Strengthening from a position of strength was always something preached by none other than Sir Alex Ferguson, and while it could be argued he failed effectively to do just that towards the end of his triumphant 27-year reign, you wonder why United fall down so miserably when it comes to replacing successful, long-serving managers.
It was the same story for Matt Busby, who had held the position for slightly less time than Ferguson (24 years from 1945-1969).
Of course the game was different fifty years ago, but there are some startling parallels between each man’s final years and the immediate seasons beyond.