Roger Cross says he believes that higher expectations at West Ham may have led to Harry Redknapp leaving the club.
Speaking after Wednesday evening's reserve team victory against Charlton at the Valley, where Alan Curbishley was in attendance despite rumours that he would not show up, he said: "It is probable that teams that have done well unexpectedly this season will have to do the same again next and it is very hard to find that consistency, especially in this league.
"I know that Harry has done a terrific job here and he has turned the club around from a team on the brink of relegation to a good footballing side with three good finishes in the Premiership.
"It has not been a good season this time around and we all understand that, but Harry has been a terrific manager for West Ham."
Roger says on a personal note that he has always enjoyed working with Harry, and says: "He has always been a friend, ever since I joined West Ham, and today has been a sad day.
"I saw him this morning when he came into the ground to talk to us about the situation, and we shook hands, the same as everyone else did." Indeed, there were tears from some of the staff at Chadwell Heath as Harry said his goodbyes, though Roger himself was forced to be more circumspect.
Reports claiming that he had also quit the club today are inaccurate, and he says: I have been through this situation before and it is a very, very disappointing day."
Hammers reserves beat Charlton 4-2 with a hat-trick from Omer Riza and an opening goal from Shaun Byrne
Roger said: "I was very pleased with Omer and the players who had been on loan performed well."
As well as Omer, just back from a loan spell at Cambridge, Adam Newton, who had been at Notts County, Tommy Williams, back from a short spell at Peterbrough, and Grant McCann, who has spent most of the season at Cheltenham Town, also played.
Team: Bywater, Newton, Williams, Potts, Uddin, Minto, Byrne, McCann, Ridddle (Foyewa 70), Riza, Britton. Unused subs: Laurie, J.Sealey, Johnson, Smith.