🔗 Share this article

Iturns out he could survive losing against lower-league opposition. He weathered losing a crucial European final versus a particularly poor Spurs sides in living memory. He could survive home defeats to domestic rivals, finishing 15th, an unwavering system, squandering some of the club’s most promising academy products, the 32% win rate, calling his team the poorest the club has ever seen. Yet, there existed a single opponent against whom the Portuguese coach was not permitted to tango. If you challenge Jason Wilcox, you had better succeed.

Regrettably, like many a top-flight right-back in Blackburn’s title-winning campaign, Amorim came at Jason Wilcox and appears to have failed. Even the most distracted of readers will notice the irony here: a manager who often railed his squad for failing in individual battles crumbling in the face of the white heat and formidable presence of a England's top division's most intimidating sporting directors.

And frankly, this whole bruising episode seems to paint the director in a whole new light. It may have been tempting, given his nine months in a similar role at Southampton, to regard him as little more than a drudge within the club's structure: a man who owed his position as much to his close relationship with his former boss Omar Berrada as any verifiable talent. How mistaken we all were. In brilliantly outsmarting the club's celebrated manager, just as he bested the hapless Dan Ashworth earlier, he has demonstrated to be among football's strategic masterminds: a strategic mind of which United’s mid-table rivals are now justifiably concerned.

A Strategic Clash Over Formation and Philosophy

For example, this was the director who being involved in the hierarchy that hired the 3-4-3 fundamentalist the coach originally, played a key role in trying to persuade Amorim to abandon his beloved 3-4-3. Unsurprisingly, these entreaties faced pushback. But perhaps these judgements carry more weight when delivered by a man with the unimpeachable football pedigree he possesses, holder of three England caps and a role in a title-winning side from 31 years ago.

Maybe eventually he may be persuaded to outline his reasoning publicly. Maybe one day questions may arise regarding why the coach is departing with full compensation, without any penalty clause in place. The director speaks rarely publicly, for excellent reasons. The real thinkers in football – men like Jason Wilcox – function at a level exceeding our mundane comprehension. Were he to speak, probably we would perceive is a series of ultrasonic blips and complex calculations. Desiring an explanation is not quite the same as being ready to comprehend it.

The Supreme Power In 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 commands of his ultimate line manager Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who in private has emphasized his preference for a back four. It is reported, the owner has also suggested deploying the forward as a right wing-back. The owner is eager for the club to adopt analytics and metrics. Per reports, during a leadership summit soon after his investment, he declared that the team's approach of play “shall be decided in this room”.

After all, Sir Jim is an expert in this technical footballing stuff, drawing from his background in industry and sailing. Above all he is immensely wealthy, and it is known, the rich are the best of us: more insightful, more wise, strategically brilliant, simply superior. Whom else could one trust to manage a strategic plan of cost-cutting, the construction of a modern arena that appears similar to an abstract design, the signing of a new striker?

A Modern Soccer Hierarchy: Executives Over Managers

This is a trend that is becoming prevalent in top-tier of the game. For decades, clubs foolishly delegated major sporting choices to low-level employees such as coaches, scouts – even footballers. Perhaps it was once possible for a young, visionary coach with ideas and drive to go into an organization and implement their plan through to completion. But how many companies have such individuals set up? How many mass redundancies have they overseen? Better by far to invest the real power where it belongs: the executive class, the casually dressed executives, the individuals with the jaw-dropping professional resumes. Better by far to decide the tactics in the boardroom and hire someone who can tailor their offering to suit. If coaches were formerly chefs, they have become more like delivery personnel: not really responsible for the product, yet finally accountable if it arrives cold or leaks out to meet standards.

Nowadays, a coach's role is increasingly less about crafting the philosophy and more about marketing it: the front-facing representative on the front desk, the public face for a club they can do little to change. Enzo Maresca leads a team of literal children into the Champions League and secures two medium-sized trophies, and effectively gets sacked for talking. Wilfried Nancy finds his standing damaged while the people who appointed him continue to make errors another day.

A Modern Corporate Football: Accountability for the Coaches

And perhaps in a small way this is simply neoliberalism in action: the elevation of a privileged elite who are infallible, whose choices are always untouchable, whose mistakes can always be resolved by sacking without justification. Appoint the 3-4-3 coach only to dismiss him for using excessively that system. Hire the project manager and then discard him for taking too long. And most importantly be grateful; for your modest season ticket price rises, for your new player acquisitions, for the fact that the adults – regardless of their expertise – remain in control.