Kris Boyd claims his former Kilmarnock team-mates at times chose to ignore Angelo Alessio's instructions as they revert back to the Steve Clarke blueprint for success.
Alessio was sacked on Tuesday just six months after taking over from Clarke, and it is no surprise to Boyd.
Clarke led the Ayrshire side to third place last term – their highest finish since 1966.
But TV pundit Boyd, who retired in the summer, believes his Italian replacement was wrong to do away with his old manager's safety-first approach and instead introduce a free-flowing brand of football so soon into his Rugby Park reign.
That change in style saw a confused team crash disastrously out of the Europa League to Welsh minnows Connah's Quay Nomads – but Boyd believes it was the players who decided to go back to basics as they lost narrowly to Rangers on the opening day of the Ladbrokes Premiership season.
The former Killie striker told Sky Sports News: "There was a few rumbles right from the off.
"When you come in and try to change everything from what was successful last season you face an uphill battle.
"The club was in a good place, getting results. Last season, Kilmarnock was very hard to beat but (Alessio's) first message was 'we're going to play open, expansive football with two strikers on the pitch' at a time when I don't think Kilmarnock even had two strikers in the building.
"It wasn't a good start. The Europa League qualifiers weren't great after being knocked out.
"However, in the first league game against Rangers, Kilmarnock were back to being solid and hard to beat. For me, that's the way it should have been and the players maybe took that upon themselves. That's what got results last season, so why would you change that.
"Yeah some people will say the players did not listen to what the manager was saying but they knew how to get results."
Clarke's former assistant Alex Dyer has been put in temporary charge ahead off Saturday's clash with Motherwell and Boyd expects to see instant improvements.
He said: "I don't know what Alex wants to do in the future, whether he wants to be a manager or not. But I do know he will be organised, the players will know exactly what they are doing.
"I'm sure short term we will definitely see the performances improve and that might be Alex's interview process.
"I think you've got to say well done to Kilmarnock to make the decision so early ahead of a big transfer window coming up.
"It gives Alex Dyer or whoever comes in the chance to have a look and see exactly what they need in January."
