Jol is fortunate that at Fulham he now works for one of the most respected chief executives around, Alistair Mackintosh, while he also went out of his way to praise Mohamed Fayed as an owner “who does not interfere”.
But, Jol argued, the all-powerful “Boss”, laird of all he surveys, is no more.
“What is a Boss?” Jol mused. “Do you think there is one manager in England who makes the decisions about financial matters with players? There is not.”
“Fergie?” somebody suggested. “You’re right,” he acknowledged.
Managers have the power. Ferguson wanted Phil Jones, Ashley Young and (pending) David de Gea and his very able chief executive, David Gill, duly obliged.
There are others. Kenny Dalglish has gone into Liverpool, working with Jol’s old bête noir Damien Comolli, and stamped his mark on the transfer policy. Stewart Downing, not Sylvain Marveaux, is now the target for the left-sided slot.