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Itbecame clear Ruben Amorim could survive losing against lower-league opposition. Survive a decisive European final versus a particularly poor Spurs sides for many years. He could survive losing at home against domestic rivals, a lowly league position, his rigid approach, squandering some of the club’s most promising homegrown talent, the 32% win rate, calling his team the poorest the club has ever seen. Yet, there existed a single opponent with whom the Portuguese coach was not permitted to engage. If you challenge the sporting director, and you best not miss.

Unfortunately, like many a Premiership defender in Blackburn’s championship campaign, the coach came at Jason Wilcox and seems to have failed. The most casual observer can see the irony here: a manager who frequently berated his squad for losing one-on-one duels succumbing when confronted by the white heat and animal charisma of one of the Premier League’s most intimidating sporting directors.

And frankly, this whole painful saga appears to portray the director in a whole new light. Perhaps it might have been easy, given his nine months of experience at Southampton, to view Jason Wilcox as little more than a drudge within the club's structure: an individual whose appointment was due as much to his close relationship with ex-colleague a fellow executive as any demonstrable skill. How mistaken we all were. By masterfully outmanoeuvring the club's celebrated manager, as he outmanoeuvred the hapless Dan Ashworth earlier, he has demonstrated as one of the sport’s strategic masterminds: a strategic mind of which United’s competitors will now be rightly wary.

The Strategic Conflict Regarding System and Ideology

For example, it was the director who being involved in the leadership that appointed the rigid 3-4-3 advocate Amorim in the first place, was instrumental in attempting to convince Amorim to abandon his favored 3-4-3. Naturally, these entreaties faced pushback. But perhaps these judgements hold greater authority when delivered from the mouth of a man the unimpeachable football pedigree he possesses, a veteran of international appearances and a role in a title-winning side from 31 years ago.

Perhaps in time 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 walking away with a full payout, with no penalty clause activated. The director seldom speaks in public, and with very good reason. The real thinkers in football – men like Jason Wilcox – simply operate at a level exceeding our mundane comprehension. If he ever did speak, probably we would perceive is a series of ultrasonic blips and four-dimensional whirring. Desiring an explanation is not quite equivalent to being prepared to receive.

The Ultimate Power Behind Command

Naturally, by focusing our attention on Jason Wilcox we are obscuring the real power behind the club's current leadership. The director is, after all, simply carrying out the commands of his ultimate superior the billionaire owner, who in private has made very clear his preference for a four-man defense. It is reported, the owner has also proposed deploying the forward in a wing-back role. Ratcliffe is keen for the club to adopt analytics and metrics. According to ESPN, in an executive meeting early in his investment, he announced that United’s style to football “shall be determined by this group”.

After all, Ratcliffe is a specialist in this technical footballing stuff, drawing from his background in petrochemicals and sailing. Most importantly he is immensely wealthy, and it is known, the wealthy are superior: more perceptive, more wise, more tactically astute, simply better. Who else could one trust to manage a strategic plan of cost-cutting, the building of a new stadium that appears a lot like someone’s leftover knitting, the acquisition of a new striker?

A New Football Order: Executives Over Coaches

This represents a shift we are increasingly seeing in top-tier of the game. Historically, teams mistakenly delegated major sporting choices to low-level employees such as coaches, talent spotters – players themselves. Perhaps it was once possible for a young, visionary coach with ideas and drive to join an organization and see their vision supported to fruition. But how many businesses have such individuals set up? What number of large-scale layoffs have they managed? Better by far to invest the real power where it rightly belongs: the executive class, the casually dressed executives, the guys with impressive LinkedIn profiles. Better by far to determine the strategy by the directors and hire someone who will adapt their offering accordingly. If managers were once chefs, they have become more like delivery personnel: not creating the food, but still ultimately answerable should it be delivered cold or fails of the box.

In the meantime, their job has become not about defining the vision and more about marketing it: the front-facing representative of the operation, the visible figurehead for a club they can do little to influence. Enzo Maresca leads a team of literal children into the Champions League and wins domestic cups, and essentially is dismissed for speaking out. Wilfried Nancy sees his reputation ruined while those individuals who appointed him live to blunder another day.

A Modern Corporate Game: Responsibility for the Few

And possibly on some microcosmic level this is simply corporate governance in action: the rise of a privileged elite who are infallible, whose choices are always sacrosanct, whose errors can invariably be resolved by sacking without justification. Appoint the system coach only to fire them for using excessively 3-4-3. Hire the process guy and then bin them for taking excessive time. And most importantly be grateful; for the incremental season ticket price rises, for the latest summer signings, for the reality that the adults – regardless of their expertise – are in charge.