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Iturns out the manager was able to withstand a loss to lower-league opposition. Survive a decisive European final against one of the worst Spurs sides in living memory. He withstood losing at home to domestic rivals, a lowly league position, his rigid approach, squandering the team's best homegrown talent, a poor winning percentage, calling the squad the worst in Manchester United history. But there was a single opponent against whom the Portuguese coach would not be allowed to tango. If you challenge Jason Wilcox, and you best not miss.

Regrettably, like many a Premiership right-back during Blackburn Rovers' title-winning 1994-95 season, Amorim took on the executive and seems to have failed. Even the most casual observer will notice the paradoxical situation: a coach who frequently berated his squad for losing one-on-one duels succumbing in the face of the white heat and animal charisma of a England's top division's most intimidating sporting directors.

In truth, this whole painful saga seems to paint Jason Wilcox in a whole new light. Perhaps it might have been easy, based on his brief stint in a similar role at Southampton, to view Jason Wilcox as merely a functionary within the club's structure: a man whose appointment was due largely to his friendship with his former boss Omar Berrada rather than any demonstrable skill. How mistaken everyone was. In brilliantly outmanoeuvring the club's celebrated manager, just as he bested the hapless Dan Ashworth before him, Jason Wilcox has proved himself as one of the sport’s true generals: a strategic mind that United’s competitors will now be rightly wary.

A Strategic Clash Regarding System & Philosophy

To illustrate, it was Jason Wilcox who being involved in the hierarchy that hired the 3-4-3 fundamentalist Amorim originally, was instrumental in trying to persuade him to ditch his favored 3-4-3. Naturally, these pleas faced pushback. But perhaps these judgements carry more weight when issued by a man of a man the impeccable football pedigree of Jason Wilcox, holder of three England caps and a role in a championship team from 31 years ago.

Perhaps in time Jason Wilcox may be persuaded to explain his reasoning to the rest of us. Maybe one day he might be asked why Amorim is walking away with a full payout, with no compensation reduction clause in place. The director speaks rarely in public, and with very good reason. The real thinkers of this sport – men like Jason Wilcox – function on a plane beyond our own mundane comprehension. Were he to speak, probably we would perceive would be high-frequency signals and four-dimensional whirring. Wanting is not quite the same as being prepared to comprehend it.

The Ultimate 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 ultimate line manager the billionaire owner, who privately has emphasized his desire for a four-man defense. It is reported, the owner has also suggested playing Bryan Mbeumo in a wing-back role. The owner is eager for the club to adopt data science and analytics. According to ESPN, during a leadership summit soon after his investment, he announced that United’s style of play “will be decided in this room”.

Ultimately, Sir Jim is a specialist in this technical footballing stuff, drawing from his previous experience in industry and sailing. Above all he is immensely wealthy, and as we all know, the rich are superior: more perceptive, more wise, more tactically astute, fundamentally superior. Whom else could one trust to oversee an enlightened programme of cost-cutting, the construction of a new stadium that appears a lot like an abstract design, the acquisition of a new striker?

A New Football Order: Directors Over Managers

This is a trend we are increasingly seeing at the elite levels football. For decades, teams mistakenly entrusted major sporting choices to subordinate staff like managers, talent spotters – players themselves. Perhaps it was once feasible for a young, innovative manager with a philosophy and energy to join an organization and see their vision through to completion. But how many businesses have such individuals established? How many mass redundancies have they overseen? Better by far to invest genuine authority where it belongs: the leadership tier, the open-necked shirt brigade, the guys with impressive professional resumes. Better by far to determine the strategy in the boardroom and hire someone who can tailor their offering to suit. If managers were formerly chefs, they have become more like delivery personnel: not really responsible for the food, yet ultimately answerable should it be delivered cold or fails of the box.

In the meantime, their job is increasingly less about crafting the philosophy and more about marketing it: the receptionist of the operation, the visible figurehead for a club they can do little to influence. Enzo Maresca leads a team of very young players into Europe and secures domestic cups, and essentially is dismissed for talking. A manager at Celtic finds his standing damaged while those individuals who hired him continue to make errors another day.

The Modern Corporate Football: Responsibility Only for the Few

And perhaps in a small way this represents corporate governance at work: the rise of a privileged elite who are infallible, whose choices remain sacrosanct, whose errors can always be resolved by sacking without justification. Hire the system coach only to fire him for using too much 3-4-3. Hire the project manager and later bin him for requiring too long. And most importantly be grateful; for your modest season ticket price rises, for your new player acquisitions, for the fact that the adults – however well qualified – remain in control.