🔗 Share this article

Turns out he endured losing against lower-league opposition. Survive an important continental showpiece against one of the worst Spurs sides in living memory. He could survive home defeats to domestic rivals, a lowly league position, an unwavering system, undermining the team's best homegrown talent, a poor winning percentage, calling the squad the worst in Manchester United history. Yet, there existed one adversary against whom the Portuguese coach would not be allowed to tango. You come at Jason Wilcox, and you best not miss.

Unfortunately, similar to numerous Premiership right-back during Blackburn Rovers' championship 1994-95 season, the coach took on Jason Wilcox and seems to have missed. Even the most distracted of readers can see the irony here: a coach who often railed at his players for losing individual battles succumbing when confronted by the intense pressure and formidable presence of a the Premier League’s most feared football executives.

In truth, this whole painful saga seems to paint the director in a whole new light. It may have been tempting, based on his brief stint of experience with the Saints, to view Jason Wilcox as little more than a drudge in the United exoskeleton: an individual who owed his position as much to his close relationship with his former boss Omar Berrada as any verifiable talent. How mistaken everyone was. In brilliantly outmanoeuvring United’s feted head coach, just as he bested the unfortunate Dan Ashworth earlier, he has demonstrated as one of the sport’s strategic masterminds: a strategic mind that United’s competitors will now be justifiably concerned.

The Tactical Clash Over System & Ideology

To illustrate, it was the director who being involved in the leadership that hired the 3-4-3 fundamentalist Amorim originally, was instrumental in attempting to convince him to ditch his favored formation. Unsurprisingly, these pleas faced pushback. However, these judgements hold greater authority when issued from the mouth of a man the impeccable soccer background he possesses, holder of international appearances and a role in a title-winning side decades past.

Maybe eventually he might agree to outline his thought processes publicly. Perhaps at some point he might be asked why Amorim is walking away with full compensation, with no compensation reduction clause activated. The director speaks rarely in public, for excellent reasons. The true intellectuals in football – individuals such as him – function on a plane exceeding our mundane comprehension. Were he to speak, most likely we would perceive is a series of ultrasonic blips and complex calculations. Wanting is not quite the same as being prepared to receive.

An Ultimate Authority Behind Command

But of course, by focusing our attention on the sporting director we overlook the real power behind the modern United throne. Jason Wilcox is, in reality, simply carrying out the directives of his line manager the billionaire owner, who in private has made very clear his desire for a four-man defense. According to reports, Ratcliffe has also proposed deploying the forward in a wing-back role. Ratcliffe is keen for the club to adopt data science and metrics. Per reports, during a leadership summit soon after his investment, he declared that United’s style of play “shall be decided in this room”.

Ultimately, Sir Jim is a specialist in these intricate footballing stuff, drawing from his background in petrochemicals and yachting. Above all he remains immensely wealthy, and it is known, the rich are superior: more insightful, more wise, strategically brilliant, simply superior. Whom else could one trust to manage a strategic plan of cost-cutting, the construction of a modern arena that appears a lot like someone’s leftover knitting, the acquisition of a new striker?

The Modern Football Order: Executives Above Managers

This represents a shift that is becoming prevalent at the elite levels football. Historically, teams mistakenly entrusted major sporting choices to subordinate staff such as coaches, talent spotters – even footballers. Maybe previously possible for a young, innovative manager with a philosophy and energy to join an organization and see their vision through to completion. Yet how many companies have such individuals set up? How many large-scale layoffs have they managed? Far preferable to invest the real power where it rightly belongs: the executive class, the open-necked shirt brigade, the guys with the jaw-dropping LinkedIn profiles. It is wiser to decide the tactics in the boardroom and hire a coach who can tailor their offering accordingly. If managers were once chefs, they are now more akin to delivery personnel: not really creating the food, but still ultimately answerable if it arrives poorly or leaks out to meet standards.

Nowadays, a coach's role has become less about defining the vision and more about marketing it: the receptionist of the operation, 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 gets sacked for talking. Wilfried Nancy finds his reputation ruined whereas those individuals who appointed him live to blunder another day.

A Neoliberal Football: Responsibility Only for the Coaches

And possibly on some microcosmic level this represents corporate governance in action: the elevation of a gilded overclass who are infallible, whose decisions remain sacrosanct, whose errors can always be resolved by sacking without explanation. Appoint the 3-4-3 coach and then fire them for using excessively 3-4-3. Hire the process guy and later bin them for requiring too long. And above all show gratitude; for the incremental increases in ticket costs, for the latest summer signings, for the reality that the grownups – however well qualified – remain in control.