It's official, David Moyes is no longer manager of Manchester United.
Beaten down by the job, Moyes looked a haunted figure during his final days at the club.
It's not the end anyone would have hoped for, particularly after Moyes was hand-picked for the role by Sir Alex himself.
Moyes had a reputation as a good manager; loyal, effective and having done a sturdy job at Everton over 11 years. Effectively he had been fighting above his weight.
United, though, is different from every other role, and sadly some things aren't meant to be.
The former manager was not helped by owners who, long before he arrived have offered little to the club - a lack of investment in players top of a list when they sought only to maximise their profit.
The loss of David Gill at the same time as Sir Alex and the summer transfer debacle set back any plans that had been drawn up and there have been players who have seemed disgruntled at the change of style in and around the club who have clearly added to the pressure.
Add to that a range of injuries to key members of the playing squad and the departure of Sir Alex's backroom staff and suddenly it became a recipe for disaster.
The results, the insipid and uninspired style or play as well as the continued tactical naivety was in the end his downfall, the Champions falling so far so fast. Even harder to stomach for supporters was the fact that Everton, the club Moyes left, is higher in the table than United and bitter rivals Liverpool seem destined to take the crown away from Old Trafford. It was just too much to take.
Perhaps there is some irony in the fact that Moyes was relieved of his duties a year to the day United won their 20th league title. Instead of the wild celebrations of that night 12 months ago what was left were the bittersweet memories of what we had under Sir Alex and the realisation of what has been lost.
Moyes will rebuild his reputation and will do well with his next assignment, but that will no longer be at Old Trafford.
For now, Ryan Giggs will hold the reins until the end of the season, and whilst in the long-term he may be a good prospect to take over the job full time what is required now is a steady and experienced hand to steer the ship through some choppy waters.
Giggs is taking his coaching badges and he has the respect of his fellow professionals, but to give the Welshman the job full-time at this stage would be foolhardy.
There have been a number of names thrown into the mix and the rumours of contact with a number of high profile foreign coaches has been growing in recent weeks.
So who are the runners and riders in the race for the United job?
Jürgen Klopp, the 46-year-old manager of Borussia Dortmund, is seen as the first choice option.
Klopp has been highly successful in Germany against the might of Bayern Munich and has also taken his side to a Champions League final.
Klopp has character, he is one of the breed of new managers who favour an attacking brand of football - something which would go down well at Old Trafford.
The German has, however, ruled himself out of the race saying it would be too hard to leave Dortmund and will honour his current contract which runs to 2018.
Louis van Gaal is the apparent second choice for the United Board. The 62-year-old Dutchman has made positive soundings about wanting the role and would bring vast experience and a proven track record to the role.
The current Dutch national boss also has a very strong relationship with Robin van Persie, which would help to bring the striker back into the fold after his rumblings centred on the playing style earlier in the season.
Van Gaal, though, is surely not a long term fix given his age and he has a reputation for rubbing people up the wrong way.
Perhaps the dream ticket for the Board would be to have Giggs as a number two to van Gaal, ready to step in to the top job once the Dutchman is ready to call it quite in two or three years. That may be what United will end up with in the end.
Other names have been touted around - former United defender Lauren Blanc has a good managerial record in France, having done well at Bordeaux and managed the French national team before a successful spell at current club PSG. But he has also been involved in controversy on the other side of the Channel and that may count against him.
Diego Simeone, the one-time scourge of David Beckham in the 1998 World Cup, has done wonders at Atletico Madrid where he has taken them to a Champions League semi-final and favourites to win this season's La Liga title, having broken the domestic hold of Barcelona and cross-city rivals Real.
Simeone has also distanced himself from the role in the past 24-48 hours and would also be seen as a gamble with an apparent abrasive management style.
Carlo Ancelotti would be a good fit having led Chelsea to a domestic Double only a few years ago, and at 55 has plenty of time left in management. The question is will United be able to extricate him from Real Madrid?
Madrid set high standards and are impatient for success and it's not inconceivable that he could find himself out of favour if he doesn't guide Madrid to either La Liga or Champions League success this season, but that is highly unlikely with one piece if silverware already in the bag and the possibility of more to follow.
The Italian may see the Premier League as unfinished business, having departed under a cloud at Chelsea. It may be an itch that he just can’t avoid scratching and the appeal of taking over at United and gaining an element of revenge over Abramovich might just be enough to entice him to Old Trafford.
One thing is certain, Ancelotti is a top class manager who has been successful everywhere he has been in charge.
Pep Guardiola would surely be unlikely to leave Bayern Munich and whilst he and Jose Mourinho may have been available at some point over the last 2-18 months those ships have sailed now and they are no longer viable options.
The next few weeks will be interesting, but one thing is for certain, United can't afford another short tenure in the hot seat.
Written by Andrew
Beaten down by the job, Moyes looked a haunted figure during his final days at the club.
It's not the end anyone would have hoped for, particularly after Moyes was hand-picked for the role by Sir Alex himself.
Moyes had a reputation as a good manager; loyal, effective and having done a sturdy job at Everton over 11 years. Effectively he had been fighting above his weight.
United, though, is different from every other role, and sadly some things aren't meant to be.
The former manager was not helped by owners who, long before he arrived have offered little to the club - a lack of investment in players top of a list when they sought only to maximise their profit.
The loss of David Gill at the same time as Sir Alex and the summer transfer debacle set back any plans that had been drawn up and there have been players who have seemed disgruntled at the change of style in and around the club who have clearly added to the pressure.
Add to that a range of injuries to key members of the playing squad and the departure of Sir Alex's backroom staff and suddenly it became a recipe for disaster.
The results, the insipid and uninspired style or play as well as the continued tactical naivety was in the end his downfall, the Champions falling so far so fast. Even harder to stomach for supporters was the fact that Everton, the club Moyes left, is higher in the table than United and bitter rivals Liverpool seem destined to take the crown away from Old Trafford. It was just too much to take.
Perhaps there is some irony in the fact that Moyes was relieved of his duties a year to the day United won their 20th league title. Instead of the wild celebrations of that night 12 months ago what was left were the bittersweet memories of what we had under Sir Alex and the realisation of what has been lost.
Moyes will rebuild his reputation and will do well with his next assignment, but that will no longer be at Old Trafford.
For now, Ryan Giggs will hold the reins until the end of the season, and whilst in the long-term he may be a good prospect to take over the job full time what is required now is a steady and experienced hand to steer the ship through some choppy waters.
Giggs is taking his coaching badges and he has the respect of his fellow professionals, but to give the Welshman the job full-time at this stage would be foolhardy.
There have been a number of names thrown into the mix and the rumours of contact with a number of high profile foreign coaches has been growing in recent weeks.
So who are the runners and riders in the race for the United job?
Jürgen Klopp, the 46-year-old manager of Borussia Dortmund, is seen as the first choice option.
Klopp has been highly successful in Germany against the might of Bayern Munich and has also taken his side to a Champions League final.
Klopp has character, he is one of the breed of new managers who favour an attacking brand of football - something which would go down well at Old Trafford.
The German has, however, ruled himself out of the race saying it would be too hard to leave Dortmund and will honour his current contract which runs to 2018.
Louis van Gaal is the apparent second choice for the United Board. The 62-year-old Dutchman has made positive soundings about wanting the role and would bring vast experience and a proven track record to the role.
The current Dutch national boss also has a very strong relationship with Robin van Persie, which would help to bring the striker back into the fold after his rumblings centred on the playing style earlier in the season.
Van Gaal, though, is surely not a long term fix given his age and he has a reputation for rubbing people up the wrong way.
Perhaps the dream ticket for the Board would be to have Giggs as a number two to van Gaal, ready to step in to the top job once the Dutchman is ready to call it quite in two or three years. That may be what United will end up with in the end.
Other names have been touted around - former United defender Lauren Blanc has a good managerial record in France, having done well at Bordeaux and managed the French national team before a successful spell at current club PSG. But he has also been involved in controversy on the other side of the Channel and that may count against him.
Diego Simeone, the one-time scourge of David Beckham in the 1998 World Cup, has done wonders at Atletico Madrid where he has taken them to a Champions League semi-final and favourites to win this season's La Liga title, having broken the domestic hold of Barcelona and cross-city rivals Real.
Simeone has also distanced himself from the role in the past 24-48 hours and would also be seen as a gamble with an apparent abrasive management style.
Carlo Ancelotti would be a good fit having led Chelsea to a domestic Double only a few years ago, and at 55 has plenty of time left in management. The question is will United be able to extricate him from Real Madrid?
Madrid set high standards and are impatient for success and it's not inconceivable that he could find himself out of favour if he doesn't guide Madrid to either La Liga or Champions League success this season, but that is highly unlikely with one piece if silverware already in the bag and the possibility of more to follow.
The Italian may see the Premier League as unfinished business, having departed under a cloud at Chelsea. It may be an itch that he just can’t avoid scratching and the appeal of taking over at United and gaining an element of revenge over Abramovich might just be enough to entice him to Old Trafford.
One thing is certain, Ancelotti is a top class manager who has been successful everywhere he has been in charge.
Pep Guardiola would surely be unlikely to leave Bayern Munich and whilst he and Jose Mourinho may have been available at some point over the last 2-18 months those ships have sailed now and they are no longer viable options.
The next few weeks will be interesting, but one thing is for certain, United can't afford another short tenure in the hot seat.
Written by Andrew