Larry Lucchino recently told WEEI.com regarding the process of searching for the next Red Sox manager that "ownership has a seat at the table, to be sure."

That's fine. Just let the general manager make the final toast.

The assumptions regarding the Red Sox' path to finding a replacement for Terry Francona have flowed ever since Dale Sveum got his free lunch from the Sox and then his next job from the Cubs in Milwaukee all within a few hours on Wednesday afternoon.

Among the assertions thrown about the WEEI airwaves this weekend were that the Red Sox owners sent Sox GM Ben Cherington to the Dominican Republic over the weekend so that Bobby Valentine could be fitted for his new cap. This is what it has become -- conspiracy theories the likes of which we haven't witnessed since the movie "Dave." (Remember when the vice president played by Ben Kingsley was shipped to Africa while an elaborate hoax was perpetrated on the American people? No? Disregard then.)

While Valentine's presence at Fenway Park Monday will serve as fuel for the latest round of Red Sox drama, there should be some sort of governor put on this runaway golf cart carrying the public's perception.

Eight years ago, the Red Sox went through a similar process after the firing of Grady Little. They chose Terry Francona. According to a source familiar with the selection process at the time, it was then-GM Theo Epstein who made the final call, offering the impression that Lucchino was fairly "hands-off" when it came to the exercise.

So, how is that different this time around? 

Well, the likelihood is that there could be more similarities that many think. Perhaps the biggest alteration is that the final candidate brought to ownership this time around, Sveum, wasn't viewed with as much reverence as Francona was. And, as with the case with most organizations, that's when an ownership group will step in. Fine.

And when Sveum was met with some uncertainty, the pool was widened to include a candidate Lucchino clearly had some fondness for and that Cherington already had some discussion with in Valentine. Again, fine.

But now we have arrived as the crossroads, with the Red Sox needing to go down whatever path Cherington chooses.

Valentine will go through the same interview process afforded the previous five candidates, including an early evening meeting with the media. Contrary to popular belief, Lucchino will not be sitting side-by-side with Cherington, Mike Hazen, Brian O'Halloran and Allard Baird during the day-long round of conversations and simulations. He won't be sitting outside the room, ear pressed against door, just waiting to extol the awesomeness of Bobby V.

Monday is Cherington's show, as it was the previous five times. At the end of the day, it should be the GM's decision as to where to place Valentine's name when ranking him above or below the likes of Alomar, Lamont or Lovullo. And, believe or not, that is exactly what will happen.

It has been screamed from the message board mountaintops that if the Red Sox do pick Valentine that this will be the ultimate sign that Lucchino called the shots on this one. It is at least a conversation-starter, if for no other reason than Cherington relayed his contentment with the original pool of managerial candidates throughout the process, even after having an informal discussion with Valentine.

But there is a very real chance that by the time kickoff of the Patriots game rolls around Monday night, Cherington may have altered his depth chart. Valentine has his positives, and there are at least a few general managers who carry philosophies similar to the Red Sox who believe he would be a good fit.

Valentine wins. He turns around teams fast, as was exemplified by a 25-win turnaround by the Rangers in his first season at the helm of that team, and a quick march to the World Series when managing the Mets. He even did it in Japan with the Chiba Lotte Marines (who also just happened to have a working relationship with the Red Sox).

The 61-year-old possesses the coveted former major league managerial experience -- the likes of which led Lamont to Lansdowne Street -- while showing an ability to manage a pitching staff and bullpen, which can often times be the difference-maker between a good and great manager.

But when the day is done, and Valentine has showered Cherington and his crew with his managerial chops, the elephant in the room -- can Valentine work cohesively with the current Sox baseball operations crew -- has to be pushed past Carmine the Computer, past the game simulator, and even past Lucchino and firmly out of the equation.

This isn't about a GM putting lineups on the manager's desk with the understanding they will be implemented. What has to be determined is if the candidate can execute effectively as a manager with this group of players, in this environment, under the umbrella of the organizational philosophy while being able to establish a solid day-to-day working relationship with Cherington. Because it is Cherington -- not Lucchino or John Henry or Tom Werner -- who will be in the manager's office on a daily basis. 

Jim Duquette, who served as an assistant general manager with the Mets during Valentine's time in New York, suggested on Friday's Mut & Merloni show that his former co-worker would be a great fit with the Red Sox because you need an experienced manager to work with what he deemed an inexperienced general manager in Cherington. This line of thinking is far from what should be prioritized when making the final decision. 

What should be understood about Cherington is that while this is his first gig as a general manager, he has sat in the GM passenger seat basically for the past six years. And before that he was exposed to just about every element of a baseball operations office you could hope for. In short, he has earned the right to be treated as somebody who doesn't need the kind of training wheels that come with hiring a manager who has been around the block. 

The new GM's temperament is one that doesn't lend itself to volatility. He has been around the organization long enough to understand the personalities and the dynamics at play. But it should be recognized that he is also secure enough to believe at the end of the day -- after riding out the current wave of public analysis -- that it will be his vision which wins out.

One choice may have been rejected (again, a decision any ownership has the right to enact), but that doesn't mean Cherington won't still be getting one of his guys. And that person very well may be a guy with the last name of Valentine. 

The place settings haven't gone anywhere, leaving Lucchino, Werner and Henry all at the aforementioned table. Yet, like it was with Epstein eight years ago, the host with the most when it comes to this managerial feast has to be the general manager of the Red Sox.