Amorim's Critical Error? Taking On The Executives and the Unassailable Executive Tier

Tbecame clear the manager endured losing against Grimsby. He weathered an important European final against one of the worst Spurs sides for many years. He withstood losing at home to domestic rivals, a lowly league position, an unwavering system, squandering the team's best homegrown talent, a poor winning percentage, labeling his team the worst in Manchester United history. Yet, there existed one adversary against whom Ruben Amorim was not permitted to dance. You come at Jason Wilcox, you had better succeed.

And frankly, this entire bruising episode seems to paint Jason Wilcox in a whole new light. It may have been easy, given his nine months in a similar role at Southampton, to view him as little more than a drudge within the club's structure: an individual who owed his position largely to his friendship with ex-colleague a fellow executive as any verifiable talent. How wrong we all were. In brilliantly outsmarting the club's celebrated manager, as he outmanoeuvred the hapless Dan Ashworth earlier, Jason Wilcox has demonstrated as one of the sport’s true generals: a strategic mind that the club's competitors will now be justifiably concerned.

The Strategic Clash Over System and Philosophy

For example, it was the director who having been part of the hierarchy that appointed the 3-4-3 fundamentalist the coach in the first place, was instrumental in attempting to convince Amorim to ditch his favored 3-4-3. Naturally, these entreaties faced pushback. But perhaps these judgements hold greater authority when issued from the mouth with the impeccable soccer background he possesses, holder of three England caps and a role in a title-winning side from 31 years ago.

Perhaps in time Jason Wilcox may be persuaded to explain his reasoning publicly. Maybe one day questions may arise regarding why the coach is walking away with a full payout, with no penalty clause activated. But Jason Wilcox seldom speaks publicly, and with very good reason. The real thinkers of this sport – men like him – function on a plane exceeding our prosaic understanding. If he ever did speak, probably all we would hear is a series of ultrasonic blips and complex calculations. Desiring an explanation is not quite the same as being prepared to receive.

An Supreme Authority Behind Command

But of course, by focusing our attention on the sporting director we are obscuring the true genius behind the modern United throne. Jason Wilcox is, in reality, simply carrying out the directives of his ultimate line manager Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who in private has emphasized his preference for a back four. According to reports, the owner has also suggested playing Bryan Mbeumo in a wing-back role. Ratcliffe is keen for United to adopt data science and metrics. Per reports, in an executive meeting early in his minority ownership, he declared that the team's approach to football “will be determined in this room”.

Ultimately, Sir Jim is an expert in these intricate footballing stuff, drawing from his background in industry and sailing. Above all he is incredibly rich, and it is known, the wealthy are the best of us: more insightful, sagacious, more tactically astute, simply better. Whom else could one trust to manage a strategic plan of austerity, the construction of a modern arena that looks similar to an abstract design, the signing of a new striker?

A Modern Soccer Hierarchy: Executives Over Managers

This represents a shift we are increasingly seeing at the elite levels football. Historically, teams mistakenly entrusted big footballing decisions to low-level employees like managers, scouts – even footballers. Perhaps it was once possible for an up-and-coming, visionary coach with a philosophy and energy to go into an organization and see their vision through to completion. Yet how many businesses have such individuals set up? How many large-scale layoffs have they overseen? Far preferable to invest genuine authority where it belongs: the leadership tier, the open-necked shirt brigade, the individuals with the jaw-dropping LinkedIn profiles. It is wiser to determine the strategy in the boardroom and hire a coach who will adapt their methods to suit. If coaches were once chefs, they are now more like delivery personnel: not creating the food, but still finally accountable should it be delivered poorly or leaks out of the box.

In the meantime, a coach's role is increasingly less about defining the vision and more about selling it: the receptionist on the front desk, the visible figurehead for a club they can do little to influence. A coach at Chelsea leads a team of very young players into Europe and secures domestic cups, and effectively gets sacked for speaking out. A manager at Celtic sees his standing damaged whereas those individuals who hired him live to blunder another day.

The Neoliberal Game: Accountability Only for the Coaches

And perhaps on some microcosmic level this is simply corporate governance at work: the rise of a privileged elite who are infallible, whose decisions remain sacrosanct, whose errors can invariably be sacked away without justification. Hire the 3-4-3 coach only to fire him for using excessively that system. Bring in the project manager and then discard him for requiring too long. And above all show gratitude; for the incremental increases in ticket costs, for your new player acquisitions, for the reality that the grownups – however well qualified – are in charge.