The Coach's Fatal Mistake? Challenging Wilcox and the Unassailable Executive Class

Itranspired the manager was able to withstand defeat by Grimsby. He weathered an important continental showpiece against one of the worst Spurs sides for many years. He could survive losing at home against domestic rivals, a lowly league position, his rigid approach, squandering the team's best academy products, a poor winning percentage, labeling his team the worst the club has ever seen. Yet, there existed a single opponent with whom Ruben Amorim would not be allowed to dance. If you challenge Jason Wilcox, and you best not miss.

And frankly, this whole bruising episode seems to paint the director in a different perspective. It may have been easy, given his brief stint in a similar role at Southampton, to regard him as little more than a drudge in the United exoskeleton: a man who owed his position largely to his friendship with his former boss Omar Berrada rather than any verifiable talent. How wrong we all were. By masterfully outsmarting United’s feted manager, as he outmanoeuvred the unfortunate Dan Ashworth earlier, Jason Wilcox has demonstrated to be among football's true generals: a strategic mind of which the club's competitors are now justifiably concerned.

A Strategic Conflict Regarding Formation & Ideology

To illustrate, it was Jason Wilcox , after being involved in the hierarchy that hired the 3-4-3 fundamentalist Amorim originally, played a key role in attempting to convince him to ditch his beloved 3-4-3. Naturally, these entreaties were resisted. But perhaps these judgements carry more weight when delivered by a man of a man the unimpeachable football pedigree he possesses, holder of international appearances and a contributor to a championship team from 31 years ago.

Perhaps in time he might agree to explain his reasoning to the rest of us. Maybe one day he might be asked regarding why the coach is walking away with a full payout, without any compensation reduction clause activated. The director seldom speaks in public, and with very good reason. The real thinkers of this sport – men like him – simply operate on a plane beyond our own mundane comprehension. Were he to speak, probably all we would hear would be high-frequency signals and complex calculations. Desiring an explanation is not quite equivalent to being ready to receive.

The Supreme Power In Command

Naturally, by focusing our attention on the sporting director we are obscuring the real power behind the club's current leadership. The director is, in reality, simply carrying out the directives of his ultimate line manager Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who privately has emphasized his desire for a back four. It is reported, the owner has also proposed playing Bryan Mbeumo as a right wing-back. Ratcliffe is keen for United to embrace data science and analytics. Per reports, in an executive meeting early in his investment, he announced that United’s style to football “will be determined by this group”.

Ultimately, Ratcliffe is an expert in this technical football matters, leveraging his previous experience in petrochemicals and sailing. Most importantly he remains incredibly rich, and it is known, the wealthy are superior: more insightful, sagacious, strategically brilliant, simply superior. Whom else would you trust to manage a strategic plan of austerity, the construction of a modern arena that looks a lot like someone’s leftover knitting, the signing of a new striker?

The Modern Football Order: Executives Over Managers

This represents a shift that is becoming prevalent at the elite levels of the game. Historically, clubs foolishly entrusted big footballing decisions to low-level employees like managers, scouts – players themselves. Perhaps it was once possible for a young, innovative manager with ideas and drive to go into a club and see their vision supported to fruition. But how many companies have these guys set up? What number of mass redundancies have they overseen? Far preferable to invest the real power where it belongs: the leadership tier, the open-necked shirt brigade, the guys with impressive LinkedIn profiles. Better by far to decide the tactics by the directors and appoint a coach who will adapt their methods to suit. If managers were formerly chefs, they are now more akin to Deliveroo drivers: not really creating the product, yet finally accountable should it be delivered poorly or fails to meet standards.

In the meantime, their job has become less about crafting the philosophy and more about selling it: the front-facing representative on the front desk, the public face of an organisation they can do little to influence. A coach at Chelsea leads a team of very young players into the Champions League and wins domestic cups, and effectively gets sacked for speaking out. A manager at Celtic sees his reputation ruined while those individuals who appointed him live to blunder indefinitely.

A Modern Corporate Game: Responsibility Only for the Few

And possibly on some microcosmic level this represents neoliberalism at work: the rise of a gilded elite who are infallible, whose decisions are always sacrosanct, whose mistakes can always be sacked away without explanation. Hire the 3-4-3 coach only to fire them for playing excessively 3-4-3. Hire the project manager and then discard him for requiring excessive time. And most importantly show gratitude; for the incremental season ticket price rises, for the latest summer signings, for the fact that the adults – however well qualified – are in charge.