CARDS to the extreme, a fortune spent on things that seemed like a smart idea but will just make things messy.
Unwanted tattoo that you're stuck with because no one else wants it.
I wonder what possessed you to think it was a good price in the first place.
The story of the holidays for households across the country. The story of the past ten seasons for Manchester United.
One that means that while they appear to have finally found a suitable successor for Sir Alex Ferguson, he will have to do the job with both hands tied behind his back.
So much for all the boasting about how cock-ups were a thing of the past now that Sir Jim Ratcliffe's much-vaunted football commission was in charge.
Seriously, Mr. Jim? That already seems like a bigger joke than anything tumbling out of a cracker.
This is a regime that arrived 12 months ago with the promise that United would be title contenders within three years.
But it is more likely that they will now be remembered for their role in one of the most unforgivable chapters in the history of England's greatest club.
Do you think this exaggerates the seriousness of the situation at Old Trafford? Scratch a little beneath the surface and see what you think.
FOOTBALL FREE BETTS AND SIGN UP DEALS
The biggest and most obvious problem of all was ruining Erik ten Hag's future last summer. And then manage to outdo themselves by aggravating it even further.
First co-owner Sir Jim, right-hand man Dave Brailsford and the rest of the Brains Trust decided Erik wasn't so bad after all – after wandering around in vain for months looking for a better option.
Not many people actually believed it with any serious conviction – perhaps not even the committee itself – but the FA Cup final win in May gave them a platform to argue that.
Although it was great to beat Manchester City, there are arguments that it was the worst thing that could have happened. Crystal clear water turned muddy.
Defeat at Wembley would certainly have deterred the manager. Instead, Sir Jim's boys not only stuck with Ten Hag, but then made him spend more than £170 million on new recruits.
Until the end of October, when reality could no longer be ignored and they swung the axe.
Finally a unanimous verdict. . . not contest this decision.
Most fans agreed that the next one was also spot on. In Ruben Amorim, after eleven years of mistakes, United finally had the manager they longed for.
Someone whose personality, character, presence and faith are as great as the sporting institution that pays his wages. Results alone certainly wouldn't scream that much. They are no better than Ten Hag's early days at Old Trafford.
But Amorim is already giving United an identity again. There is already a system in mind. His predecessor had also been unable to survive for more than two years.
The problem, however, is that the manager needs the resources to do his job. . . and there aren't many – at least of the right kind – to work with.
There is an urgent need for new faces. But that requires departure, which in turn requires finding buyers. And there's no queue for the hand-me-downs at Old Trafford.
Of the players Amorim has inherited, it's safe to say that only Kobbie Mainoo, Amad Diallo and probably Bruno Fernandes are off the court.
Plus possibly £42m for Leny Yoro's summer contracts, if only because his injury-hit start means he hasn't played enough to make a judgement.
Yet so many of the rest are simply not up to it; Amorim quickly realized it too.
He knew United had problems, but probably not the mess they were in.
One win over City that defies logic won't faze him. Not with red-faced losses against Bournemouth, Nottingham Forest and Wolves.
Amorim knew full well that this was a mission for which there was no quick fix. . . but you don't feel like it will take years longer than he first thought.
This is a rebuild of knock-it-down proportions, from scratch. A job that requires ultimate patience.
Which, ironically, has been the mantra of the post-Fergie era. This plea encourages the owners to maintain confidence in the manager.
So far, no one has had more than two full seasons.
It is therefore no surprise that patience is once again the key word. But now with a huge sense of irony.
For once, the appeal is not for United's owners to be patient, but for the manager to be fed up with those who brought him in.
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