The Manchester United hierarchy may be a great deal more organised than it was when the Glazers were still the face of the operation, but that doesn't excuse the huge waste of time that was invested in Ruben Amorim.
The Portuguese had just over a year in the Old Trafford hotseat and while there were signs of improvement towards the end, the fact of the matter is that he was far too stubborn and tactically inflexible to manage a side with the demands of Man United.
Amorim was given his marching orders back in early January. Relieving him of his duties was said to cost INEOS and Co a whopping £16m.
Amorim's record at Man Utd (timeless)
That's a staggering amount for a head coach who departed the north west with a lowly win percentage of around 39%, the worst of any United manager since Frank O'Farrell in the 1970s.
It wasn't rocket science to change things either, as Michael Carrick has proven. He's gone back to basics, employing a four-man defence and it's worked wonders. They are now third in the table and look well set to qualify for the Champions League next season.
How Carrick has transformed Manchester United
Imagine where Man United would be had they sacked Amorim after that defeat to Grimsby. They could quite realistically be in the Premier League title race with the Red Devils now just eight points behind rivals Manchester City.
Man United manager Michael Carrick
Considering where they have been over the last year, it's been an impressive turnaround by Carrick.
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He has already secured wins over the top two, beating Man City and Arsenal since he returned to the United dugout and he's managed to get a tune out of some players who did not enjoy their time under Amorim.
Take Kobbie Mainoo as the chief example. The midfielder was alienated from the starting lineup under the former manager. He looked well set to leave Manchester behind in what would have been a disastrous sequence of events for one of the best academy graduates they have had in recent years.
Mainoo
Carrick's entrance has revived his career with the England international now back in contention to go to the World Cup having started the last seven league games, playing 90 minutes in every single one of them.
There's also Benjamin Sesko who now looks every bit a United player. The Slovenian struggled to get going under Amorim, netting just twice in 17 matches. Yet, under the new interim boss, he has scored four goals in six games.
The former RB Leipzig man is one of the form players in England right now, bagging seven goals across his last eight appearances for the club.
Despite that, it has not been all plain sailing for the young striker since Carrick came back. Indeed, his outing against Crystal Palace on Sunday was the first time he has started a Premier League match since 7th January when he found the net twice versus Burnley at Turf Moor.
Benjamin-Sesko-1
Now he's back in the starting XI, it's bad news for two members of the United squad in particular.
What Sesko's form under Carrick means for the Man Utd squad
To have a genuine powerhouse striker scoring goals again for Man United must feel like something of a miracle.
It's been a problem position for a while now but Sesko looks like the real deal and he appears ready to lead the line for a number of years to come.
That's certainly bad news for Joshua Zirkzee, his fellow striker, but also for Amad who had been enjoying a run in the team in his preferred position on the right flank during the early weeks of Carrick's tenure.
Amad has had an interesting campaign. Hailed as the "best player under Ruben Amorim" by Statman Dave, it was at right wing-back where he forged a regular place for himself in the side.
Amad by manager at Man Utd
Manager
Van Nistelrooy
Amorim
Ten Hag
Rangnick
Carrick
Solskjaer
It's certainly not what he had in mind when arriving for as much as £37m from Atalanta as a teenager but in spurts, the 23-year-old has captured the eye. The Ivorian bagged 11 goals and supplied ten assists in 43 outings last term to draw widespread acclaim.
Speaking in December of last season, former Red Devils coach Rene Meulensteen went as far as to draw similarities to an Old Trafford great in the form of Ryan Giggs: "He is quick, direct and brave. He can score, create and he can definitely have an impact in the long-term. I can see comparisons to Ryan Giggs in Diallo. The way he picks up the ball and runs with it, I can see it in their balance."
Tricky and fleet-footed he may well be, but Amad has actually struggled under Carrick. Despite starting six straight games after he returned from AFCON, the winger failed to score or assist in that time and his race as a regular starter this season now looks run.
That's not just down to his own form but also the form of Sesko. Originally, the interim manager had preferred Amad on the right with Bryan Mbeumo operating as the striker.
Yet, he has found Sesko's form too good to ignore and after 58 minutes of their 1-0 win over Everton, Amad was withdrawn. Mbeumo shifted to the right and their big-money striker came on in the 9. The impact of that sub was devastating as the Slovenian scored the winner.
Amad-Mbeumo-Man-Utd
That same system was deployed against Palace on Sunday and while it took 57 minutes for Carrick's side to find the net, they looked a lot better for having a focal point at the top end of the attack.
That is bad news for Amad who, after his second-half appearance as a substitute, looks like he'll now be resigned to minutes off the bench for the remainder of the campaign.
That, however, is no bad thing. The Ivory Coast winger did look productive during his 15-minute cameo, stretching a tired-looking Palace side and very nearly scoring a curling effort late on. Perhaps he would be better served as an impact sub from now on.
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