United allowed themselves little time for serious thought in reaching out for a big name in an apparent bid to project the global identity of a club unbowed and defiant in the face of relegation.

The latter part of that statement reflects great credit on United's ambition and strategy. Underlying it, though, there lurked the dangerous belief that the playing squad was good enough to be unaffected by a radical change of manager.

Hence the Blades unveiled Bryan Robson within seven days of Neil Warnock's departure. Greater consultation would have pinpointed the former England captain's mixed record in management and, more importantly, suggested that his ideals might clash with those of Warnock.

So there is no great mystery over why the expected promotion bid failed and how Robson became a victim of circumstance and his own misadventure.
All of this is easy to say in hindsight, as is the belief of many that United would have made the play-offs had the mistake been corrected a few weeks earlier.

What's important is that United are firmly back on track under the leadership of Kevin McCabe, whose popularity has rightly survived this one boardroom miscalculation not of his instigation.