St Johnstone parted company with cup double-winning manager Callum Davidson on Sunday following a concerning run of results.
But chairman Steve Brown said Davidson is and always will be a club legend.
Saints, in recent weeks, have been dragged back into a battle to remain in the Scottish Premiership and have won just two of their last 16 games.
Davidson’s final match in charge was a 2-0 defeat away at Livingston on Saturday.
A meeting was held the next morning with Brown where it was “mutually agreed” that a change is required moving forward. Assistant Steven MacLean is now in interim charge.
Brown said: “First and foremost, Callum is a friend and I hold him in high regard which is why this has been an extremely difficult decision to come to.
“But we had an open and honest conversation and we both agreed that we must do what is right for St Johnstone.
“We must always put our football club first. Callum has been a brilliant manager for St Johnstone and led us to that cup double in 2021 and then European football.
“But we feel results haven’t been good enough in recent weeks and it’s best for the football club to make a change at this stage.
“I’d like to thank Callum for his service and dedication to us and wish him every success in the future. He is a St Johnstone legend and always will be.”
In June 2020, following Tommy Wright’s departure, former player and assistant Davidson was named manager at McDiarmid Park.
The following year he recorded one of the greatest achievements in Scottish footballing history by winning both the League Cup and Scottish Cup in the same season.
A 1-0 League Cup win against Livingston was backed up by a 1-0 triumph over Hibs in the Scottish Cup. Shaun Rooney, incredibly, netted the winner in both.
Davidson celebrated the latter by sliding topless across a champagne-soaked dressing room floor at the national stadium.
“I was over the moon, absolutely delighted and wanted to join in with the lads,” he had smiled.
Both matches were played at Hampden in front of no fans due to the Covid-19 pandemic but the delightful double brought scenes of joy across the region.
Saints were, subsequently, awarded the Freedom of the City of Perth.
European football was another reward and Davidson’s cup wonders soon stunned Galatasaray by earning a 1-1 Europa League qualifying draw in Turkey.
“This is a special night for St Johnstone,” Davidson said.
A 4-2 home defeat sent Saints into the Conference League where another impressive result was recorded on the road with a 1-1 draw against Austrians LASK.
Again, however, the home result was not what was hoped for.
Star men Jason Kerr and Ali McCann had departed for England late on transfer deadline day and the 2021/22 league campaign would also begin to head south.
Saints, a year on from their cup double delight, stayed in the top-flight by the skin of their teeth. They defeated Inverness over a two-legged play-off after finishing 11th.
This season, only three wins have been recorded on home soil and, sitting ninth, Saints are just five points off the foot of the table.
