Southampton relieved Alan Pardew of his position, along with assistant Wally Downes and goalkeeping coach Stuart Murdoch, on bank holiday Monday. The sacking was a shock for most Saints fans who were looking forward to a successful season following a storming end to last year. The club missed out on the play-offs by one position, despite a 10-point penalty and an awful start to the last campaign.

There had been some worries that Pardew might have been dismissed at the end of last season for not achieving more and a big sigh of relief went around St. Mary's when that didn't materialise.

So the news last week was surprising and unpleasant. Okay, Southampton only had four points from three games, but they had just thumped Bristol Rovers 4-0. Pardew showed towards the end of last season how he could make the team perform and surely three games in was too early to say he'd lost that ability?

While the press release makes little comment of the reasons for the departure, and Pardew has stayed quiet, there are murmurings it's less to do with the on-pitch performance and more to do with issues off the field. Southampton have been steadily restructuring to prepare the club for an eventual Premiership return, and there are hints that Pardew and his support staff didn't gel with others in the club.

If that's the case, the decision to remove them makes more sense, but where does it leave Southampton?

Following Pardew's departure Saints now have four points from four games after a bad loss to Rochdale at home. They were also unceremoniously dumped out of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy at home by Swindon.

The team need the certainty of a strong new managerial appointment but there is no news yet of a successor. The problem is, even if Pardew had his problems, are Southampton going to attract a better manager now?

St Mary's is a lovely ground, the club have strong financial backing and they have an excellent youth set-up. But they are still only a League One side and only a limited number of top-class managers would even consider that (Ericsson anyone?).

The club have also shown their expectations of any manager are high - automatic promotion this season or you are out. Given a new manager can't make any squad changes until January this again makes the role less attractive. Plus, Pardew's removal, while meant to show the club is strong, sends a signal that perhaps club management are fickle - never a quality designed to attract managerial talent.

My concern is that by removing Pardew now, Southampton have reduced their chance of promotion this year. They should either have sacked him at the end of last season and given another manager the summer to rebuild or supported Pardew through this season to get the team into the Championship where the role becomes attractive to a better set of candidates.

For now, the aim has to be to make an appointment soon and back them for the longer term.