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Turns out he could survive losing against Grimsby. Survive an important continental showpiece against a particularly poor Spurs sides in living memory. He withstood home defeats to domestic rivals, a lowly league position, an unwavering system, squandering the team's most promising homegrown talent, a poor winning percentage, calling the squad the poorest in Manchester United history. Yet, there existed a single opponent with whom the Portuguese coach was not permitted to dance. If you challenge Jason Wilcox, you had better succeed.

Unfortunately, like many a top-flight defender during Blackburn Rovers' title-winning campaign, Amorim came at the executive and seems to have failed. The most distracted of readers will notice the paradoxical situation: a coach who frequently berated his squad for losing individual battles succumbing in the face of the white heat and formidable presence of a England's top division's most feared sporting directors.

In truth, this whole painful saga appears to portray Jason Wilcox in a different perspective. It may have been tempting, based on his nine months in a similar role with the Saints, to view him as little more than a drudge in the United exoskeleton: a man who owed his position largely to his friendship with ex-colleague Omar Berrada as any verifiable talent. How mistaken everyone was. In brilliantly outmanoeuvring United’s feted manager, as he outmanoeuvred the hapless a previous executive before him, he has proved himself as one of the sport’s true generals: a strategic mind of which United’s competitors will now be rightly wary.

The Tactical Clash Over Formation and Ideology

To illustrate, it was Jason Wilcox who having been part of the hierarchy that hired the rigid 3-4-3 advocate Amorim originally, played a key role in trying to persuade him to ditch his favored 3-4-3. Unsurprisingly, these entreaties faced pushback. However, these judgements hold greater authority when delivered by a man with the unimpeachable soccer background he possesses, a veteran of international appearances and a contributor to a championship team from 31 years ago.

Maybe eventually he may be persuaded to explain his reasoning publicly. Perhaps at some point questions may arise why Amorim is walking away with full compensation, with no penalty clause activated. But Jason Wilcox seldom speaks in public, and with very good reason. The true intellectuals in football – individuals such as Jason Wilcox – simply operate at a level beyond our own mundane comprehension. Were he to speak, probably we would perceive is a series of high-frequency signals and four-dimensional whirring. Wanting is not equivalent to being ready to receive.

An Supreme Power In Command

But of course, in training our focus on the sporting director we are obscuring the true genius behind the modern United throne. The director is, after all, simply carrying out the directives of his ultimate superior Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who in private has made very clear his preference for a back four. According to reports, Ratcliffe has also suggested playing Bryan Mbeumo as a right wing-back. The owner is eager for the club to adopt data science and analytics. Per reports, in an executive meeting soon after his investment, he declared that United’s style of play “will be decided in this room”.

Ultimately, Ratcliffe is an expert in these intricate footballing stuff, drawing from his background in industry and sailing. Most importantly he remains incredibly rich, and as we all know, the rich are superior: more insightful, sagacious, more tactically astute, fundamentally superior. Whom else could one trust to manage an enlightened programme of cost-cutting, the construction of a new stadium that appears a lot like an abstract design, the signing of Benjamin Sesko?

A Modern Soccer Order: Directors Above Managers

This is a trend that is becoming prevalent at the elite levels football. Historically, teams mistakenly entrusted major sporting choices to subordinate staff like managers, talent spotters – even footballers. Perhaps it was once possible for a young, innovative manager with ideas and energy to go into an organization and implement their plan through to completion. But how many companies have these guys 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 open-necked shirt brigade, the individuals with the jaw-dropping LinkedIn profiles. Better by far to decide the tactics by the directors and appoint someone who will adapt their offering to suit. If managers were once chefs, they are now more akin to delivery personnel: not really creating the food, yet finally accountable should it be delivered cold or leaks out of the box.

In the meantime, their job is increasingly not about crafting the philosophy and more about marketing it: the receptionist on the front desk, the visible figurehead of an organisation they have minimal power to influence. Enzo Maresca leads a team of literal children into the Champions League and wins two medium-sized trophies, and effectively is dismissed for talking. Wilfried Nancy finds his reputation ruined while the people who appointed him live to blunder another day.

A Modern Corporate Football: Responsibility Only for the Few

And possibly in a small way this represents corporate governance at work: the rise of a privileged elite who are infallible, whose choices remain untouchable, whose errors can invariably be sacked away without explanation. Appoint the system coach only to dismiss him for playing too much 3-4-3. Bring in the project manager and later bin him for taking excessive time. And most importantly be grateful; for the incremental increases in ticket costs, for your new summer signings, for the fact that the adults – however well qualified – remain in control.