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Transpired he was able to withstand a loss to lower-league opposition. Survive an important continental showpiece against a particularly poor Tottenham teams in living memory. He could survive home defeats to West Ham and Wolves, finishing 15th, the tactical inflexibility, laying waste to some of the club’s best academy products, a poor winning percentage, labeling his team the worst the club has ever seen. But there was a single opponent against whom the Portuguese coach would not be allowed to tango. You come at the sporting director, you had better succeed.

Regrettably, like many a top-flight right-back in Blackburn’s title-winning campaign, the coach took on Jason Wilcox and appears to have missed. The most distracted of readers can see the irony here: a coach who often railed his squad for failing in individual battles crumbling when confronted by the white heat and formidable presence of one of England's top division's most feared football executives.

And frankly, this whole bruising episode seems to paint the director in a whole new light. Perhaps it might have been tempting, based on his brief stint in a similar role with the Saints, to regard Jason Wilcox as merely a drudge in the United exoskeleton: a man whose appointment was due largely to his close relationship with ex-colleague a fellow executive rather than any verifiable talent. How wrong we all were. By masterfully outmanoeuvring United’s feted manager, as he outmanoeuvred the hapless Dan Ashworth before him, Jason Wilcox has proved himself as one of football's true generals: a tactical intellect of which United’s competitors will now be justifiably concerned.

A Strategic Conflict Regarding Formation & Ideology

For example, it was the director who having been part of the leadership that hired the 3-4-3 fundamentalist the coach originally, was instrumental in attempting to convince him to abandon his favored formation. Unsurprisingly, these pleas met a certain resistance. But perhaps these judgements carry more weight when delivered from the mouth with the unimpeachable soccer background he possesses, a veteran of international appearances and a role in a title-winning side from 31 years ago.

Perhaps in time he may be persuaded to outline his reasoning publicly. Maybe one day he might be asked regarding why the coach is departing with a full payout, with no compensation reduction clause in place. The director speaks rarely publicly, and with very good reason. The real thinkers of this sport – men like him – simply operate on a plane exceeding our prosaic understanding. Were he to speak, probably all we would hear would be high-frequency signals and four-dimensional whirring. Wanting is not quite the same as being prepared to receive.

The Supreme Authority In the Throne

Naturally, in training our focus on Jason Wilcox we are obscuring the true genius behind the modern United throne. The director is, in reality, simply carrying out the commands of his ultimate superior the billionaire owner, who in private has emphasized his desire for a back four. It is reported, Ratcliffe has also proposed playing Bryan Mbeumo as a right wing-back. The owner is eager for the club to adopt analytics and analytics. According to ESPN, in an executive meeting soon after his minority ownership, he declared that the team's approach to football “shall be determined in this room”.

After all, Sir Jim is an expert in these intricate footballing stuff, drawing from his previous experience in petrochemicals and sailing. Above all he is incredibly rich, and it is known, the wealthy are the best of us: more perceptive, sagacious, more tactically astute, simply superior. Who else could one trust to oversee a strategic plan of austerity, the construction of a new stadium that looks a lot like an abstract design, the acquisition of a new striker?

The Modern Football Hierarchy: Executives Over Coaches

This is a trend we are increasingly seeing at the elite levels football. Historically, clubs foolishly entrusted big footballing decisions to low-level employees such as coaches, talent spotters – players themselves. Maybe previously possible for an up-and-coming, innovative manager with ideas and drive to join a club and see their vision through to completion. Yet how many businesses have these guys set up? How many mass redundancies have they managed? Better by far to place genuine authority where it belongs: the leadership tier, the casually dressed executives, the individuals with the jaw-dropping LinkedIn profiles. Better by far to determine the tactics in the boardroom and appoint someone who can tailor their methods to suit. If coaches were once chefs, they are now more akin to delivery personnel: not really responsible for the product, but still finally accountable should it be delivered poorly or leaks out to meet standards.

In the meantime, their job is increasingly not about crafting the philosophy and more about marketing it: the receptionist of the operation, the visible figurehead of an organisation they have minimal power to change. Enzo Maresca leads a team of very young players into Europe and wins two medium-sized trophies, and effectively is dismissed for talking. Wilfried Nancy sees his standing damaged while those individuals who hired him continue to make errors indefinitely.

A Modern Corporate Game: Responsibility for the Few

And possibly in a small way this is simply neoliberalism in action: the rise of a gilded elite who can never be wrong, whose decisions are always sacrosanct, whose errors can invariably be resolved by sacking without explanation. Appoint the system coach only to fire them for using too much 3-4-3. Bring in the project manager and then discard them for taking excessive time. And most importantly be grateful; for your modest season ticket price rises, for your new summer signings, for the fact that the adults – regardless of their expertise – are in charge.