For Alan Pardew and Bob Bradley, the sight of Sam Allardyce sitting in Premier League directors' boxes in recent weeks will have been like Ebeneezer Scrooge catching a glimpse of the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come.
The respective managers of Crystal Palace and Swansea City will know by now that, unless they change their ways (and results) in the not-too-distant future, their fate will be an unhappy one and Big Sam, the man with a plan when it comes to avoiding relegation, will be handily placed to act as their Grim Reaper.
For Bradley's position to even merit discussion, after just 10 games in charge at the Liberty Stadium, is a sign of the modern trend of Premier League owners fearing the worst when their club is beginning to look as though it may become cut adrift in the race for survival.