It is the speed and steepness of the descent that has taken Manchester United by surprise.
Not too long ago, it was all so different. There was much backslapping and an air of celebration when United secured Cristiano Ronaldo's return on 27 August amid strong interest from Manchester City.
When the Portuguese superstar marked his second United debut with two goals in a 4-1 win over Newcastle, all seemed well. When hundreds of fans waited more than half-an-hour to hail the Portuguese superstar as he conducted interviews after that match, it seemed inconceivable that 10 weeks later, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would be sacked.