I think a lot of what I'd say, has already been said. 

Walking away prior to these changes coming in seems a strange one to me. He will have his own reasons, but to not see it through beyond the pandemic is going to leave his legacy open to question.
As it stands, all I see is a legacy of short term measures, sprinkled with some titivations and paint jobs, that are then sandwiched between a pandemic and consolidation.
Is the network in a better place? Are passengers happier with the network?

Fleatham is possibly a safe pair of hands as far as the money men are concerned. Not sure the drivers or unions will be too happy!
But it's jobs for the boys isn't it? Certain faces fit and although I'd argue he's not a key player in the 'clique', he's definitely part of it. Almost like some of the managers in the Premier League. The Pardews, Allardyces and other stalwarts working through the ever revolving cycle of open doors.
Trying to work out the logic behind EY reporting directly to GAG, with an area director looking after GNE, but reporting to NF at GNW.
It must be a temporary decision. GNE haven't fallen that far down the pecking order have they?

And... Ultimately, you've still got the same staff working in the commercial team. They'll make the same old decisions and will ultimately influence the decision makers at the top. 
No fresh blood. No fresh ideas. Just falling passenger numbers and the focus on cutting costs.

Let's see how Lumo and Hull Trains get on over the next few years. They've already got the tables and WiFi. Suppose its now a choice between vertical or horizontal stripes of some sort and some cheesy patter from the RS livery generator.
He must be rubbing his hands with glee at the thought of more work!