Amorim's Critical Error? Taking On The Executives and the Infallible Executive Class

Tbecame clear Ruben Amorim endured losing against Grimsby. Survive a decisive European final against a particularly poor Spurs sides for many years. He could survive home defeats against West Ham and Wolves, finishing 15th, an unwavering system, undermining some of the club’s most promising academy products, the 32% win rate, labeling his team the worst in Manchester United history. But there was a single opponent against whom Ruben Amorim would not be allowed to tango. If you challenge Jason Wilcox, you had better succeed.

And frankly, this entire painful saga seems to paint Jason Wilcox in a whole new light. It may have been tempting, based on his brief stint of experience with the Saints, to view Jason Wilcox as merely a functionary within the club's structure: a man whose appointment was due as much to his friendship with his former boss Omar Berrada rather than any verifiable talent. How mistaken everyone was. In brilliantly outmanoeuvring United’s feted manager, as he outmanoeuvred the unfortunate Dan Ashworth before him, Jason Wilcox has proved himself as one of the sport’s strategic masterminds: a strategic mind of which the club's competitors are now justifiably concerned.

A Strategic Conflict Regarding System and Philosophy

For example, this was the director , after being involved in the leadership that hired the 3-4-3 fundamentalist Amorim in the first place, played a key role in attempting to convince Amorim to abandon his favored 3-4-3. Naturally, these entreaties faced pushback. But perhaps such directives hold greater authority when issued by a man with the impeccable soccer background he possesses, a veteran of three England caps and a contributor to a championship team from 31 years ago.

Perhaps in time he may be persuaded to outline his thought processes to the rest of us. Perhaps at some point questions may arise why Amorim is walking away with a full payout, without any compensation reduction clause activated. The director speaks rarely publicly, for excellent reasons. The true intellectuals in football – individuals such as him – simply operate at a level beyond our own mundane comprehension. If he ever did speak, most likely we would perceive would be high-frequency signals and complex calculations. Wanting is not the same as being prepared to receive.

An Supreme Authority Behind the Throne

But of course, by focusing our attention on the sporting director we are obscuring the real power behind the club's current leadership. The director is, after all, simply carrying out the directives of his superior the billionaire owner, who in private has emphasized his desire for a back four. It is reported, Ratcliffe has also suggested deploying the forward in a wing-back role. Ratcliffe is keen for United to embrace data science and analytics. Per reports, in an executive meeting soon after his minority ownership, he announced that United’s style of play “will be determined by this group”.

After all, Sir Jim is an expert in these intricate football matters, leveraging his background in petrochemicals and sailing. Above all he remains incredibly rich, and as we all know, the wealthy are the best of us: more insightful, sagacious, more tactically astute, fundamentally better. Whom else would you trust to oversee an enlightened programme of austerity, the construction of a modern arena that appears similar to someone’s leftover knitting, the acquisition of Benjamin Sesko?

A New Football Order: Directors Above Managers

This represents a shift we are increasingly seeing at the elite levels football. For decades, teams mistakenly entrusted major sporting choices to low-level employees like managers, talent spotters – even footballers. Maybe previously possible for an up-and-coming, innovative manager with a philosophy and energy to go into an organization and implement their plan supported to fruition. Yet how many businesses have these guys set up? What number of mass redundancies have they overseen? Far preferable to invest the real power where it rightly belongs: the leadership tier, the casually dressed executives, the individuals with impressive LinkedIn profiles. Better by far to determine the tactics by the directors and appoint someone who will adapt their methods to suit. If managers were formerly chefs, they have become more akin to delivery personnel: not really creating the product, but still ultimately answerable if it arrives poorly or leaks out to meet standards.

Nowadays, their job has become not about crafting the philosophy and more about selling it: the receptionist of the operation, the public face for a club they have minimal power to change. Enzo Maresca leads a team of literal children into Europe and wins two medium-sized trophies, and essentially is dismissed for talking. Wilfried Nancy finds his standing damaged whereas the people who appointed him live to blunder indefinitely.

A Neoliberal Football: Responsibility for the Few

And perhaps on some microcosmic level this represents neoliberalism at work: the elevation of a gilded overclass who are infallible, whose decisions are always untouchable, whose mistakes can invariably be resolved by sacking without explanation. Hire the 3-4-3 coach and then dismiss them for using too much that system. Bring in the project manager and then bin them for requiring excessive time. And most importantly be grateful; for the incremental increases in ticket costs, for your new player acquisitions, for the reality that the grownups – however well qualified – remain in control.