Graham Potter's downward direction of travel has taken him from the coveted coach heavily touted as Sir Gareth Southgate's potential England successor to the pain of two brutal sackings after brief spells at Chelsea and West Ham.
Potter was dismissed by West Ham after only eight months in charge as they stand 19th in the Premier League in the wake of four defeats in five games, his reign following on from seven months at Stamford Bridge before he suffered a similar fate.
He claimed he was the victim of a "perfect storm" at Chelsea, his appointment coinciding with the club's new ownership - who sacked Thomas Tuchel in September 2022 to appoint Potter - embarking on a £323m spending spree in the January transfer window.
Potter, a meticulous coach who thrived at Brighton on time and structure, was left with a squad so big the changing room was too small to fit them all in. He was sacked in April 2023.
Now Potter has been engulfed by a similarly chaotic environment at West Ham, the reputation he built so carefully - along with a talented team at Brighton - in tatters.
Potter won only six of his 25 matches in charge since succeeding Julen Lopetegui, his low-key personality never winning favour with West Ham's demanding fans and his plight worsened by wretched results.