The Coach's Critical Error? Taking On The Executives and the Infallible Leadership Tier

Itbecame clear Ruben Amorim endured losing against lower-league opposition. He weathered an important European final versus one of the worst Tottenham teams for many years. He withstood home defeats against West Ham and Wolves, finishing 15th, his rigid approach, undermining the team's most promising academy products, the 32% win rate, calling the squad the poorest in Manchester United history. Yet, there existed one adversary with whom the Portuguese coach was not permitted to tango. If you challenge the sporting director, and you best not miss.

In truth, this entire bruising episode seems to paint Jason Wilcox in a whole new light. It may have been easy, given his brief stint in a similar role at Southampton, to view Jason Wilcox as little more than a drudge within the club's structure: a man who owed his position as much to his close relationship with ex-colleague Omar Berrada rather than any verifiable talent. How mistaken we all were. By masterfully outmanoeuvring United’s feted head coach, just as he bested the unfortunate Dan Ashworth before him, he has demonstrated as one of the sport’s strategic masterminds: a strategic mind that the club's mid-table rivals are now justifiably concerned.

A Strategic Clash Over System and Philosophy

To illustrate, this was Jason Wilcox who being involved in the leadership that appointed the rigid 3-4-3 advocate Amorim in the first place, was instrumental in attempting to convince him to abandon his favored 3-4-3. Naturally, these entreaties faced pushback. But perhaps such directives carry more weight when delivered from the mouth with the impeccable football pedigree of Jason Wilcox, holder of international appearances and a contributor to a championship team from 31 years ago.

Maybe eventually Jason Wilcox may be persuaded to outline his reasoning to the rest of us. Perhaps at some point he might be asked regarding why the coach is departing with a full payout, without any penalty clause in place. But Jason Wilcox speaks rarely in public, for excellent reasons. The real thinkers in football – individuals such as him – function at a level beyond our own mundane comprehension. Were he to speak, probably we would perceive is a series of high-frequency signals and complex calculations. Wanting is not quite equivalent to being ready to receive.

The Supreme Power Behind Command

But of course, in training our focus on the sporting director we are obscuring the real power behind the modern United throne. Jason Wilcox is, in reality, merely executing the directives of his superior Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who privately has emphasized his preference for a four-man defense. It is reported, 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 metrics. Per reports, in an executive meeting soon after his minority ownership, he announced that United’s style of play “shall be decided by this group”.

Ultimately, Sir Jim is an expert in these intricate footballing stuff, leveraging his background in petrochemicals and sailing. Above all he remains immensely wealthy, and as we all know, the rich are superior: more perceptive, more wise, more tactically astute, simply better. Whom else could one trust to manage a strategic plan of cost-cutting, the building of a new stadium that looks similar to an abstract design, the acquisition of Benjamin Sesko?

A New Soccer Hierarchy: Directors Above Managers

This represents a shift we are increasingly seeing at the elite levels football. Historically, clubs foolishly delegated big footballing decisions to low-level employees like managers, scouts – players themselves. Perhaps it was once possible for an up-and-coming, innovative manager with ideas and energy to join an organization and see their vision through to completion. But how many businesses have such individuals set up? How many mass redundancies 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 determine the tactics in the boardroom and appoint someone who will adapt their methods accordingly. If managers were formerly chefs, they are now more akin to Deliveroo drivers: not creating the food, yet finally accountable should it be delivered cold or fails to meet standards.

In the meantime, their job is increasingly not about defining the vision and more about marketing it: the receptionist of the operation, the visible figurehead of an organisation they have minimal power to change. A coach at Chelsea leads a team of very young players into Europe and secures two medium-sized trophies, and essentially is dismissed for speaking out. Wilfried Nancy finds his standing damaged whereas those individuals who hired him continue to make errors indefinitely.

The Neoliberal Football: Accountability Only for the Coaches

And possibly in a small way this is simply corporate governance at work: the rise of a gilded elite who can never be wrong, whose decisions are always sacrosanct, whose mistakes can invariably be sacked away without explanation. Appoint the 3-4-3 coach and then dismiss him for using excessively that system. Hire the process guy and later bin him for requiring too long. And most importantly be grateful; for the incremental increases in ticket costs, for your new summer signings, for the reality that the adults – regardless of their expertise – remain in control.