The Coach's Critical Mistake? Taking On The Executives and an Infallible Executive Class

Transpired Ruben Amorim could survive defeat by Grimsby. He weathered losing a crucial continental showpiece versus a particularly poor Spurs sides in living memory. He withstood losing at home to domestic rivals, a lowly league position, his rigid approach, squandering some of the club’s most promising academy products, the 32% win rate, labeling his team the poorest the club has ever seen. Yet, there existed one adversary with whom Ruben Amorim was not permitted to engage. You come at Jason Wilcox, you had better succeed.

And frankly, this whole bruising episode appears to portray Jason Wilcox in a different perspective. Perhaps it might have been tempting, given his nine months in a similar role at Southampton, to view Jason Wilcox as merely a drudge within the club's structure: a man who owed his position as much to his close relationship with ex-colleague Omar Berrada as any demonstrable skill. How wrong everyone was. In brilliantly outmanoeuvring United’s feted head coach, as he outmanoeuvred the unfortunate a previous executive earlier, he has proved himself to be among football's true generals: a tactical intellect of which the club's competitors are now rightly wary.

A Tactical Conflict Over Formation and Philosophy

For example, it was Jason Wilcox who being involved in the hierarchy that appointed the 3-4-3 fundamentalist the coach in the first place, was instrumental in trying to persuade Amorim to abandon his beloved formation. Unsurprisingly, these entreaties faced pushback. However, such directives carry more weight when issued by a man of a man the impeccable football pedigree he possesses, holder of three England caps and a role in a title-winning side from 31 years ago.

Perhaps in time he may be persuaded to explain his reasoning to the rest of us. Perhaps at some point he might be asked regarding why the coach is walking away with full compensation, without any penalty clause activated. But Jason Wilcox seldom speaks in public, for excellent reasons. The real thinkers in football – individuals such as him – simply operate at a level exceeding our prosaic understanding. Were he to speak, most likely all we would hear would be ultrasonic blips and complex calculations. Wanting is not quite equivalent to being ready to receive.

An Supreme Authority In Command

Naturally, by focusing our attention on Jason Wilcox we overlook the true genius behind the club's current leadership. Jason Wilcox is, in reality, simply carrying out the directives of his ultimate superior the billionaire owner, who in private has emphasized his desire for a four-man defense. According to reports, the owner has also suggested deploying the forward in a wing-back role. The owner is eager for the club to adopt data science and analytics. According to ESPN, during a leadership summit early in his minority ownership, he announced that the team's approach to football “will be decided by this group”.

After all, Sir Jim is an expert in this technical footballing stuff, leveraging his background in petrochemicals and yachting. Above all he remains incredibly rich, and as we all know, the wealthy are superior: more insightful, more wise, strategically brilliant, fundamentally better. Who else could one trust to manage a strategic plan of cost-cutting, the building of a new stadium that appears similar to an abstract design, the signing of a new striker?

A New Soccer Order: Directors Above Coaches

This is a trend we are increasingly seeing at the elite levels football. For decades, teams mistakenly entrusted major sporting choices to low-level employees such as coaches, scouts – even footballers. Maybe previously possible for an up-and-coming, innovative manager with a philosophy and energy to go into an organization and see their vision supported to fruition. Yet how many businesses have such individuals set up? How many mass redundancies have they overseen? Far preferable to place genuine authority where it rightly belongs: the executive class, the open-necked shirt brigade, the individuals with impressive LinkedIn profiles. Better by far to decide the strategy in the boardroom and hire a coach who can tailor their methods accordingly. If managers were once chefs, they have become more like Deliveroo drivers: not creating the food, but still finally accountable should it be delivered cold or fails to meet standards.

In the meantime, a coach's role is increasingly not about defining the vision and more about marketing it: the receptionist of the operation, the public face of an organisation they have minimal power to change. A coach at Chelsea leads a team of very young players into Europe and secures domestic cups, and essentially is dismissed for speaking out. Wilfried Nancy sees his reputation ruined while those individuals who hired him continue to make errors indefinitely.

A Neoliberal Football: Accountability for the Coaches

And perhaps on some microcosmic level this represents corporate governance at work: the rise of a privileged elite who can never be wrong, whose decisions remain untouchable, whose errors can invariably be sacked away without explanation. Appoint the 3-4-3 coach only to dismiss them for playing excessively that system. Bring in the project manager and then discard him for taking excessive time. And most importantly show gratitude; for your modest season ticket price rises, for your new player acquisitions, for the reality that the grownups – however well qualified – remain in control.