Former professional footballer turned Sky Sports presenter David Prutton has revealed the extent of just how chaotic managerial changes can be for a first team squad.
Prutton played for eight different clubs during a career that spanned across 16 years, featuring at all levels of the English football pyramid.
During that time, he witnessed numerous managers come and go; a process that often left the players in the dark regarding the latest developments.
"We'd have a little chat between us (the players)," Prutton exclusively told the Sporting Life Championship Podcast.
"The good thing is, if you had experience of a particular manager or if someone did, that was the chat in the dressing room.
"It was like a 'anyone play for him?' and someone would say 'yeah, he's decent' and someone else sat in the corner shaking their head saying 'you do not want that guy in here'.
"It was good because it was great for a bit of conjecture because it was always very, not cloak-and-dagger, but it's quite obviously kept under wraps until something concrete actually comes out."
The procedure in appointing a manager often fails to be straightforward.
Stoke had identified Preston boss Alex Neil as their number one target to replace Nathan Jones, who was sacked on Friday, and reports circulated the following day that Neil was set to make the switch.
However, Preston hit back at the news stating they would not only deny permission to their Championship rivals, but they had also reported the club to the EFL for an illegal approach.