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

Itranspired the manager could survive a loss to Grimsby. Survive a decisive European final versus one of the worst Spurs sides for many years. He withstood home defeats against West Ham and Wolves, a lowly league position, the tactical inflexibility, squandering some of the club’s best academy products, a poor winning percentage, calling his team the poorest in Manchester United history. But there was one adversary against whom Ruben Amorim was not permitted to dance. If you challenge Jason Wilcox, and you best not miss.

In truth, this entire bruising episode seems to paint the director in a whole new light. It may have been tempting, given his brief stint of experience at Southampton, to view him as merely a functionary within the club's structure: an individual who owed his position as much to his close relationship with ex-colleague Omar Berrada as any demonstrable skill. How mistaken we all were. In brilliantly outsmarting the club's celebrated manager, as he outmanoeuvred the unfortunate a previous executive before him, Jason Wilcox has proved himself to be among the sport’s true generals: a strategic mind of which the club's mid-table rivals will now be rightly wary.

A Tactical Clash Over Formation & Philosophy

For example, this was Jason Wilcox who having been part of the leadership that hired the 3-4-3 fundamentalist the coach in the first place, played a key role in attempting to convince him to ditch his beloved 3-4-3. Naturally, these pleas were resisted. However, such directives hold greater authority when issued from the mouth of a man the impeccable soccer background he possesses, holder of international appearances and a contributor to a title-winning side from 31 years ago.

Perhaps in time Jason Wilcox might agree to outline his thought processes to the rest of us. Maybe one day questions may arise why Amorim is departing with a full payout, with no compensation reduction clause activated. The director speaks rarely in public, and with very good reason. The true intellectuals in football – men like him – function on a plane exceeding our mundane comprehension. Were he to speak, probably all we would hear is a series of high-frequency signals and four-dimensional whirring. Desiring an explanation is not quite equivalent to being prepared to receive.

An Supreme Authority In Command

Naturally, by focusing our attention on Jason Wilcox we are obscuring the real power behind the club's current leadership. The director is, in reality, merely executing the directives of his ultimate superior Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who in private has made very clear his desire for a back four. It is reported, the owner has also suggested deploying the forward in a wing-back role. The owner is eager for the club to embrace analytics and metrics. Per reports, in an executive meeting early in his investment, he announced that the team's approach of play “shall be determined in this room”.

Ultimately, Sir Jim is an expert in this technical footballing stuff, leveraging his background in industry and yachting. Most importantly he is immensely wealthy, and it is known, the wealthy are the best of us: more perceptive, sagacious, strategically brilliant, simply superior. Whom else could one trust to oversee a strategic plan of austerity, the construction of a new stadium that looks similar to someone’s leftover knitting, the acquisition of Benjamin Sesko?

The New Soccer Order: Directors Above Managers

This is a trend that is becoming prevalent in top-tier football. For decades, teams mistakenly delegated big footballing decisions to low-level employees such as coaches, scouts – even footballers. Maybe previously possible for an up-and-coming, visionary coach with ideas and energy to join a club and implement their plan supported to fruition. But how many companies have such individuals established? What number of mass redundancies have they managed? Far preferable to place the real power where it rightly belongs: the leadership tier, the open-necked shirt brigade, the individuals with impressive professional resumes. It is wiser to decide the strategy in the boardroom and hire a coach who can tailor their methods to suit. If coaches were formerly chefs, they are now more akin to Deliveroo drivers: not really creating the food, but still ultimately answerable if it arrives poorly or fails of the box.

In the meantime, a coach's role has become less about crafting the philosophy and more about marketing it: the front-facing representative of the operation, 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 secures domestic cups, and effectively gets sacked for speaking out. Wilfried Nancy sees his reputation ruined whereas those individuals who hired him live to blunder another day.

The Neoliberal Game: Accountability Only for the Few

And perhaps on some microcosmic level this is simply corporate governance in action: the elevation of a gilded overclass who are infallible, whose choices are always untouchable, whose mistakes can always be resolved by sacking without justification. Hire the 3-4-3 coach and then fire him for playing too much that system. Bring in the project manager and later bin him for requiring too long. And most importantly show gratitude; for the incremental season ticket price rises, for your new player acquisitions, for the fact that the adults – regardless of their expertise – are in charge.