Manchester United have been stuck in a vicious cycle.
Not being good enough to win the title, or finish in the top four for that matter, but qualifying for Europe. This provides finances and hope that the end of their decade-long decline will end.
It doesn't. More mismanagement through transfers and managerial sackings and hirings just sees the cycle repeat.
The best thing that could have happened to Manchester United was the thing they feared most: missing out on European football.
They hired a manager with a set way of playing, a manager who from the first step into United's training ground openly said he wouldn't budge, he wouldn't change his ideas or philosophy, no matter the results.
The results were terrible, the worst in nearly 50 years in the league, but United were still just 90 minutes from a third trophy in three dysfunctional seasons and a Champions League qualification that would have set Ruben Amorim's tenure on the same path as his predecessors.
"We always prepare two plans. With and without the Champions League. Without the Champions League, we also don't need a big squad," Amorim told a press conference following defeat in that final that many deemed a 'lifeline'.
"We can control the squad in a better way. Then we have a plan, that is to bring in some new players, but our big plan is to improve the team we have, to improve the academy."
While most thought the Europa League final was must-win to save United, in reality it would have just kept them on life . In the same cycle, in the same rut.
Instead, without any European football next season, there is a chance to finally perform the 'open heart operation' interim boss Ralf Rangnick once famously claimed the club needed in 2022.
So while Roy Keane may scoff at the idea of a manager claiming fewer games provides a greater chance of success, there are plenty of reasons why Amorim is right to optimistic.
'Big six' bounce back
Historically speaking, when a 'big-six' club finishes down the league and misses out on European football, they bounce back.
Now, the caveat with United is that none of the sides in recent history finished as low as they did (15th), but then again none made it all the way to a European final and effectively sabotaged their league season.
Across the last 15 league seasons, only eight times has a 'big-six' member finished the campaign without European football via the league route, and seven of them improved their league position to secure continental football the following season - the other won a trophy to ensure it.
That bodes well for Amorim's idea that a year without can be a springboard. On average, those eight sides improved their league position by 3.88 spots the year after the disappointment of missing out on Europe.
There have been some particularly big climbs by teams with no midweek football, the standout performance being Chelsea, who finished 10th in 15/16 and won the league the following season under Antonio Conte. Liverpool nearly won the league in 12/13 under Brendan Rodgers when they had no European distractions, jumping from 7th to second.
It's fair to say that this United team are in a much worst state than both of those sides were, and are in need of a big summer to make them a contender for the top six never mind top four, but it wouldn't be a surprise to see them in the European hunt next season.
More games than ever
This need to bounce back is becoming a more common occurrence too, with the ever increasing amount of football on the calendar giving sides not in Europe a huge advantage over the course of a full season.
It's a big reason why Aston Villa, Brighton and Nottingham Forest have all broken the stranglehold to qualify for Europe in via the league over the last four seasons.
It could also explain why we have had two upsets in the domestic cup competitions, with Manchester City at Wembley.
Liverpool and Manchester City both played 57 fixtures this season, nine more than their conquerors.
It's becoming increasingly more difficult to balance league, domestic cup and European duties. The expanded PSG will have played 17 times in the competition after they failed to finish in top eight of the league phase.
Incidentally it is five years since the French football authorities made the decision to do away with their League Cup because of fixture congestion, and two years since they reduced the number of teams in Ligue 1 from 20 to 18 and thus making the schedule lighter by four games. That, plus a much easier league, could explain why PSG have looked dominant in the UCL.
And, let's not forget the Club World Cup, with Chelsea and Manchester City adding more games to the legs of their players this summer.
It gives teams not playing in Europe a clear edge.
Time to rest. No need to rotate. Potentially fewer injuries. And perhaps more importantly for Amorim, time to work on his game-specific plans as well as getting across his overarching philosophy in more detail.
PSR rules killing squad depth
Quality squad depth is fundamental if teams are to fight on all fronts and manage so many matches, but that is becoming more and more difficult.
England's elite sides have suffered this season with major injuries and fatigue, and it's harmed their chances on all fronts. Arsenal couldn't sustain a title or a European charge due to their injuries which exposed a lack of squad depth.
It was the same for Liverpool were also clearly running on empty heading into their Champions League exit to PSG, and that carried into their Carabao Cup final defeat.
"We can't change (the squad) much because of Financial Fair Play. We are not allowed to do much."
It's another point made by Ruben Amorim that is hard to disagree with, other than the fact he means Profit and Sustainability Rules.
The distinction is important because Premier League clubs have far more financial limitations imposed on them than their European counterparts.
It's a real issue, and stops teams building the quality depth required to sustain high levels across multiple competitions. It could be to the detriment of English football on the continent in the coming years.
"Without the Champions League, we also don't need a big squad," Amorim continued.
In the case of Manchester United, while they have lost out on the revenues associated with Europe's top competition, it could be a blessing.
Increasingly competitive Premier League
And the extra kicker to having more games than ever, and more financial restrictions preventing squad building than ever, is a Premier League that is more competitive than ever.
Money talks, and it's led to mid-tier teams being able to attract top coaches and top players from around the world, and means they can contend with the big-six.
In my book, the 'big-six' now only get six 'gimmees' per season - games they are highly likely to win - and those come against the promoted sides.
The other 11 teams are all capable of beating the big-six every single week, meaning sides competing on all fronts simply have to be mentally switched-on and physically up for the fight every single weekend, as well as in midweek.
In comparison to the other leagues across Europe, the Premier League's mid-tier is on another level, so the juggling of midweek-weekend-midweek-weekend football is made all the harder.
Being able to focus on one game per week, as Amorim will be able to, is a huge advantage in what is an ultra competitive league, though that alone obviously doesn't guarantee success.
A trend to follow across the continent
While the Premier League is perhaps most extreme in its environment in of being able to take advantage of free midweeks, this trend extends to other European divisions too, as their top clubs also battle the challenges of busier and busier schedules.
This season Napoli are the most extreme example.
They finished ninth in Serie A last season to miss out on any form of European football. This season they finished above the nine teams who played in Europe to win just a second Scudetto in 35 years.
Ironically it was Antonio Conte at the helm, the manager who did the same with Chelsea in 2016/17, taking advantage of the free midweeks to get the best out of squads that, on paper at least, had no right to win the title.
From Victor Moses at wing-back in 2016 to turning to Manchester United reject Scott McTominay into Serie A's MVP, spending plenty of the campaign alongside Brighton cast-off Billy Gilmour in central midfield.
Less glamorously, and not so much in the category of 'big clubs' bouncing back, Real Sociedad failed to back up their success of the previous season.
Perhaps more relevant are the examples of Nottingham Forest under Roberto De Zerbi and Nuno Espirito Santo, managers with very clear, extreme tactical blueprints at opposite ends of the spectrum.
In his first season at the helm, De Zerbi's European-football-less team recovered from last season's eighth place to finish as runners-up, arguably as good as is possible in a league dominated by big-spending PSG.
And Forest were the surprise package of the Premier League season, securing their highest finish in 30 years to go from 17th to seventh and secure Conference League football.
They weren't the only English club to benefit from less football either, as Newcastle capitalised on a domestic-only campaign to finish fifth and secure a return to the UCL.
So it can be done, even from the most unlikely of positions.
Amorim's done it before...
And while being Manchester United boss is undoubtedly a different task entirely for Ruben Amorim, he has already faced a very similar challenge in his short managerial career, proving he can deliver success when given free midweeks.
He inherited a Primeira Liga, and one that only qualified for the Europa League play-off round. They were eliminated at the first attempt, and that came after just one league game.
That meant that, along with a full pre-season to work with his players, he had a full season of focus on the league.
Amorim delivered a first title for Sporting in 19 years.
"We needed to close that chapter," he continued after United's Europa League final defeat. "Now we have to make a choice or we stay stuck in the past.
"Now I'm excited and I'm nervous - I want to work to the next season. I just need to prepare for next season."
Do it well Ruben, or it'll probably be your last one.
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