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Turns out he could survive defeat by lower-league opposition. Survive an important continental showpiece against one of the worst Tottenham teams for many years. He could survive losing at home against West Ham and Wolves, finishing 15th, the tactical inflexibility, squandering the team's best homegrown talent, the 32% win rate, calling his team the worst the club has ever seen. Yet, there existed a single opponent against whom the Portuguese coach would not be allowed to engage. If you challenge Jason Wilcox, you had better succeed.

Unfortunately, like many a top-flight defender in Blackburn’s title-winning campaign, the coach took on Jason Wilcox and appears to have missed. Even the most casual observer can see the irony here: a coach who often railed his squad for losing one-on-one duels crumbling when confronted by the intense pressure and animal charisma of one of England's top division's most intimidating football executives.

And frankly, this entire bruising episode appears to portray the director in a different perspective. It may have been easy, based on his brief stint of experience at Southampton, to regard Jason Wilcox as merely a functionary in the United exoskeleton: an individual who owed his position as much to his friendship with ex-colleague Omar Berrada rather than any verifiable talent. How wrong we all were. In brilliantly outmanoeuvring the club's celebrated head coach, just as he bested the unfortunate a previous executive earlier, Jason Wilcox has demonstrated to be among the sport’s true generals: a tactical intellect that the club's competitors will now be justifiably concerned.

The Tactical Clash Regarding Formation and Philosophy

To illustrate, it was the director who having been part of the hierarchy that hired the rigid 3-4-3 advocate the coach originally, played a key role in attempting to convince him to ditch his favored 3-4-3. Unsurprisingly, these entreaties met a certain resistance. But perhaps such directives hold greater authority when issued by a man of a man the impeccable football pedigree he possesses, a veteran of international appearances and a contributor to a title-winning side from 31 years ago.

Perhaps in time Jason Wilcox may be persuaded to explain his reasoning to the rest of us. Perhaps at some point he might be asked why Amorim is walking away with full compensation, without any penalty clause activated. The director seldom speaks publicly, and with very good reason. The real thinkers of this sport – individuals such as Jason Wilcox – simply operate at a level exceeding our mundane comprehension. If he ever did speak, probably all we would hear is a series of high-frequency signals and four-dimensional whirring. Wanting is not the same as being prepared to receive.

An Supreme Power In the Throne

Naturally, in training our focus on Jason Wilcox we overlook the real power behind the modern United throne. Jason Wilcox is, after all, merely executing the commands of his ultimate superior Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who privately has made very clear his desire for a back four. According to reports, the owner has also proposed deploying the forward as a right wing-back. The owner is eager for the club to adopt data science and analytics. According to ESPN, in an executive meeting early in his minority ownership, he declared that United’s style to football “shall be determined in this room”.

After all, Sir Jim is a specialist in this technical football matters, leveraging his previous experience in industry and sailing. Above all he is incredibly rich, and it is known, the rich are the best of us: more insightful, sagacious, strategically brilliant, fundamentally superior. Who else would you trust to oversee a strategic plan of austerity, the building of a new stadium that appears a lot like an abstract design, the acquisition of Benjamin Sesko?

The New Football Order: Executives Above Coaches

This is a trend that is becoming prevalent at the elite levels football. For decades, clubs foolishly delegated major sporting choices to subordinate staff like managers, scouts – players themselves. Perhaps it was once feasible for a young, visionary coach with ideas and drive to go into a club and see their vision supported to fruition. But how many companies have these guys set up? What number of mass redundancies have they overseen? Far preferable to invest genuine authority where it belongs: the executive class, the open-necked shirt brigade, the guys with the jaw-dropping LinkedIn profiles. Better by far to decide the tactics in the boardroom and appoint someone who will adapt their methods to suit. If managers were formerly chefs, they are now more akin to Deliveroo drivers: not really responsible for the food, yet ultimately answerable should it be delivered poorly or leaks out to meet standards.

In the meantime, a coach's role is increasingly less about crafting the philosophy and more about marketing it: the receptionist of the operation, the public face for a club they can do little to change. A coach at Chelsea leads a team of very young players into the Champions League and secures domestic cups, and essentially gets sacked for speaking out. Wilfried Nancy sees his reputation ruined whereas the people who appointed him live to blunder another day.

The Modern Corporate Game: Responsibility for the Coaches

And perhaps in a small way this represents neoliberalism in action: the elevation of a privileged elite who can never be wrong, whose choices remain sacrosanct, whose mistakes can invariably be sacked away without explanation. Appoint the 3-4-3 coach and then fire them for using too much that system. Hire the process guy and then discard him for requiring excessive time. And above all be grateful; for the incremental increases in ticket costs, for the latest player acquisitions, for the fact that the grownups – however well qualified – remain in control.