Town CEO Mark Ashton spoke to TWTD’s Phil Ham this lunchtime and told him Paul Cook's position had been something the board had been discussing in the week prior to his sacking on Saturday.
Cook, 54, was relieved of his duties on Saturday evening following the 0-0 FA Cup draw with League Two Barrow at Portman Road after nine months at the club.
Ashton says it was something the board - the CEO and chairman Mike O’Leary in the UK and US investors Brett Johnson, Mark Detmer and Berke Bakay, known as the Three Lions, and Ed Schwartz from investment firm ORG - had been discussing in the week leading up to the Barrow tie.
"We’ve been talking to the board over the last week,” Ashton said, explaining the decision and why it came when it did. "There was a concern from the board on performances and results, particularly over the last month.
"I think the one thing the board were clear on is that the season’s not dead. We’re seven points outside the play-offs, we’ve got a January transfer window coming upon us very, very quickly.
"These are difficult decisions to make and not one that I’ve enjoyed at all. But under those circumstances, with the season much alive, a window ahead of us, the board felt that they wanted to act now and make the decision now, and hence why the timing was when it was.”
Cook was appointed by former owner Marcus Evans, might he been given more time had he been named by the current ownership?
"No, it’s a fair question to ask, but that’s never been discussed,” Ashton continued. "I think Mike O’Leary said when we first came in, they were asked at that point whether they were happy to accept Paul Cook as manager and 100 per cent they were.
"You’ve been around this a while, it’s a results-orientated business. We’ve recruited some of, if not the most, talented squad in League One, but at the moment they’re not performing as the best team in League One.
"Pure and simple on results and performance, particularly over the last months, the board, and I have to say unanimously, made the decision to act on Saturday night.”
Ashton has previously talked about patience and the project being a long-term thing but he says a point comes when a change should be made, particularly if the board are losing confidence in the manager.
"There does, and again it’s a hard decision to make and the timing aspect, it’s a fair question, but all I can say to you is that the board, as ever, will act in what they believe is the best interest of the football club to give the football club the best opportunity in every area moving forward.
"Whilst really, really disappointed, they’ve acted decisively and that concluded on Saturday evening.”
Asked how Cook took the news, Ashton said: "Two things on this. The first thing is I just want to thank Paul, he’s been fantastic to work with, he’s been honest, high integrity, hard-working.
"Let’s be fair to him, he really has identified the problems that this football club still faces and is still going to face for a while as we transition and as we turn this big club round.
"And he was as professional as I would have expected him to be. Ultimately disappointed, but very, very, very, very professional.”