So, Harry Redknapp has replaced Juande Ramos as the new boss. In a dramatic night, Ramos, first assistant manager Gus Poyet, first team coach Marcos Alvarez and director of football Damien Comolli were all shown the door by chairman Daniel Levy. The only thing missing, fans will say, is the sight of the slithery puppet-master following them out of White Hart Lane.
There will be protests to that effect when Redknapp takes charge of his new team against Bolton this afternoon. Yet Levy has acted swiftly and decisively to get his man no sooner had the maligned quartet been asked to clear their desks, had Reknapp been torn from the grasps of the adoring Portsmouth faithful.
The cost of the deal - £5m in compensation to Portsmouth and double that to Ramos et al in order to sever their contracts - may well cause Levy to lose some sleep, even if his role in the whole debacle won't. It was perhaps naïve to believe he would accept responsibility for appointing Ramos, or even admit he had made a mistake sacking Jol, but the thought that this man still pulls the strings at the club leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.
Before we assess the new then, it seems only right to focus on yet another false dawn. Ramos and Poyet had started brightly and several impressive performances against the top four suggested he had what it takes to match the best in the business. I still don't doubt that was the case - our best performance of the season so far came against Chelsea - but over the past few weeks it had become apparent that the Spaniard had lost the dressing room. When that happens, its time for a change.
Ramos has every right to feel hard done by. It's difficult to imagine any manager flourishing after losing their two best players and then having the job of replacing them given to a complete incompetent. The question remains as to whether he picked out the likes of Luka Modric and David Bentley - two players who have struggled since joining in the summer. Although I suspect we will never know the answer, one positive of this whole sorry affair is that Damien Comolli will no longer have an input as to who comes to White Hart Lane.
For whatever reason, Ramos was not the man he was billed to be. I personally never saw any evidence that he was a strict disciplinarian, beyond the fat free diet he kept the players on. He was motionless and seemed resigned to defeat on the touchline but he left us with some fond memories - the 5-1 thrashing of Arsenal and the Carling Cup triumph - so should not be looked on as a complete failure.
If one thing is taken from our own version of the night of the long knives, it is that it should end the director of football experiment at the club. Yes it works in some European countries but not here. We cannot again have several different people pulling the club in opposite directions. Regardless of what you think of him, Redknapp must be given the opportunity to bring in the players he wants.
It seems inconceivable that this won't be the case. Surely Redknapp would never have agreed to join the club if he thought he would be working under someone, especially given his much publicised dislike of the continental structure.
Instead Redknapp should be given control of a transfer budget the likes of which he has never seen. Known, and well respected, for his wheeler dealer image, the thought of Redknapp having the Berbatov and Keane cash to play with evokes memories of the Only Fools and Horses Christmas special, when Del Boy becomes a millionaire after selling an old maritime watch.
The initial signs are encouraging. Harry is famed for his ability to get clubs out of a hole and he wasted little time identifying the clubs soft underbelly yesterday. Fans will hope he is the man to lead us out of a relegation battle, but should put all questions as to whether he has what it takes to get us into the Champions League two or three years down the line firmly to the back of their minds.
Spare a thought for Portsmouth fans will be sobbing into their cornflakes this morning. Not only have they lost the greatest manager in the club's history but he left them some unhelpful parting words about having to sell players in January. No potential boss wants to hear that, and fans will now dread the beginning of the transfer window and a visit from uncle Harry.
Until then, who knows what to expect. Their certainly isn't a wave of optimism about this 'new era', simply a recognition that change was inevitable and the jaded question 'when will it ever end?'.
If, by some miracle, you are reading this Mr Levy, I urge you to give Harry time. You've escaped the boot yourself - for now - and whilst no one is happy with the way you've been performing, we'll get behind the manager, so give him the money to get us out of the hole you put us in.
And, for the love of god, no more directors of football.