Former Newcastle United fullback John Beresford admits recent weeks at the club have been a "nightmare".
Beresford still works closely with the club setup.
He told talkSPORT: "It's been an absolute living nightmare. It's so difficult to step up from being a coach and then take over a big club like Newcastle.
"I think he got thrown into the deep end and he desperately wanted the job. I think the players knew he was a good coach, but when you make the step up from assistant you don't get that initial reaction that new managers do. He has struggled with it."