Thank you! This is along very similar lines to the ones I've been thinking. The perpetual relapse and search for a new project and associated Mesiah seems to indicate a larger dynamic.I'm beginning to wonder whether, aside from the obvious innumerable failings of our club, the idea of a project (manifested in that long-term manager we never had) is really now a false thing to believe in (or even aspire to?). Whether that's due to the ever increased professionalization of the sport or the money in it now, your guess is as good as mine but you can't deny that attachment to long-lasting managers is really the exception rather than the rule. As much as I hate the revisioning of Mourinho's time at Real, the most sycophantic thing about it is how those who blame him for being a short-term solution willfully ignore that he's alongside DelBosque the only manager to have survived 3 seasons in decades. Bayern haven't had a manager who stayed over 3 seasons in 11 years. In the PL, aside from unambitious clubs like Arsenal (seen any sane Arsenal fan around recently?) and Everton in the Moyes years the trend has been the same. ManUtd under Fergie is the model but they've been erratic at best since he retired, they may very well be on the market alongside us in May. ManCity have been underperforming relative to their investment and squad and are coming near the end of a circle, their parting with Mancini was still much more peaceful than what we usually experience. Liverpool, Tottenham and Chelsea have all had hot managerial prospects, but their light shined for a season max. Was there a more promising manager when we hired AVB? Was there a more correct decision than getting rid of him? Put it another way, do the other top clubs go through quasi-existential crises when they sack managers, or do we blow the issue out of proportion? Edit: Came across similar charts from the FT