AXe Fell aFTeR PlayeR ReVolT

FRoM BacK Page Bowie felt forced to pull the trigger on Antonio Conte’s former right-hand man after learning of a serious breakdown in relationships between the manager and his top-team stars.

The situation came to a head last week when a group of senior players approached director Phyllis McLeish to complain about the manager.

Bowie stepped in after being told Alessio had rendered the situation irreconcilable by holding tactical discussions with Massimo Donati in Italian in front of a bewildered squad.

A senior source at the club confirmed: “There was a serious problem between the players and manager and one which wasn’t going to be fixed.

“There was a lack of respect for him inside the dressing room but, it must not be forgotten, respect is a two-way street. Let’s just say when he started speaking in Italian in front of the players it went down like a lead balloon.

“There were problems with communication and language barriers and it meant the relationship between the manager and players became strained.

“We knew from very early on something wasn’t right because of the noises coming out of that dressing room. The players just simply could not take to him or his methods.

“Ultimately it comes down to results and they have not been good enough. The fans are unhappy too so Billy and the board felt it was better to act quickly before things started turning nasty.

“Over the next few days I’d imagine some of the players will want to have their say about what was really going on.”

Alessio got his Killie career off to a catastrophic start in the summer when they were eliminated from the Europa League qualifiers by Welsh tiddlers Connah’s Quay Nomads.

Rumours of unrest began to spread and Alessio’s methods were machine-gunned in public when former defensive stalwart Kirk Broadfoot quit and secured a free transfer to St Mirren.

A source close to the dressing room said last night: “Everything big Kirk said about Alessio was spot on. All his training sessions were focused on the shape of the team and the players didn’t feel they were working hard enough. They didn’t feel fit enough.

“But on top of all that there was a problem with the relationship between the manager and his players. It was only ever going to end one way.”