It is fair to say that when David Moyes first arrived through the Old Trafford doors to join Premier League champions Manchester United, bringing to an end a successful 11-year spell at Everton, he did not envisage things to pan out quite the way they did.
The departing Toffees boss was always a strong favourite to replace Sir Alex Ferguson when his Scottish compatriot finally called time on his illustrious career, and so it proved on May 9, 2013 when the news first emerged that Moyes would replace one of the world's most successful ever managers.
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It was never going to be an easy task, of course, particularly when taking the reins of a squad that was widely perceived to be in need of an overhaul, despite running away with the Premier League title in Fergie's final season in charge.
Alarm bells first started ringing in Moyes's first - and only - summer transfer window at the helm, when the £28.5m arrival of Marouane Fellaini from Everton proved to be the only piece of incoming business done by the club.
Despite this, a new era at United got off to a decent enough start with four points from their opening two games of the campaign against Swansea City and Chelsea. Things soon unravelled, though, with just seven points taken from a possible 18 games heading into September.
The Red Devils continued to tick along, hopeful that things would soon click into gear once Moyes had put his spin on things. Ferguson told Old Trafford supporters upon his departure from the club that they had to stand by their new man, and that is exactly what they would do for the remainder of the year.
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That was until, at least, a further barren run followed in the early months of 2014 - including 3-0 home losses at the hands of rivals Liverpool and Manchester City, as well as a shock capitalisation against a doomed Fulham side - which saw the former Preston North End manager's future seriously called into question.
This came despite the high-profile signing of Juan Mata in the January window, a real coup which it was suggested at the time would finally bring a spark back to this United side, but matters finally came to a head following a 2-0 defeat at, ironically enough, Everton, in mid-April.
More so than the defeats themselves, it was the lack of direction and unclear style of play which would eventually cost Moyes his job. That reverse at his former Goodison Park hunting ground would have hurt more than any of the previous 10 losses during that tumultuous campaign, simply because of the manner in which the giants of the English game just appeared to wilt away.
Following a few days of intense speculation, the curtain was finally brought down on Moyes's troubled spell on this day 12 months ago, in which time both parties have managed to put the dark period behind them.
Under the tenure of Louis van Gaal, United have recovered from a similar shaky spell to the one witnessed under their former Scot to all but secure a top-four spot.
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Moyes, on the other hand, is now trying his luck in a different league at Real Sociedad, and his good work in Spain has seen him linked with a switch back to the Premier League; Newcastle United and West Ham United are both said to be interested.
It was ultimately a frustrating and potentially career-defining spell in the life of the now 51-year-old, and one that he admits he felt frustrated by, having been given less than a full season to succeed before the axe was swung.
"I was devastated to lose the job because it was something I felt I could make a real success of," he told the Daily Mail last year. "We knew it was going to take time to make the necessary changes.
"It was going to take time to evolve. But we were in the process of making other important changes. In the end, I don't feel I was given time to succeed or fail."
Time is certainly something still on Moyes's side, though, and following a successful start to life at La Real, he could now be ready to embark on the latest chapter in his career back on British shores.
Daniel Lewis
