In his first full season in charge at the Emirates, Mikel Arteta led Arsenal to an eighth place Premier League finish, meaning a 25-year run of participation in European competition would be coming to an end.
In the first three Premier League games of the following season, Arsenal lost to Brentford, to Chelsea and to Manchester City, scoring none and conceding nine.
The Arsenal board kept faith in Arteta because they believed in him. The rest is - and will be - history.
Todd Boehly quickly lost belief in Graham Potter but when it comes to football, Todd Boehly probably would not know what or who to believe.
After all, someone or some people have persuaded him to part with fortunes on a transfer policy that, at best, could be described as scattergun, at worst, utterly ludicrous.
Chelsea’s squad situation is one obscenely expensive omnishambles.
When it comes to football, Boehly has done nothing so far to suggest he has a clue about the game.
Potter is best out of it. Thomas Tuchel is best out of it, and quickly knew it.
But Potter’s departure will not matter to Chelsea fans if the new manager goes on to get past Real Madrid in the Champions League and wins a few Premier League games.
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Just as the departure of the man who won them the FA Cup and recorded two fifth-placed finishes in the Premier League will not matter to Leicester City fans if the new manager keeps them in the top flight.
Fair enough.
And, of course, Potter and Brendan Rodgers will be paid off handsomely and will walk into other jobs.
When the permanent posts at the various clubs who have interim bosses are filled, it will take the managerial merry-go-round theory to new levels.
So, it is no time to get the handkerchief out for these guys.
But this incessant managerial churn, this unimaginative hire-and-fire routine, merely reinforces the fact that so many Premier League owners have simply not got a clue about the game.
And Boehly is clearly amongst them.
