The Coach's Critical Mistake? Challenging The Executives and an Unassailable Leadership Class

Transpired Ruben Amorim was able to withstand a loss to Grimsby. He weathered a decisive European final against one of the worst Spurs sides in living memory. He could survive home defeats against West Ham and Wolves, finishing 15th, an unwavering system, undermining the team's best homegrown talent, the 32% win rate, calling the squad the poorest the club has ever seen. But there was a single opponent with whom Ruben Amorim was not permitted to dance. You come at the sporting director, and you best not miss.

In truth, this entire bruising episode seems to paint the director in a whole new light. Perhaps it might have been easy, based on his brief stint in a similar role at Southampton, to regard him as little more than a functionary in the United exoskeleton: a man whose appointment was due largely to his close relationship with ex-colleague Omar Berrada rather than any verifiable talent. How mistaken everyone was. In brilliantly outmanoeuvring United’s feted head coach, as he outmanoeuvred the unfortunate a previous executive before him, he has proved himself as one of football's true generals: a strategic mind of which the club's mid-table rivals will now be justifiably concerned.

A Strategic Clash Regarding Formation and Ideology

To illustrate, this was Jason Wilcox , after having been part of the hierarchy that hired the rigid 3-4-3 advocate the coach originally, played a key role in attempting to convince him to abandon his beloved formation. Unsurprisingly, these entreaties were resisted. However, such directives hold greater authority when delivered by a man of a man the unimpeachable soccer background he possesses, holder of three England caps and a contributor to a title-winning side from 31 years ago.

Maybe eventually Jason Wilcox may be persuaded to explain his reasoning publicly. Maybe one day questions may arise why Amorim is walking away with a full payout, without any penalty clause activated. But Jason Wilcox seldom speaks in public, and with very good reason. The real thinkers in football – men like him – function at a level exceeding our mundane comprehension. Were he to speak, most likely all we would hear is a series of ultrasonic blips and complex calculations. Wanting is not equivalent to being ready to comprehend it.

An Ultimate Authority In the Throne

Naturally, by focusing our attention on Jason Wilcox we overlook the real power behind the club's current leadership. The director is, after all, merely executing the directives of his superior the billionaire owner, who privately has emphasized his preference 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 embrace analytics and metrics. According to ESPN, in an executive meeting soon after his minority ownership, he announced that United’s style of play “shall be determined in this room”.

Ultimately, Ratcliffe is an expert in this technical football matters, leveraging his previous experience in industry and yachting. Above all he remains incredibly rich, and it is known, the rich are the best of us: more perceptive, sagacious, strategically brilliant, fundamentally superior. Who else would you trust to oversee an enlightened programme of austerity, the construction of a modern arena that looks similar to an abstract design, the acquisition of a new striker?

The Modern Football Hierarchy: Executives Above Coaches

This represents a shift we are increasingly seeing in top-tier of the game. Historically, clubs foolishly delegated major sporting choices to subordinate staff like managers, talent spotters – players themselves. Maybe previously possible for a young, visionary coach with a philosophy and drive to go into an organization and implement their plan through to completion. But how many businesses have such individuals set up? What number of mass redundancies have they managed? Better by far to place the real power where it belongs: the leadership tier, the casually dressed executives, the individuals with impressive professional resumes. Better by far to decide the strategy in the boardroom and appoint a coach who can tailor their offering accordingly. If managers were once chefs, they have become more akin to delivery personnel: not really responsible for the food, yet finally accountable should it be delivered poorly or fails to meet standards.

In the meantime, their job has become not about defining the vision and more about selling it: the receptionist of the operation, the visible figurehead for a club they have minimal power to change. A coach at Chelsea leads a team of literal children into the Champions League and secures domestic cups, and effectively gets sacked for talking. A manager at Celtic finds his reputation ruined while those individuals who appointed him live to blunder indefinitely.

A Neoliberal Game: Responsibility for the Coaches

And perhaps in a small way this is simply neoliberalism in action: the rise of a privileged elite who can never be wrong, whose choices remain untouchable, whose mistakes can always be resolved by sacking without justification. Hire the system coach and then fire them for playing too much 3-4-3. Hire the process guy and then bin him for requiring too long. And most importantly be grateful; for the incremental season ticket price rises, for the latest player acquisitions, for the fact that the grownups – however well qualified – are in charge.