And so, 83 days after one manager was dispensed with, England have another one. The King is dead, long live Uncle Roy.
After being berated for their delay in approaching Fabio Capello's successor, no one could accuse the Football Association of failing to speed up.
Having decided on their quarry, they have moved with stealth to snare him, so now Roy Hodgson, signed on a four-year contract, will lead England to Euro 2012, onto the next World Cup and the European Championship beyond.
Now 64, by the time Hodgson's contract is over, he won't be far off 70. And the FA will hope the landscape on English football will have changed immeasurably.
In fairness to the FA, in the immediate aftermath of Capello's departure, they were desperate to outline their vision of the future.
They wanted to get away from the knee-jerk reactions in times of trouble and the trawl for the best man, or the biggest name, to replace the guy who had just failed.
After lavishing £50million on Sven-Goran Eriksson and Capello, they went for the best home-grown option in Steve McClaren and the populist choice in Kevin Keegan and met only varying degrees of failure, it is little wonder the FA decided to take a different path this time.
A massive investment on St George's Park in Burton, a state-of-the-art coaching dream, demanded some degree of deep thinking.
And Hodgson, thoughtful, considered and astute, both on the pitch and in the media room, is the ideal figurehead.
His vast experience abroad, in Sweden, Switzerland and Italy in particular, means he knows how it works elsewhere. Man for man, all three countries have been better than England at international level for the past three decades.
Maybe it was this, knowing Hodgson already has a base in the midlands and would actively encourage integration between the England senior squad and their junior counterparts, that has swung it his way.
Harry Redknapp might have been happy to make the journey from the Dorset home he loves so much. Evidently, he has no desire to leave it.
So, instead of Harry winding his window down to offer a soundbite or two, we have Roy, so unpretentious he probably still listens to cassettes on his way to work.
Not that he will have much time to do that over the next couple of months.
Apparently, Hodgson had told his wife this summer was going to be an exception. Instead of wall-to-wall tournament football, they were going on a proper break.
Well, having been there - fleeting visit admittedly - I can assure Mrs Hodgson that Krakow is a lovely place, with beautiful churches and a magnificent square. And she will have no complaints about the accommodation either as she will be staying in a marvellous boutique hotel.
Because that is where her husband will be - hopefully for four weeks as England stride to glory. But probably not.
And, in a sense, it doesn't matter.
Those long-range plans the FA spoke of in the wake of Capello's exit did not come from the top of their heads.
Those four men at Club England - David Bernstein, Alex Horne, Sir Trevor Brooking and Adrian Bevington - really believe them.
The question is, can they keep their nerve, beyond this summer, through Brazil and onto Euro 2016 in France?
That tournament should provide the answer to whether England's vision is the right one, whether those running the game have the courage of their convictions.
Hodgson will do his job in a certain way.
He won't be dancing from the roof tops, he won't be answering calls from journalists, he won't be winding his car window down for a quick chat.
God forbid, he might not even win many football matches.
But if this appointment is anything, it is about the future. And Hodgson has to be given the scope to lead us there.
By Simon Stone, PA Sport
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