As United properly begin the process of appointing a new head coach, one consideration now stands above many others: how a manager looks and feels the moment he "walks in the door".
It may sound simplistic, but as they found with Ruben Amorim, it remains hugely significant. The club's leadership – and especially Sir Jim Ratcliffe – believed the Portuguese coach had the personality to carry the weight of such a club. Over time, however, sources say they came to feel he lacked the necessary "emotional maturity". He simply was not ready.
That still matters, regardless of how much the modern game changes. And it is also where United now face a problem – one arguably deepened by the economic landscape from which the club has long benefited.
Put bluntly, there are fewer coaches of that calibre available. Look across the 12 clubs that attempted to form the Super League – the self-styled "wealthy elite" perpetually aiming for the biggest trophies – and there are now more managers who have won nothing at all than there are Champions League winners. Only Pep Guardiola and Hansi Flick have lifted the trophy, rising to just three if you include Luis Enrique among the other prospective Super League partners at Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.
The situation is almost the complete opposite of a decade ago. Back then, Guardiola was the obvious choice for everyone, while United could turn to a genuinely legendary figure in Jose Mourinho. Of that 2016 "summer of super coaches", only Guardiola remains – with Michael Carrick now preparing a game plan to face the Catalan on Saturday.
Modern football has fostered a self-perpetuating dynamic in which the widening gap to the super-wealthy means very few coaches can acquire the precise experience – or credentials – required to manage them.
That helps explain the renewed talk of United returning to Thomas Tuchel, who came close to joining in the summer of 2024. He has the charisma, the record and sufficiently modern ideas – but his availability could cost United another summer, given his hope of remaining involved in the World Cup until 19 July.
Enrique is also being discussed. Beyond that, however, many candidates carry similar risks to Amorim. How, for instance, would Andoni Iraola adapt?
United sources insist there is one crucial difference from Amorim's arrival – and it lies on the other side of the door he walked through.
The culture and atmosphere at Carrington are said to be "night and day" compared with then. This is not simply an internal boast. It is echoed by other figures in the game, including those from rival clubs who have visited the training base.
The hope is that this change will give Amorim's successor a far better chance, given that he first entered an environment that has since been described as "toxic".
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