Nottingham Forest's sacking of manager Steve Cooper "almost feels like they couldn't wait to get rid of him", former striker Glenn Murray said.
Cooper was sacked on Tuesday after overseeing five defeats in their past six games and just one win in 13.
The 44-year-old was revered by the Forest fans after ending their 23-year absence from the top flight.
"I feel he was going to keep Nottingham Forest safe for another year," said Murray on BBC Radio 5 Live.
Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis said after Cooper's dismissal that "his achievement in guiding Forest back [to the Premier League] will undoubtedly remain an iconic moment in the club's history".