Michael Carrick, a Geordie who rose through the Wallsend Boys Club talent machine, is expected to be replaced as Manchester United manager by Mauricio Pochettino, a move that has sparked criticism over how the club has handled his future.
The former England, West Ham, Tottenham and Manchester United midfielder has seen his fate played out in the full glare of the media spotlight, with a meeting in Monaco reportedly deciding his future.
A Geordie in the Old Trafford circus
Carrick is "one of us," a son of Tyneside who starred on the national and international stage. Throughout the affair, he has conducted himself with a dignity and professionalism that should make many others within the club think twice about their own conduct.
Managers come and go in football, and Carrick will no doubt receive a handsome pay-off if and when the axe falls. But there has been no need for him to endure the public debate over who will replace him that he has suffered in the last two weeks.
A less glorious spectacle
While many take pleasure in seeing Manchester United flounder, it feels less glorious when the latest victim is a son of Tyneside. The club's annual implosion has been a source of amusement, but this time it hits closer to home.
Carrick will bounce back. The work he did at Middlesbrough and last season at Manchester United should ensure he gets another decent job when he wants it. Perhaps he is better off being out of the soap opera which is Manchester United, even as fans eagerly await the next catastrophe.
