There is a big ambition beating away in the club

"Tuesday's defeat hit us hard," Flood said. "On the way to the game, what has happened since wouldn't have been in my mind at all to be fair. It was only the morning after the night before, when I was reflecting on where we were and Steve and I were chatting that we both asked what the other thought.

"Steve has already done a lot and I think those extra yards might feel too much for him at the moment, whereas someone else might see them as small steps. So somewhere, different and new faces will hopefully do us all good. Maybe Steve has done everything he can here and his opportunity lies elsewhere."

Looking forward, Flood added: "We have to entertain and we have been entertaining in some games, but we have been fragile in others. There is a big ambition beating away in the club and hopefully we can do better and entertain ourselves doing it.

"At the moment a couple of wins and we are straight back up into the top three. We have to be honest with ourselves and say this next month is going to be very important for this football club, for this season.

"From my point of view, knowing what I do about the players, they probably got into a mentality that is maybe not their natural way of playing. Perhaps with a greater freedom and different tactics, we might see a team that is consistent every week and does attack teams from the off. They are good footballers and we just have to see if a better team can be got by having a different person leading them."

Flood said the club would take its time looking for a successor to Steve Cotterill but hoped the club would be able to announce something within two weeks before the home game against Stoke.

"He said: "The club remains forward thinking. It is a continual process of trying to stick with the on and off pitch plans and keep them going together. We have great foundations for anyone coming in to work with the players and off the pitch we have exceptionally good finances because we have not incurred any debt as a result of Barry's excellent handling of the books.

"We have a good future hopefully and someone analysing the club in the right way would think that is relatively unique in the Championship and somewhere they can make their name."