The Coach's Fatal Mistake? Challenging The Executives and the Infallible Executive Class

Itranspired Ruben Amorim could survive a loss to lower-league opposition. Survive a decisive continental showpiece against one of the worst Spurs sides for many years. He withstood losing at home against West Ham and Wolves, a lowly league position, an unwavering system, laying waste to the team's most promising academy products, a poor winning percentage, labeling his team the worst the club has ever seen. Yet, there existed one adversary against whom the Portuguese coach was not permitted to tango. If you challenge Jason Wilcox, you had better succeed.

In truth, this whole painful saga seems to paint the director in a whole new light. It may have been tempting, based on his nine months in a similar role with the Saints, to regard Jason Wilcox as little more than a drudge in the United exoskeleton: a man who owed his position as much to his close relationship with his former boss a fellow executive as any demonstrable skill. How wrong we all were. In brilliantly outmanoeuvring United’s feted head coach, just as he bested the unfortunate a previous executive earlier, Jason Wilcox has proved himself as one of the sport’s true generals: a tactical intellect that the club's mid-table rivals will now be justifiably concerned.

The Strategic Clash Over Formation and Ideology

For example, it was Jason Wilcox who having been part of the hierarchy that appointed the 3-4-3 fundamentalist Amorim in the first place, played a key role in trying to persuade him to abandon his beloved 3-4-3. Naturally, these entreaties were resisted. But perhaps these judgements carry more weight when issued from the mouth with the unimpeachable soccer background he possesses, holder of three England caps and a role in a title-winning side from 31 years ago.

Maybe eventually he may be persuaded to explain his thought processes to the rest of us. Perhaps at some point he might be asked regarding why the coach is departing with full compensation, without any penalty clause activated. But Jason Wilcox seldom speaks in public, for excellent reasons. The real thinkers of this sport – men like him – function on a plane beyond our own prosaic understanding. Were he to speak, most likely we would perceive is a series of ultrasonic blips and four-dimensional whirring. Wanting is not equivalent to being prepared to receive.

The Supreme Power Behind Command

Naturally, by focusing our attention on Jason Wilcox we overlook the real power behind the modern United throne. Jason Wilcox is, after all, merely executing the directives of his line manager the billionaire owner, who privately has made very clear his preference for a back four. According to reports, Ratcliffe has also suggested playing Bryan Mbeumo in a wing-back role. The owner is eager for the club to embrace data science and analytics. According to ESPN, in an executive meeting soon after his investment, he declared that United’s style of play “shall be decided in this room”.

After all, Ratcliffe is an expert in these intricate football matters, leveraging his background in petrochemicals and sailing. Most importantly he is incredibly rich, and as we all know, the rich are superior: more insightful, sagacious, more tactically astute, simply better. Who else could one trust to oversee an enlightened programme of cost-cutting, the construction of a new stadium that looks similar to someone’s leftover knitting, the acquisition of Benjamin Sesko?

The New Soccer Hierarchy: Directors Above Managers

This is a trend that is becoming prevalent in top-tier of the game. For decades, teams mistakenly delegated major sporting choices to low-level employees such as coaches, scouts – even footballers. Perhaps it was once possible for an up-and-coming, visionary coach with ideas and drive to join a club and implement their plan through to completion. Yet how many businesses have these guys established? How many large-scale layoffs have they managed? Far preferable to place the real power where it belongs: the executive class, the open-necked shirt brigade, the guys with impressive LinkedIn profiles. It is wiser to determine the tactics in the boardroom and hire a coach who will adapt their methods to suit. If managers were formerly chefs, they have become more akin to delivery personnel: not really creating the product, but still ultimately answerable should it be delivered cold or fails to meet standards.

In the meantime, their job has become not about crafting the philosophy and more about marketing it: the receptionist of the operation, 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 essentially gets sacked for talking. Wilfried Nancy finds his standing damaged while those individuals who hired him live to blunder indefinitely.

A Modern Corporate Football: Responsibility for the Few

And possibly in a small way this represents corporate governance at work: the rise of a gilded elite who can never be wrong, whose choices are always sacrosanct, whose mistakes can always be resolved by sacking without explanation. Hire the system coach only to dismiss them for playing excessively 3-4-3. Bring in the project manager and then bin him for taking too long. And most importantly be grateful; for your modest season ticket price rises, for your new player acquisitions, for the fact that the adults – regardless of their expertise – remain in control.