By the time Aston Villa decided to sack Steven Gerrard earlier this week, it was clear that a parting of ways was probably the best solution for all parties.
The club's supporters had turned on the manager, with the atmosphere in the away end in the aftermath of the 3-0 loss at Fulham in midweek a very nasty one.
As for Gerrard, he can have few complaints about the decision when you consider the club's run of results this season. The team had already grown stale under his tutelage and there were few signs that the situation was improving.
He would be let go directly after the game. In fact, it was done before the team had even left Craven Cottage. As a result, the 42-year old travelled home on the team bus despite knowing that he had just lost his job.
The timing employed by the club has not gone down well in some quarters.
Gary Neville criticises Aston Villa over Steven Gerrard sacking
Gary Neville has had plenty of experience in relation to sacking managers. Not only did he suffer a similar fate during his time in charge of Valencia, but he has also hired and fired a number of bosses in his role as owner at Salford City.
Speaking on the Gary Neville Podcast, the Sky Sports pundit said that the way in which Aston Villa had conducted their business on this occasion left a lot to be desired.
I've seen the reports that Steven Gerrard was sacked straight after the game before the team bus had left, or he got on the team bus knowing he had been sacked...
I am not quite sure as to the logic of the Villa ownership and the Villa decision-makers to sack a manager knowing he's got a journey of two or three hours on a bus. Let's be clear: as owners, we're all liable for criticism when we sack a manager, and I've been criticised for that (at Salford City).
But come on! Doing it immediately after a game, when you know that the manager has to travel back with his staff and players? I mean, that is a joke.
Can you imagine that bus? The only thing you can do is crack a few beers open and get on it! I think that's the only thing you can do. That was the one thing I thought was bad from Villa's point of view.
I know the fans were absolutely livid and wanted immediate action, but give it three or six hours. We will hear from Villa why they did some day, maybe we will ask them.
I thought that was the one thing on Steven Gerrard's side, on the moral highground he won there. On the club's side, they had to sack him, but how and when you do it is important.
It was certainly a ruthless move from the club's owners, although there could be little argument about the decision to move on. The players would respond to the move by taking a 3-0 lead inside the first 15 minutes of their game against Brentford this afternoon.
Steven Gerrard is likely to get another role in management at some point in the near future, although it remains to be seen what level such an opportunity will come at. He could struggle to immediately find another position in the Premier League, although clubs often like to be associated with names such as his.
It will be interesting to see where his career goes from here.
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