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Turns out he was able to withstand defeat by Grimsby. He weathered a decisive European final against one of the worst Spurs sides in living memory. He could survive home defeats against domestic rivals, a lowly league position, the tactical inflexibility, laying waste to the team's best homegrown talent, the 32% win rate, calling the squad the worst in Manchester United history. But there was one adversary with whom Ruben Amorim would not be allowed to tango. You come at the sporting director, and you best not miss.

Unfortunately, like many a Premiership right-back in Blackburn’s title-winning campaign, the coach took on Jason Wilcox and seems to have failed. The most distracted of readers will notice the irony here: a manager who frequently berated his squad for losing one-on-one duels crumbling when confronted by the intense pressure and formidable presence of a England's top division's most intimidating sporting directors.

In truth, this entire bruising episode appears to portray 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 merely a functionary within the club's structure: a man who owed his position as much to his close relationship with his former boss Omar Berrada as any verifiable talent. How mistaken we all were. In brilliantly outmanoeuvring the club's celebrated manager, just as he bested the unfortunate a previous executive earlier, Jason Wilcox has proved himself as one of football's true generals: a tactical intellect that United’s competitors will now be rightly wary.

A Tactical Clash Over Formation & Ideology

For example, this was the director who being involved in the hierarchy that appointed the 3-4-3 fundamentalist Amorim in the first place, was instrumental in attempting to convince Amorim to ditch his beloved formation. Naturally, these entreaties were resisted. But perhaps such directives hold greater authority when issued by a man with the impeccable football pedigree he possesses, holder of international appearances and a contributor to a title-winning side from 31 years ago.

Maybe eventually he might agree to outline his thought processes publicly. Maybe one day questions may arise regarding why the coach is walking away with full compensation, with no penalty clause in place. The director speaks rarely in public, and with very good reason. The real thinkers of this sport – men like him – function at a level beyond our own prosaic understanding. If he ever did speak, most likely we would perceive would be high-frequency signals and complex calculations. Desiring an explanation is not the same as being ready to comprehend it.

An Ultimate Authority In the Throne

Naturally, in training our focus on the sporting director we are obscuring the real power behind the modern United throne. The director is, in reality, merely executing the commands of his line manager the billionaire owner, who in private has made very clear his desire for a back four. According to reports, the owner has also suggested deploying the forward in a wing-back role. The owner is eager for United to adopt data science and analytics. According to ESPN, during a leadership summit soon after his minority ownership, he announced that United’s style of play “shall be decided in this room”.

Ultimately, Sir Jim is an expert in this technical football matters, drawing from his background in industry and sailing. Above all he is immensely wealthy, and as we all know, the rich are the best of us: more insightful, sagacious, strategically brilliant, fundamentally better. Who else would you trust to manage a strategic plan of cost-cutting, the construction of a new stadium that looks a lot like an abstract design, the acquisition of Benjamin Sesko?

A Modern Football Hierarchy: Directors Over Coaches

This is a trend we are increasingly seeing in top-tier of the game. Historically, teams mistakenly delegated big footballing decisions to low-level employees like managers, scouts – even footballers. Perhaps it was once possible for an up-and-coming, innovative manager with a philosophy and drive to go into an organization and see their vision supported to fruition. But how many businesses have such individuals set up? How many large-scale layoffs have they overseen? Far preferable to invest the real power where it belongs: the executive class, the casually dressed executives, the guys with impressive professional resumes. Better by far to decide the strategy by the directors and hire someone who will adapt their methods accordingly. If managers were once chefs, they are now more like Deliveroo drivers: not creating the product, yet ultimately answerable if it arrives poorly or leaks out of the box.

Nowadays, their job has become less about defining the vision and more about selling it: the receptionist of the operation, the visible figurehead for a club they can do little to change. A coach at Chelsea takes a squad of very young players into the Champions League and wins two medium-sized trophies, and essentially is dismissed for speaking out. Wilfried Nancy finds his reputation ruined whereas those individuals who hired him continue to make errors indefinitely.

The Neoliberal Game: Accountability for the Few

And possibly in a small way this is simply corporate governance in action: the rise of a privileged elite who can never be wrong, whose decisions remain untouchable, whose mistakes can invariably be resolved by sacking without explanation. Hire the system coach only to dismiss him for playing too much that system. Bring in the process guy and then bin them for requiring excessive time. And most importantly show gratitude; for the incremental season ticket price rises, for your new summer signings, for the reality that the grownups – regardless of their expertise – are in charge.