It turned out that Manchester United was not the right place for 'marginal win' man Sir Dave Brailsford.
If Brailsford had been the 'bloody big whopping profit man', then it might have been, because United does not fail with fine margins.
Last season they did not succeed in winning the title with 42 points and they achieved exactly half as champions Liverpool.
They were not eligible for Europe this year.
And for years their players' players have not succeeded in being football or economically meaningful.
When Sir Jim Ratcliffe took over the United football arm in December 2023, Brailsford-as director of Ineos of Sport-A practical role took on Old Trafford.
Brailsford was the eyes and ears of the billionaire, his most trusted lieutenant, and it was hoped that his philosophy of 'marginal win' – which made him so successful in bicycles – would translate into football.
But only 18 months later, Brailsford gives away from his daily tasks in the club with United further away than ever from where they want to be.
Brailsford had forged his reputation in cycling on that 'marginal profit' – think of everything that goes in bike, improve them all by one percent, add them and you have a significant increase in performance.
That is all good and well when it comes to the unique act of cycling.
Not so much when it comes to the many more moving parts that form a massively under -performing football club.
Back at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, where his team GB cyclists gathered eight gold medals, Brailsford was generally considered the best spirit in sport.
By 2012, when Great -Britain won another eight gold in the London Velodrome, and Brailsford's Team Sky had taken their stranglehold on the Tour de France Yellow Jersey, it was 'Arise Sir Dave'.
But much effluent was more than ten years later under the bridge between that high watermark and the arrival of Brailsford in Old Trafford.
By that time his reputation had taken mistreatment – there had been accusations about the content of a jiffy bag, the work of 'therapeutic use exemptions' for forbidden drugs, as well as accusations of bullying under the Brailsford watch of some of his most successful cyclists.
Although it was clearly a brilliant man in many ways, Brailsford was damaged goods by the time he was on Wiersteen in United.
And those who have tried to bring ideas from other sports to football tend to fail-world cup-winning rugby coach Sir Clive Woodward's enchantment in Southampton is a good example.
Brailsford – who is 61, but only celebrated his 15th birthday last year because he was born on February 29 – played an important role in Ratcliffe's Old Trafford 'Politburo'.
He played an important role in the refurbishments of the Carrington training and the cutbacks of staff, as well as in the appointment of Ruben Amorim as a manager.
Brailsford led 'Mission 21' to deliver the 21st league title of United, which is part of 'Project 150' to mark the club's 150 -year anniversary in 2028 – because these people always have to have a 'mission' and they must always have a 'project'.
But the idea that United is crowned crowned champions within three years seems to be cake in the air after somewhat comfortable was the worst season of the club for half a century.
Brailsford has come and gone, then Ashworth-a one of the most well-claimed managers in football is and will disappear within five months.
The same period he served on gardening leave after Ratcliffe poached him from Newcastle.
Former Manchester City Bigwig Omar Bercrada stays in the post as Chief Executive after winning his power struggle with Ashworth, while Jason Wilcox has been promoted from 'technical director' to 'director of football'.
At least, for the time being.
Brailsford will remain on the United board, but is expected to spend more time on the Ineos Grenadiers -Bietsteam, as well as the other football club of Ratcliffe, Nice.
His time at United was a curious, but instead of marginal win, he was a big mess.