Sir Alex Ferguson didn't use to call on Michael Carrick at Manchester United until the weather turned and it was raining in autumn.
'Michael was always a slow starter when he first arrived,' recalled Ferguson. 'The rain started in September and October and he came into his own.'
Well, the dark clouds have certainly been gathering over Old Trafford and Carrick is the unlikely figure United have turned to following the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
If the club stick to their plan, Carrick is the caretaker who will be replaced by an interim manager who will be replaced by a permanent boss by the start of next season.