The Coach's Fatal Error? Taking On The Executives and an Infallible Leadership Tier

Itranspired he endured defeat by lower-league opposition. Survive an important European final against one of the worst Spurs sides for many years. He could survive home defeats against domestic rivals, a lowly league position, his rigid approach, undermining some of the club’s most promising academy products, a poor winning percentage, calling his team the poorest the club has ever seen. Yet, there existed a single opponent with whom the Portuguese coach was not permitted to dance. You come at 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 tempting, given his brief stint in a similar role with the Saints, to regard him as little more than a functionary in the United exoskeleton: a man who owed his position as much to his friendship with his former boss a fellow executive rather than any verifiable talent. How wrong we all were. By masterfully outsmarting the club's celebrated manager, just as he bested the unfortunate Dan Ashworth before him, he has demonstrated as one of the sport’s true generals: a tactical intellect of which the club's competitors are now rightly wary.

A Strategic Clash Regarding Formation & Ideology

To illustrate, it was Jason Wilcox who having been part of the hierarchy that appointed the rigid 3-4-3 advocate the coach in the first place, played a key role in attempting to convince him to ditch his beloved formation. Unsurprisingly, these entreaties faced pushback. But perhaps such directives carry more weight when issued by a man of a man the impeccable soccer background he possesses, a veteran of international appearances and a role in a title-winning side from 31 years ago.

Perhaps in time he might agree to explain his reasoning publicly. Perhaps at some point he might be asked why Amorim is departing with a full payout, with no compensation reduction clause in place. But Jason Wilcox seldom speaks publicly, for excellent reasons. The real thinkers of this sport – individuals such as Jason Wilcox – simply operate on a plane beyond our own mundane comprehension. Were he to speak, most likely all we would hear would be high-frequency signals and complex calculations. Desiring an explanation is not equivalent to being ready to comprehend it.

An Ultimate Power In Command

Naturally, 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, merely executing the directives of his ultimate line manager the billionaire owner, who privately has emphasized his preference for a back four. It is reported, Ratcliffe has also proposed playing Bryan Mbeumo as a right wing-back. Ratcliffe is keen for United to adopt analytics and metrics. Per reports, in an executive meeting soon after his investment, he declared that the team's approach of play “shall be decided by this group”.

Ultimately, Sir Jim is an expert in this technical footballing stuff, drawing from his background in petrochemicals and yachting. Most importantly he is incredibly rich, and as we all know, the wealthy are the best of us: more insightful, sagacious, strategically brilliant, fundamentally better. Whom else could one trust to oversee an enlightened programme of austerity, the construction of a new stadium that looks a lot like someone’s leftover knitting, the acquisition of Benjamin Sesko?

The New Soccer Hierarchy: Directors Above Managers

This is a trend we are increasingly seeing at the elite levels of the game. Historically, teams mistakenly entrusted major sporting choices to subordinate staff such as coaches, scouts – players themselves. Perhaps it was once possible for a young, visionary coach with ideas and drive to go into a club and see their vision through to completion. But how many businesses have such individuals established? What number of large-scale layoffs have they managed? Far preferable to invest genuine authority where it belongs: the leadership tier, the casually dressed executives, the guys with impressive LinkedIn profiles. Better by far to determine the tactics by the directors and hire a coach who will adapt their offering accordingly. If coaches were formerly chefs, they have become more akin to delivery personnel: not creating the food, yet ultimately answerable if it arrives poorly or leaks out of the box.

In the meantime, their job is increasingly not about crafting the philosophy and more about selling it: the front-facing representative on the front desk, the public face of an organisation they have minimal power to change. A coach at Chelsea takes a squad of literal children into the Champions League and wins two medium-sized trophies, and essentially is dismissed for talking. Wilfried Nancy sees his standing damaged while the people who hired him continue to make errors indefinitely.

A Neoliberal Game: Accountability Only for the Coaches

And possibly on some microcosmic level this is simply neoliberalism at work: the rise of a privileged elite who are infallible, whose choices remain untouchable, whose mistakes can invariably be resolved by sacking without justification. Appoint the system coach only to fire him for using excessively 3-4-3. Bring in the process guy and then bin him for taking excessive time. And above all show gratitude; for the incremental increases in ticket costs, for the latest player acquisitions, for the fact that the grownups – regardless of their expertise – remain in control.