Wise wants to pick brains

The self-belief was nowhere in evidence and the ambition may only be gauged by how much of the estimated £4million made from the Cup run is invested by chairman Theo Paphitis into a squad which, on Saturday's evidence, would have been utterly out of their depth had they made it to the Premiership this season.

Wise made it sound as if he and assistant Ray Wilkins were men in a hurry. "We've only got one season left in charge so we want to have a go and bring in some players we want," said Wise, evidently feeling they have already achieved enough for him to now back their judgment with some hard cash.

"It's easy to say 'get us up into the Premiership' but unless you're able to get some players in, it doesn't happen like that."

The lure of playing in the UEFA Cup would, he hoped, help attract his intended targets yet he must be concerned the European excursion does not become a distraction from their Premiership ambitions just as the Cup final had become when they were in sight of the play-offs.

"Some players were a little bit worried about being sent off or getting injured and so missing the final," admitted Wise.

The team won one of their last eight league games.

With that sort of spectacular blow-out, it was a good job they did make it to Cardiff, he reckoned, otherwise he might have got the sack. No chance. Whatever happened in Cardiff or in the dying weeks of the season when the Cup Final siren blinded his team, it cannot hide the remarkable transformation Wise has fashioned at The Den in seven months.

Much of it has been down to his influence on the field and there will be much relief that, at 37, he has committed himself to one last campaign as a player next season. This is crucial. Just look at how much his influence was missed on Saturday when he was clearly unfit.

He is tired, he is injured, he has headaches - like having three goalkeepers who are all out of contract - so who would begrudge this novice playermanager his holiday?

Yet as he talks proudly about having been awarded a UEFA coaching badge, you suspect he'll return from vacation just as enthused about the challenges ahead as a bloke who has just enjoyed a 21st season of trophy-winning and who has not once had to worry about the Old Trafford washing machines.