The Coach's Critical Error? Challenging Wilcox and an Infallible Leadership Tier

Iturns out Ruben Amorim was able to withstand losing against Grimsby. He weathered an important European final versus a particularly poor Spurs sides in living memory. He could survive home defeats to West Ham and Wolves, a lowly league position, the tactical inflexibility, laying waste to some of the club’s best homegrown talent, a poor winning percentage, calling the squad the worst the club has ever seen. But there was a single opponent against whom the Portuguese coach would not be allowed to engage. If you challenge Jason Wilcox, you had better succeed.

In truth, this entire bruising episode seems to paint Jason Wilcox in a different perspective. It may have been easy, given his nine months in a similar role at Southampton, to view him as little more than a drudge in the United exoskeleton: a man whose appointment was due largely to his friendship with his former boss a fellow executive as any demonstrable skill. How mistaken everyone was. In brilliantly outmanoeuvring the club's celebrated head coach, as he outmanoeuvred the unfortunate Dan Ashworth before him, Jason Wilcox has demonstrated as one of the sport’s strategic masterminds: a strategic mind that United’s mid-table rivals are now justifiably concerned.

A Strategic Clash Regarding Formation & Philosophy

For example, it was Jason Wilcox , after being involved in the hierarchy that appointed the 3-4-3 fundamentalist Amorim originally, was instrumental in attempting to convince him to abandon his beloved formation. Unsurprisingly, these pleas met a certain resistance. But perhaps such directives carry more weight when delivered from the mouth with the unimpeachable football pedigree of Jason Wilcox, holder of three England caps and a contributor to a championship team from 31 years ago.

Maybe eventually Jason Wilcox may be persuaded to outline his thought processes to the rest of us. Perhaps at some point he might be asked regarding why the coach is departing with a full payout, without any compensation reduction clause activated. But Jason Wilcox seldom speaks publicly, for excellent reasons. The real thinkers in football – individuals such as Jason Wilcox – function on a plane exceeding our prosaic understanding. Were he to speak, probably all we would hear would be ultrasonic blips and complex calculations. Desiring an explanation is not quite the same as being ready to receive.

An Supreme Authority In the Throne

Naturally, by focusing our attention on Jason Wilcox we overlook the real power behind the club's current leadership. Jason Wilcox is, in reality, simply carrying out the directives of his ultimate line manager Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who privately has made very clear his desire for a four-man defense. According to reports, the owner has also suggested playing Bryan Mbeumo in a wing-back role. Ratcliffe is keen for the club to embrace data science and metrics. According to ESPN, in an executive meeting early in his investment, he declared that the team's approach of play “will be determined by this group”.

Ultimately, Sir Jim is a specialist in this technical footballing stuff, leveraging his background in petrochemicals and yachting. Above all he is incredibly rich, and it is known, the rich are superior: more insightful, sagacious, strategically brilliant, fundamentally superior. Whom else would you trust to oversee a strategic plan of cost-cutting, the building of a modern arena that looks a lot like an abstract design, the acquisition of Benjamin Sesko?

A New Soccer Hierarchy: Executives Over Managers

This is a trend we are increasingly seeing at the elite levels football. For decades, teams mistakenly entrusted major sporting choices to subordinate staff such as coaches, talent spotters – even footballers. Maybe previously possible for an up-and-coming, innovative manager with a philosophy and energy to go into a club and implement their plan supported to fruition. Yet how many companies have these guys set up? How many mass redundancies have they overseen? Far preferable to invest genuine authority where it rightly belongs: the executive class, the open-necked shirt brigade, the individuals with impressive professional resumes. Better by far to decide the strategy in the boardroom and hire someone who can tailor their offering accordingly. If coaches were formerly chefs, they have become more like delivery personnel: not creating the food, yet finally accountable if it arrives cold or fails to meet standards.

Nowadays, their job is increasingly less about crafting the philosophy and more about selling it: the receptionist on the front desk, the public face of an organisation they can do little to change. A coach at Chelsea leads a team of very young players into the Champions League and wins domestic cups, and effectively gets sacked for talking. A manager at Celtic sees his reputation ruined whereas those individuals who hired him continue to make errors indefinitely.

The Modern Corporate Game: Accountability for the Coaches

And possibly in a small way this represents corporate governance in action: the elevation of a gilded elite who are infallible, whose decisions are always sacrosanct, whose errors can invariably be sacked away without explanation. Appoint the system coach and then dismiss him for playing too much that system. Bring in the project manager and then bin him for requiring too long. And most importantly show gratitude; for your modest season ticket price rises, for your new player acquisitions, for the fact that the grownups – however well qualified – are in charge.