It reminds me a little bit of the situation my home soccer team were in last season, with regards to the head coach.
Things were fine, but it was clear that the direction of the team behind the scenes wasn’t working. There was a complete mismanagement of players that led to regular underperforming and a real sense of decline.
If there’s an issue brewing, the leadership need to recognise this and they almost have to predict how it may go…. It might turn out fine, but it could also lead to a rapid decline. Sometimes tough calls have to be made to benefit the future of the franchise if it’s starting to look like a head coach is losing a grip of a team, is it fair to let them fall from grace and permanently tarnish their reputation?
Things can turn sour very quickly, and all of a sudden everyone loses patience and it becomes a volatile place to play football, and not in a good way.
There’s nothing wrong with respectfully saying, coach, thanks you’re a legend, but it’s time to move in a new direction. Sport is constantly evolving, and you’ve got to be prepared to evolve with it, or risk being left behind.