Go Ahead should be no where near Manchester.They butchered Anglian Bus.They are busy destroying Konnectbus.
East Norfolk isn't Manchester. And First Eastern Counties seem at least to have got their act together in the East Norfolk towns (Norwich Network) and the inter urban Excel route, which left Go Ahead very much playing second fiddle always difficult outside the conurbations. (Though if the carrot of a new fleet for Excel keeps dangling for much longer it'll be the next harvest.)
Go a bit further south though to Essex and it was First that withdrew in Clacton/Harwich area, leaving the urban bits to Go Ahead. I think it could be interesting to see what happens in Essex where First swung to a nearly £3m loss, from just about breaking even. They seem to have the same sort of aging fleet and very little investment that perhaps bedevilled central Manchester too, and with no Regional Mayor funds to come to the rescue it might be difficult to see what is their long-term future, perhaps? (Norwich is doing comparatively well but it hardly offers the support that a Bristol or Leeds might to neighbouring ops though, perhaps? ) Who'd be interested though; apart from Go-Ahead, perhaps?
EDIT: At least historically I think First Essex have been good payers - higher than most of the Home Counties/Anglia, which I've wondered if it's the impediment to a local sale. Not perhaps so much TUPE as stirring up even more discontent among the buyers existing workforce! Add it to what I think is the overriding factor - that I think they have just bitten off far more than they can chew down the years, and are stuffed - and it's not hard to conclude that, in the modern parlance, Essexit may be the only option. They don't have the resources to cope, or any prospect of them at their level of viability; and are too much for anyone else to handle, too. The trouble is, therefore, it could be as messy (and costly) as its namesake. Cornwall may provide a good template, but it was a much simpler and basic operation to start with. As with, I suspect, the successful First (and other) operations elsewhere.