🔗 Share this article

Itranspired Ruben Amorim was able to withstand a loss to lower-league opposition. He weathered an important European final versus a particularly poor Tottenham teams for many years. He withstood losing at home against domestic rivals, a lowly league position, the tactical inflexibility, laying waste to the team's best academy products, a poor winning percentage, labeling the squad the poorest 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 the sporting director, and you best not miss.

Unfortunately, like many a top-flight right-back in Blackburn’s title-winning 1994-95 season, the coach came at the executive and appears to have failed. The most casual observer can see the paradoxical situation: a manager who often railed his squad for losing one-on-one duels succumbing when confronted by the white heat and animal charisma of one of England's top division's most intimidating sporting directors.

In truth, this entire bruising episode appears to portray the director in a different perspective. Perhaps it might have been tempting, given his brief stint of experience at Southampton, to view Jason Wilcox as merely a functionary within the club's structure: an individual who owed his position largely to his friendship with his former boss Omar Berrada rather than any demonstrable skill. How wrong we all were. In brilliantly outsmarting the club's celebrated manager, just as he bested the unfortunate a previous executive earlier, he has demonstrated as one of the sport’s strategic masterminds: a strategic mind of which the club's mid-table rivals will now be justifiably concerned.

The Tactical Clash Regarding System & Philosophy

For example, 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 formation. Naturally, these pleas were resisted. But perhaps these judgements carry more weight when issued from the mouth of a man the impeccable football pedigree he possesses, a veteran of three England caps and a contributor to a championship team from 31 years ago.

Maybe eventually Jason Wilcox may be persuaded to outline his thought processes publicly. Perhaps at some point questions may arise regarding why the coach is departing with full compensation, with no compensation reduction clause in place. But Jason Wilcox seldom speaks in public, and with very good reason. The real thinkers in football – individuals such as Jason Wilcox – function on a plane beyond our own prosaic understanding. If he ever did speak, most likely we would perceive is a series of ultrasonic blips and four-dimensional whirring. Desiring an explanation is not quite equivalent to being ready to receive.

The Ultimate Power Behind Command

But of course, in training our focus on the sporting director we overlook the true genius behind the club's current leadership. Jason Wilcox is, in reality, simply carrying out the commands of his ultimate line manager the billionaire owner, who privately has emphasized his desire for a back four. It is reported, Ratcliffe has also proposed playing Bryan Mbeumo in a wing-back role. The owner is eager for the club to embrace analytics and analytics. Per reports, during a leadership summit early in his investment, he declared that United’s style to football “shall be decided in this room”.

After all, Ratcliffe is a specialist in this technical football matters, leveraging his previous experience in industry and yachting. 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 an enlightened programme of austerity, the building of a modern arena that looks similar to someone’s leftover knitting, the acquisition of Benjamin Sesko?

A New Football Hierarchy: Directors Above Managers

This represents a shift we are increasingly seeing in top-tier football. Historically, teams mistakenly entrusted big footballing decisions to low-level employees such as coaches, talent spotters – even footballers. Maybe previously feasible for a young, visionary coach with ideas and energy to go into an organization and see their vision through to completion. But how many businesses have such individuals established? How many large-scale layoffs have they overseen? Better by far to place the real power where it belongs: the executive class, the casually dressed executives, the individuals with the jaw-dropping professional resumes. Better by far to decide the strategy 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 creating the food, but still finally accountable if it arrives poorly or fails of the box.

Nowadays, a coach's role has become less about defining the vision and more about selling it: the receptionist of the operation, the public face for a club they can do little to change. Enzo Maresca takes a squad of literal children into Europe and wins domestic cups, and effectively is dismissed for speaking out. Wilfried Nancy sees his reputation ruined while the people who hired him continue to make errors another day.

The Neoliberal Game: Responsibility Only for the Coaches

And possibly in a small way this is simply corporate governance in action: the elevation of a gilded overclass who can never be wrong, whose choices remain sacrosanct, whose mistakes can always be sacked away without explanation. Hire the system coach and then dismiss them for using too much that system. Hire the process guy and then bin them for taking excessive time. And most importantly show gratitude; for the incremental increases in ticket costs, for the latest player acquisitions, for the reality that the adults – regardless of their expertise – remain in control.