It feels fitting that Manchester United have stepped up the interview process to appoint their next manager in the week when The Apprentice final airs, given so many events at Old Trafford in recent years have felt like they've been scripted especially for TV.
The reality TV series recruits for a new addition every year and the way they've been going since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement nine years ago United are only marginally less prolific employers.
But there's a sense that this decision is the most important yet for the Old Trafford hierarchy, with chief executive Richard Arnold and football director John Murtough now in the decision-making chairs. After a season that promised so much but has turned into a nightmare, the appointment of the next manager has to be with a long-term plan for success in mind.
