Ruben Amorim fell his own Future in Manchester United after the last debacle of Old Trafford.
The admission of the Portuguese manager that he has difficulty finding a solution for the shocking season of his team was a clear sign of the uncertainty in the heart of the club.
But the larger questions will only be solved in Bilbao next week.
A Europa League -final victory for United on Spurs means much more than just the trophy and a silver shine to clean many of the black clouds of despair.
But the defeat in the Basque Country will have consequences to last well after the summer.
For Spurs, the termination of their 17-year-old trophy-dried will mean everything for the fans who want more silverware than any financial consideration.
It would also make the promise of Ange Postecoglou that he would win a trophy in his second season, even if it would probably not be enough to save his job.
But for United, in simple terms, it is about cold, hard money.
The reality is that winning the Europa League will ensure that an imminent black hole is filled.
It will also be another trophy that has been added to the five since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson 12 years ago.
If United is not triumphing in San Mames, the immediate costs will be clear.
A reduction in the income of £ 10 million in the income of the sponsor, as part of the contract with kit suppliers Adidas.
No European football at all, which means that they will miss around £ 49 million in advance due to the complicated income distribution system of UEFA Plus the £ 20 million-plus in gate vouchers of the at least four home games.
And if they, as it seems, ends up 16th in the Prem Table, that will mean £ 23.8 million less in TV-related prize money than for the eighth finish of the previous term.
All this yields to more than £ 100 million, before the prize money for progress by the Champions League – to a further potential £ 95 million or so – is taken into account.
Less income is less money to spend.
And that in a club where owners Ineos and Chief Executive Omar Berrada have already confirmed 450 employees.
What has proven in the past nine months is under both Amorim and for him Erik ten Hag that this United Squad is simply not good enough.
But without the extra financial wriggle room that is offered by a Champions League campaign, transforming that team is much, much more difficult – a situation that has been made even more difficult because of the decision of the 20 Prem clubs to extend the current profitability and sustainability rules regime for another 12 months.
No Europe means that United should not meet the new UEFA threshold to limit wages and transfer costs to 70 percent of club revenues – although qualification would make an easy obstacle to cross.
But the steep income falls, combined with a wage account that reached £ 479 million in 2023-24 and the amount that still “owed” for transfer costs for players who may want to lose a point to important PSR problems that pop up.
United must agree for the reimbursements of £ 28 million on Andre Onana, £ 34 million in Antony, £ 38 million on Rasmus Hojlund, £ 29 million on Joshua Zirkzee, £ 33 million on Manuel Ugarte and £ 15 million on Casemiro to even break on one of their sale.
Costs lower than that his book value “lose” on the PSR balance.
And in reality it is difficult to create arguments that United, so effectively distressed sellers, could realize that kind of bottom line prices for many of them.
All costs generated by the departure of Marcus Rashford, Kobbie Mainoo, Alejandro Garnacho, Diogo Dalot or even skipper Bruno Fernandes can be submitted at the full price.
It means that cold, hard decisions may be needed, even the sale of players Amorim and the club might want to keep at Old Trafford.
Amorim suggested that a victory in Bilbao does not solve the problems he and the club.
He is right about that. But they will make losses even more difficult to deal with. That is the scale of the importance of the competition.