Amorim's Critical Mistake? Taking On The Executives and the Infallible Executive Class

Transpired Ruben Amorim was able to withstand losing against lower-league opposition. Survive a decisive continental showpiece against one of the worst Tottenham teams in living memory. He withstood home defeats to West Ham and Wolves, a lowly league position, an unwavering system, laying waste to the team's best academy products, a poor winning percentage, calling the squad the worst the club has ever seen. Yet, there existed a single opponent with whom the Portuguese coach would not be allowed to engage. You come at the sporting director, and you best not miss.

And frankly, this whole painful saga seems to paint Jason Wilcox in a whole new light. Perhaps it might have been easy, based on his brief stint of experience at Southampton, to regard Jason Wilcox as little more than a functionary within the club's structure: an individual who owed his position largely to his close relationship with ex-colleague Omar Berrada as any demonstrable skill. How mistaken everyone was. In brilliantly outsmarting the club's celebrated manager, just as he bested the unfortunate Dan Ashworth earlier, he has proved himself as one of the sport’s true generals: a tactical intellect of which the club's competitors are now justifiably concerned.

The Tactical Clash Over Formation and Philosophy

For example, it was the director who having been part of the leadership that hired the rigid 3-4-3 advocate Amorim originally, was instrumental in attempting to convince him to ditch his beloved formation. Naturally, these pleas were resisted. But perhaps these judgements carry more weight when delivered from the mouth of a man the impeccable football pedigree of Jason Wilcox, a veteran of international appearances and a contributor to a title-winning side from 31 years ago.

Perhaps in time he may be persuaded to outline his thought processes publicly. Maybe one day questions may arise regarding why the coach is walking away with a full payout, without any compensation reduction clause activated. But Jason Wilcox seldom speaks publicly, and with very good reason. The real thinkers of this sport – men like Jason Wilcox – simply operate on a plane exceeding our mundane comprehension. Were he to speak, most likely we would perceive would be high-frequency signals and complex calculations. Wanting is not quite equivalent to being ready to comprehend it.

The Supreme Authority In the Throne

But of course, in training our focus on the sporting director we are obscuring the true genius behind the club's current leadership. Jason Wilcox is, after all, simply carrying out the commands of his line manager the billionaire owner, who in private has made very clear his preference for a back four. It is reported, the owner has also suggested deploying the forward as a right wing-back. The owner is eager for United to adopt analytics and metrics. According to ESPN, during a leadership summit early in his minority ownership, he announced that the team's approach of play “shall be decided in this room”.

After all, Sir Jim is an expert in this technical football matters, drawing from his previous experience in petrochemicals and yachting. Above all he remains incredibly rich, and as we all know, the rich are superior: more insightful, more wise, strategically brilliant, fundamentally better. Whom else would you trust to oversee an enlightened programme of cost-cutting, the construction of a new stadium that appears a lot like someone’s leftover knitting, the signing of Benjamin Sesko?

The New Soccer Hierarchy: Executives Above Managers

This represents a shift we are increasingly seeing in top-tier football. For decades, clubs foolishly delegated big footballing decisions to low-level employees such as coaches, talent spotters – players themselves. Perhaps it was once possible for a young, visionary coach with ideas and drive to go into an organization and implement their plan supported to fruition. Yet how many businesses have such individuals set up? How many large-scale layoffs have they managed? Far preferable to place the real power where it rightly belongs: the executive class, the casually dressed executives, the individuals with impressive professional resumes. It is wiser to determine the tactics by the directors and hire a coach who can tailor their methods to suit. If coaches were once chefs, they have become more akin to Deliveroo drivers: not really responsible for the product, yet ultimately answerable should it be delivered cold or fails to meet standards.

Nowadays, their job has become less about crafting the philosophy and more about selling it: the front-facing representative on the front desk, the visible figurehead of an organisation they have minimal power to influence. Enzo Maresca takes a squad of very young players into the Champions League and wins domestic cups, and effectively gets sacked for speaking out. Wilfried Nancy finds his reputation ruined while the people who hired him continue to make errors indefinitely.

A Modern Corporate Game: Accountability for the Few

And possibly on some microcosmic level this is simply neoliberalism at work: the rise of a privileged overclass who can never be wrong, whose decisions remain sacrosanct, whose errors can always be sacked away without justification. Appoint the system coach and then dismiss them for using excessively 3-4-3. Hire the project manager and later bin them for requiring too long. And above all show gratitude; for your modest season ticket price rises, for your new summer signings, for the reality that the grownups – regardless of their expertise – are in charge.