Daniel Farke was unfamiliar with the cautionary tale of Devon Loch but it would take a choke of similarly disastrous proportions to deny Leeds United a place back at the top table of English football.
The unfortunate thoroughbred's astonishing collapse and ultimate defeat with Grand National victory at its mercy has become a metaphor for sporting collapse over the decades.
The kind of which befell the United States' Ryder Cup team when they were on the wrong side of the Miracle of Medinah 13 years ago. Or Newcastle's stunning implosion to allow Manchester United to bridge a 12-point gap to win the Premier League in 1996.