Having witnessed the Champions League final at Wembley on Saturday seemingly powerless to alter its course, Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson will not be the only coach who came away warming to the challenge ahead.
Barcelona's invigorating display against the English champions will have got many people buzzing, but none more so than those in the coaching community, who will now spend the summer considering their methods and how they can improve further.
When Ferguson said, "we all have a challenge with Barcelona, not just Manchester United", he could have been speaking for the entire football world from elite level to the grass roots.
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Winning the midfield battle will be the determining factor in the 2011 Champions League final between Barcelona and Manchester United, just as it was when they met in 2009.
Two years ago, United manager Sir Alex Ferguson left the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, plotting how his team would avoid riding the Barca "carousel" next time they met.
Now he has his chance, using the lessons learned from a demoralising evening when Lionel Messi shifted to the centre of the pitch and was instrumental in causing all sorts of bother for Ferguson's side.
The problem now, though, is that the Scot believes the Catalan side are even better, so how does he go about plotting their downfall this time?
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"One goal now could change it all. It's maddening, it's enthralling, it's the English Premier League and there is nothing quite like it."
That was the verdict of BBC football commentator Jonathan Pearce during Wolves' 3-2 defeat by Blackburn on Sunday, where Stephen Hunt's late strike meant both teams survived to enjoy the madness again next season.
It could also quite easily pass as a judgment on the whole season, where the emergence of new names, a new side and a general narrowing of teams' points totals made the Premier League as unpredictable as it has ever been.
"An absolutely fantastic season, one of the best ever," said former Liverpool defender and Match of the Day pundit Alan Hansen. "I think the fact that the big sides were regularly beaten by some of the lesser sides just made it complete."
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On Tuesday night, two leading international football teams played a friendly before the World Cup with the victors, a diminutive side replete with pace and skill, beating one which was rigid in its formation and relied on its physical presence.
Guess which team was England?
In contrast to the England side that Fabio Capello was responsible for in the men's World Cup last summer, Hope Powell's women's team is proving a breath of fresh air from a tactical point of view.
Their 2-0 victory over Sweden, who are five places above them in the Fifa rankings, came after a very impressive 2-1 win over the United States in April, and has given the England team genuine belief going into the World Cup in Germany starting on 26 June.
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To think that in October, Wayne Rooney was on his way out of Old Trafford and questions were being asked about how long manager Sir Alex Ferguson would stay.
It seems almost a lifetime ago, and with Premier League title number 12 now firmly secured, Ferguson can plot the future as he ushers in another team to challenge for further honours.
This has been a season where thanks to some stuttering performances and an away record that barely got going, United were labelled as a team in transition.
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Before the FA Cup semi-final against Bolton former Trotters boss Sam Allardyce insisted that Stoke were an exciting team based on the number of times they deliver the ball into the box.
It is an interesting way to describe a style which has had its critics but has also been very effective, and Allardyce seemed justified in his assessment after that Wembley tie given Stoke's commanding display - they hammered Bolton 5-0.
True, Owen Coyle's side were not at their best that day but Stoke manager Tony Pulis will be aiming to make a similar impression against Manchester City on Saturday in the Potters' first FA Cup final.
City will provide a tougher test - they showed their strengths to come through their last-four tie against Manchester United in what is becoming a trademark scoreline of 1-0.
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It is almost impossible to pick out individuals in analysing why Manchester United recorded a deserved victory over Chelsea which all but seals a record 19th top-flight league title.
The overall team display at Old Trafford swept away any doubts that United warrant a 12th Premier League crown with their defence solid, the midfield of Michael Carrick and Ryan Giggs working in almost perfect tandem and the frontline of Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez a force up front.
Park Ji-sung's display was chief among the highlights too, particularly the South Korean's work-rate and cleverness which helped to thwart Chelsea's three-man midfield.
The 30-year-old is often preferred on the left of midfield in United's big games and although his defensive qualities put him ahead of Nani in the pecking order, he also offers a different slant to their attack.
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The stage is set for the Premier League title showdown between Manchester United and Chelsea on Sunday.
It is likely to be a relatively open game - as many recent encounters between the two sides have been - yet there is a key difference for this match as Sir Alex Ferguson's side only need to draw.
Chelsea, on the other hand, must win. If they repeat the result they earned at Old Trafford last season, they will go top of the table on goal difference.
United find themselves in this position after losing to Arsenal last weekend, when Michael Carrick and Anderson formed a two-man central midfield - with Wayne Rooney dropping in to help out - and were overrun by Arsenal's Jack Wilshere, Alex Song and Aaron Ramsey.
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Manchester United's next two opponents will have watched Arsenal's victory over Sir Alex Ferguson's team with interest.
Schalke may have an almost impossible task when they face United on Wednesday in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final, although during this season we should learn to know better than to rule any team out.
Then Chelsea will travel to Old Trafford for a defining Premier League title battle four days later, with a renewed confidence after seeing signs that their opponents can be outwitted.
Many of United's problems this season, particularly away from home, have stemmed from their midfield, where an insistence on playing with two central midfielders has seen them concede possession.
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Matches are often won or lost thanks to a moment of magic or a simple error, but sometimes a manager's tactical switch or why a team or player have hit form are worthy of further investigation. That is what this blog intends to do, with the help of expert opinion, tactical statistics and, of course, your ideas.
