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Itbecame clear the manager could survive a loss to lower-league opposition. Survive an important continental showpiece against a particularly poor Spurs sides for many years. He could survive home defeats to domestic rivals, finishing 15th, the tactical inflexibility, squandering some of the club’s best academy products, a poor winning percentage, labeling his team the worst in Manchester United history. But there was one adversary with whom the Portuguese coach was not permitted to engage. If you challenge the sporting director, and you best not miss.

Unfortunately, similar to numerous top-flight defender during Blackburn Rovers' title-winning 1994-95 season, Amorim took on Jason Wilcox and seems to have missed. Even the most distracted of readers can see the irony here: a coach who frequently berated at his players for failing in one-on-one duels crumbling in the face of the intense pressure and formidable presence of one of the Premier League’s most intimidating sporting directors.

In truth, this entire bruising episode appears to portray Jason Wilcox in a different perspective. Perhaps it might have been tempting, based on his nine months in a similar role at Southampton, to view him as merely a drudge in the United exoskeleton: a man who owed his position as much to his friendship with ex-colleague Omar Berrada rather than any verifiable talent. How wrong we all were. By masterfully outmanoeuvring the club's celebrated manager, just as he bested the hapless Dan Ashworth before him, he has proved himself as one of the sport’s true generals: a strategic mind of which United’s mid-table rivals will now be justifiably concerned.

A Strategic Conflict Over System and Philosophy

To illustrate, it was the director who having been part of the hierarchy that appointed the rigid 3-4-3 advocate Amorim originally, was instrumental in trying to persuade Amorim to ditch his beloved formation. Naturally, these pleas met a certain resistance. But perhaps such directives hold greater authority when issued by a man with the impeccable soccer background he possesses, holder of three England caps and a contributor to a title-winning side from 31 years ago.

Perhaps in time he might agree to explain his reasoning to the rest of us. Perhaps at some point questions may arise why Amorim is walking away with a full payout, without any compensation reduction clause in place. But Jason Wilcox seldom speaks publicly, for excellent reasons. The true intellectuals of this sport – men like him – function on a plane beyond our own prosaic understanding. Were he to speak, probably all we would hear would be ultrasonic blips and complex calculations. Desiring an explanation is not the same as being prepared to receive.

The Supreme Authority Behind the Throne

Naturally, in training our focus on the sporting director we overlook the true genius behind the club's current leadership. Jason Wilcox is, in reality, merely executing the commands of his ultimate line manager the billionaire owner, who privately has made very clear his preference for a four-man defense. It is reported, the owner has also suggested deploying the forward as a right wing-back. The owner is eager for United to embrace analytics and metrics. According to ESPN, in an executive meeting early in his minority ownership, he declared that United’s style of play “shall be determined by this group”.

After all, Ratcliffe is an expert in these intricate football matters, leveraging his previous experience in petrochemicals and sailing. Above all he is immensely wealthy, and it is known, the wealthy are the best of us: more insightful, sagacious, more tactically astute, fundamentally superior. Who else would you trust to manage an enlightened programme of cost-cutting, the building of a modern arena that looks a lot like an abstract design, the acquisition of Benjamin Sesko?

A New Soccer Order: Directors Above Coaches

This is a trend that is becoming prevalent in top-tier football. For decades, teams mistakenly delegated major sporting choices to subordinate staff like managers, scouts – players themselves. Maybe previously possible for a young, innovative manager with a philosophy and drive to go into an organization and implement their plan through to completion. But how many businesses have these guys established? What number of large-scale layoffs have they managed? Far preferable to invest genuine authority where it belongs: the leadership tier, the open-necked shirt brigade, the guys with the jaw-dropping LinkedIn profiles. Better by far to determine the strategy in the boardroom and hire a coach who will adapt their methods to suit. If coaches were formerly chefs, they have become more akin to delivery personnel: not really creating the product, yet ultimately answerable should it be delivered cold or fails of the box.

Nowadays, their job has become less about crafting the philosophy and more about selling it: the front-facing representative on the front desk, the visible figurehead for a club they can do little to change. Enzo Maresca takes a squad of literal children into the Champions League and secures domestic cups, and essentially is dismissed for speaking out. Wilfried Nancy sees his reputation ruined whereas those individuals who appointed him continue to make errors another day.

The Neoliberal Football: Responsibility Only for the Coaches

And possibly in a small way this is simply corporate governance at work: the elevation of a gilded elite who can never be wrong, whose choices remain sacrosanct, whose errors can invariably be sacked away without explanation. Hire the 3-4-3 coach only to dismiss them for playing excessively that system. Hire the process guy and then bin him for requiring too long. And above all show gratitude; for the incremental season ticket price rises, for your new summer signings, for the reality that the grownups – however well qualified – are in charge.