That feeling of dread as a cold winter approaches and Manchester United are on the bottom half of the table has become a recurring theme with each managerial reign. We saw it with Jose Mourinho whose frosty relationship with the Glazers ultimately led to his exit.
Next up was Ole Gunnar Solskjaer who was trying to rebuild a fallen giant that didn't have the tools required for recalibration. The Norweigan made an emotional departure after a nightmare run of results.
Erik ten Hag really should have been sacked in the summer of 2024 despite delivering an FA Cup. It will have been the perfect send off with both the club and the manager saving face.
But INEOS catered to fan demand and handed Ten Hag a new deal to try and pretend they fully supported the Dutchman. This proved to be a shambolic decision as he soon exited just ahead of December.
I will be honest here I thought Ruben Amorim was encountering that very same fate after the 3-1 loss to Brentford. For me, there was no light at the end of the tunnel because of the torment of years gone by.
Amorim still has a long way to go in charming me into believing he's the man for the job but you can't ignore there is something special about his approach to bringing the glory days back again. He's going full throttle, not submitting to any pressure from the owners to steer away from his ideas, his methods, his, dare I say it, system.
The Portuguese coach's stock was sky high before he arrived at Old Trafford and he'll now be well aware what they mean when they say United can consume you. But I think when he tells fans that he's hurting, he genuinely means it, he adores this club from top to bottom and it's why he has got me back on board.
Amorim's appointment was a strange one if judged on it's timing because you're putting him in a volatile situation halfway through a season. It's why his philosophy failed to resonate last season because he is trying to do a complete reset while the Reds are in the midst of a troubled period.
Sir Jim's public backing helped Amorim
For all of Sir Jim Ratcliffe's faults, giving Amorim his support publicly has calmed the storm and helped the squad relax with a sense of stability knowing their coach is here to stay. You can see the confidence building with each game and there's no doubt the players are fully behind him.
We have finally ridded ourselves of the worst goalkeeping duo in club history albeit one remains on the bench. Senne Lammens has been a masterful signing who has shown the composure lacking in Andre Onana who, on reflection, should be thanking Amorim for sticking by him for so long.
There are still some slight issues such as midfield with a younger number six a crucial acquistion either in January or in the summer. We could also do with an experienced head up front to serve as backup to Benjamin Sesko given Joshua Zirkzee seems to want out.
Kobbie Mainoo's future is still uncertain despite United insisting he isn't for sale and turning down his request to go out on loan in the summer. His manager has said he is part of his plans and that he'll get his opportunity so we'll wait and see on that front.
But, for now, Amorim has truly won me over not just because his team are winning football matches but the manner he's approached his job. He takes blame along with his players and the delusional fan in me wants to believe he is the one who makes it 21 sooner rather than later.