coach who frequently berated at his players for failing in individual battles crumbling in the face of the white heat and formidable presence of a England's top division's most intimidating sporting directors.

And frankly, this whole bruising episode appears to portray the director in a different perspective. It may have been easy, based on his nine months in a similar role with the Saints, to regard him as little more than a functionary within the club's structure: an individual whose appointment was due largely to his friendship with ex-colleague Omar Berrada as any verifiable talent. How mistaken everyone was. By masterfully outmanoeuvring the club's celebrated manager, just as he bested the unfortunate a previous executive earlier, he has demonstrated to be among football's strategic masterminds: a tactical intellect that the club's competitors are now justifiably concerned.

The Strategic Clash Over Formation and Philosophy

For example, this was Jason Wilcox who having been part of the hierarchy that appointed the 3-4-3 fundamentalist the coach in the first place, was instrumental in trying to persuade him to ditch his beloved formation. Naturally, these pleas met a certain resistance. But perhaps such directives hold greater authority when issued by a man of a man the impeccable football pedigree of Jason Wilcox, holder of three England caps and a contributor to a title-winning side from 31 years ago.

Perhaps in time he might agree to outline his thought processes to the rest of us. Perhaps at some point questions may arise regarding why the coach is walking away with a full payout, without any compensation reduction clause activated. But Jason Wilcox seldom speaks in public, and with very good reason. The true intellectuals in football – men like him – function at a level beyond our own prosaic understanding. Were he to speak, probably all we would hear is a series of ultrasonic blips and complex calculations. Desiring an explanation is not the same as being ready to comprehend it.

The Ultimate Authority In Command

Naturally, in training our focus on Jason Wilcox we are obscuring the real power behind the club's current leadership. The director is, after all, simply carrying out the directives of his superior the billionaire owner, who privately has emphasized his desire for a back four. It is reported, the owner has also proposed playing Bryan Mbeumo in a wing-back role. Ratcliffe is keen for United to adopt data science and analytics. According to ESPN, during a leadership summit early in his minority ownership, he declared that United’s style of play “shall be decided in this room”.

Ultimately, Sir Jim is an expert in this technical football matters, drawing from his background in petrochemicals and sailing. Most importantly he remains immensely wealthy, and it is known, the wealthy are the best of us: more insightful, sagacious, strategically brilliant, simply superior. Who else would you trust to oversee an enlightened programme of austerity, the construction of a new stadium that looks a lot like an abstract design, the acquisition of a new striker?

The Modern Football Hierarchy: Executives Above Coaches

This represents a shift we are increasingly seeing in top-tier football. Historically, clubs foolishly entrusted major sporting choices to subordinate staff such as coaches, scouts – even footballers. Perhaps it was once possible for a young, innovative manager with ideas and energy to join a club and see their vision supported to fruition. Yet how many companies have these guys set up? How many mass redundancies have they managed? Far preferable to invest the real power where it belongs: the leadership tier, the casually dressed executives, the individuals with the jaw-dropping professional resumes. It is wiser to determine the strategy in the boardroom and hire someone who can tailor their methods accordingly. If managers were formerly chefs, they have become more akin to Deliveroo drivers: not really creating the food, but still finally accountable should it be delivered cold or leaks out to meet standards.

In the meantime, a coach's role has become less about defining the vision and more about marketing it: the front-facing representative of the operation, the public face of an organisation they have minimal power to change. Enzo Maresca leads a team of literal children into the Champions League and secures two medium-sized trophies, and essentially gets sacked for speaking out. Wilfried Nancy finds his standing damaged whereas those individuals who appointed him continue to make errors indefinitely.

The Modern Corporate Game: Responsibility for the Coaches

And possibly in a small way this is simply corporate governance in action: the elevation of a gilded overclass who are infallible, whose decisions remain sacrosanct, whose errors can always be resolved by sacking without explanation. Hire the system coach and then dismiss them for using too much 3-4-3. Bring in the process guy and then discard them for taking too long. And most importantly show gratitude; for the incremental increases in ticket costs, for your new summer signings, for the fact that the grownups – regardless of their expertise – are in charge.