Sir Jim Ratcliffe's reign at Manchester United has seen more austerity than 14 years of a Tory government - with wicked changes set to continue with more staff learning that they have lost their jobs.
Having lost the Europa League final this week, this is one of the darkest periods in United's history.
Sir Alex Ferguson's legacy is no more than mere folklore among the United fans inside a decaying Old Trafford - serving as a metaphor for this once great footballing establishment.
That might paint a grim picture, but there is light at the end of the tunnel - but it will require some people in high-up positions to take a good look at themselves in the mirror.
Ruben Amorim has a huge job on his hands at United
Reuters
It is easy to take hits at the players at United but, ultimately, there has been a lot of money spent on players, through no fault of their own, that are simply nowhere near good enough.
Antony, Rasmus Hojlund, Andre Onana, Joshua Zirkzee, Patrick Dorgu and Manuel Ugarte. The total cost between them equals around £310million.
That is enough to rent a military base on the Chagos Islands for three years - and have a bit of change left over.
All six of them are nowhere near good enough to don the shirt of United. Luke Shaw said it after the 1-0 loss to Tottenham on Wednesday: "We have to question if we're good enough for Man United."
Those questions have been long answered, Shaw. Now it is time to stop feeling sorry for yourself and get things back on track, starting with one difficult decision.
The Saudi Pro League have come knocking and offered a huge financial deal to sign Bruno Fernandes: £100m fee for the club and a £65m contract for the player.
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Fernandes has arguably been United's best player post-Fergie and letting him go seems suicidal - but with the repair job Ruben Amorim has on his hands, he needs the money, and Fernandes just feels like a puzzle piece that does not seem to quite slot into his 3-4-3 system.
Second job, also not easy, is to bin off all the outcasts that simply do not have the quality or the bottle to play for United.
That includes the aforementioned six (except maybe Dorgu, considering he is still a young player), as well as some hanger-onners like Diogo Dalot and Alejandro Garnacho, who appears to be pure poison in that dressing room.
Finding buyers might not be easy and some players might even require being paid off to leave behind their extravagant contracts - but that is short-term pain for long-term gain.
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Sir Jim Ratcliffe won't like it, but he has to spend to get United out of trouble
Reuters
Thirdly, Sir Jim, get a grip of that boardroom. It has been farcical since his arrival last year.
The Dan Ashworth saga has left a stinking hole of embarrassment upstairs - not what United fans envisioned when they finally felt they might be ridding themselves of the Glazers.
Ratcliffe will also have to fork out a pretty penny to get United back on top. Something that Britain's richest man has seemed to forget is that football clubs are not cheap - you will have to spend some money at some point or what is the point.
It will anger him, he can huff and puff, but ultimately, most of the money he has already spent has been flushed down the drain and that is his fault.
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United might need to make some brutal decisions including letting Bruno Fernandes go
Reuters
But he will have to buy almost a new XI to get United out of their rut, which could cost north of £1billion - as Chelsea have found out under their new regime.
A goalkeeper who can save shots, a defender who can stay fit, a midfielder who can progress play, a wing-back who can cross the ball, a striker who can shoot.
It is not rocket science but, with the young talent coming through in Harry Amass, Ayden Heaven and Chido Obi-Martin, there is plenty of reason to feel positive about the future.
