Today brought about the news that we all knew was coming for some time, Sunderland have been relegated from the Premier League.
A late Josh King goal gave Bournemouth a 1-0 at the Stadium of Light, and boos rang out as the final whistle confirmed that David Moyes' tragic season with the Black Cats would end in a demotion to the Championship after a decade in the Premier League.
But it's not all Moyes' fault. While he and the players must certainly shoulder most of the blame for a woeful season, the club has been managed very poorly in recent seasons, never building on the several 'great escapes' that should have serves as a wake-up call to change the ethos.
That point was made by legendary BBC commentator John Motson, who ripped into the Sunderland owners for their continued failure to provide stability at the club, and while he feels that they do of course have the support to bounce back, there's going to need to be changes.
"The rot set in at Sunderland a long time ago and it came right from the top."
Emphatic stuff from Motty - he has no sympathy for #SAFC pic.twitter.com/IOYvkw2BpS— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) April 29, 2017
A club badly managed from above for at least four years, three managers have got them out of it at the end of the season including Sam Allardyce a year ago, the rot set in at Sunderland a long time ago, and it came right from the top.
I have no sympathy with them, they deserved to go down.
He's spot on.
The question now for Sunderland is whether or not they stick with Moyes, that's if he doesn't step down. Newcastle have again shown that a year in the Championship is not a death sentence, and it can offer a clear-out of some of the deadwood that was responsible for the drop, but if you don't sort out the problems and bounce back, it could be a long time before you return.
What next for John O'Shea, too? No Irish fan will be happy to see Sheasy relegated, and at his age his options may be limited if he's looking to move on, but he may decide to stay and attempt to help the club get back up where they feel they belong.
