When the end came, it was quick, it was ruthless, and it was, for me, a little surprising.
Given the strength of his relationship with Stephen Glass, I had expected Dave Cormack to tough it out a bit longer, particularly after the firm backing he had offered the manager a few months previously.
But the chairman had obviously reached the same conclusion many others had; it just wasn’t working, and there were few, if any, signs that was about to change.
The fact that Dave flew across for the Motherwell game was obviously significant. If he was going to have to sack Stephen, he was going to do it in person.
That was not a conversation to have in a transatlantic telephone call.
When a firing takes place clubs often express their regret as they offer their ex-manager best wishes for the future.
In this instance, that was entirely sincere.
Cormack backed his manager to the end
The chairman was totally invested in making the appointment a successful one, partly because it was his first big decision since taking over, but also because he believed fully in what Stephen had to offer.
Ultimately, Dave had to put emotions to one side and make a call based on the cold, hard facts. The move he made was the correct one.
Unlike others, I was open to the new approach the chairman adopted after sacking Derek McInnes, while at the same time pointing out it was clearly a gamble.
It failed largely because Stephen never got to grips with the defence and because his success rate in the transfer market simply wasn’t good enough.
The squad has been significantly revamped in the past nine months, but too few players have made any kind of positive impact.
He made some poor signings, he brought in some who looked decent, but never performed, and he failed to bring in any kind of effective back up to Christian Ramirez.
In the final analysis, that is what cost him his job.
Jim Goodwin ticks the boxes of what Aberdeen need
The chairman is now focusing on what is a pivotal appointment. If he gets this one wrong, the club could be set back for years.
There was not a surfeit of obvious potential replacements, but I believe he had to go for one of them. This was a time for minimising the risk, not for going out on a limb.
The new manager – and it now seems certain to be Jim Goodwin – must have a deep understanding of the vagaries and peculiar demands of the Scottish game.
He must know how to organise his team, how to build from a solid defensive base, while at the same time giving his more creative players the freedom to flourish.
Goodwin has shown all those attributes at St Mirren. For me, he was the outstanding candidate.
I have followed the Irishman’s progression through the ranks as he learned the managerial ropes.
He had three years at Alloa, three more in Paisley, and has had an awful lot to contend with during that time, particularly in the past 12 months or so.
Jim has dealt with everything thrown at him and has always presented well.
He is an honest, straightforward guy and has proved himself to be a very good manager.
He is ready to take the next step, and for me, has all the attributes to be a success at Aberdeen.
Managerial merry-go-round gathering momentum in Scotland
Away from Pittodrie, the managerial merry-go-round has gone into overdrive of late with a number of bosses moving on.
Up until recently it had been a less turbulent season on that front, but as we reach the business end of the campaign, directors and owners are getting a bit twitchy as they see dreams evaporate.
The Championship has been the most cut-throat with six clubs wielding the axe, all five in the bottom half making a change at the top.
That is a remarkable turnover, and one which brings into sharp focus the desperation to avoid dropping into the third tier.
Only three in the top-flight have made the move, with Hibernian and Dundee joining the Dons.
The Dens board moved quickly to replace James McPake, and it is fair to say the recruitment of Mark McGhee has not been overly popular with the fans.
He has a major task on his hands if he is to win them over and keep Dundee in the Premiership.
