Aston Villa players learned of Paul Lambert's sacking via the media.
Lambert, 45, was dismissed by Villa yesterday after defeat to Hull City - a 10th Premier League match without a win and came after more supporter protests.
The Daily Mail says the players are believed to have been left out of the loop over the sacking and found out via television and social media.
Most of them have relegation clauses in their contracts for wage cuts of between 30 and 50 per cent in the event of relegation, so the club are sure to expect an immediate reaction to the change at the helm.
