Former Ulster back Paddy Wallace believes there's been a growing disconnect between the coaching staff and the players at the province over the past year, which culminated in Dan McFarland's departure as head coach on Wednesday.
Ulster confirmed that McFarland would be stepping down with immediate effect after five and a half seasons in charge, with the side currently eighth in the URC and eliminated from the Champions Cup.
Ireland's hugely successful under-20 coach Richie Murphy has assumed the role on an interim basis.
McFarland succeeded Jono Gibbes as head coach in 2018, and initially steadied the ship somewhat, guiding them to successive quarter-finals in the Champions Cup in 2018-19 and 2019-20.
The side came agonisingly close to reaching the final of the inaugural United Rugby Championship in 2021-22 but were pipped by the Stormers in the semi-final in Cape Town.
"There's been rumblings behind the scenes for a number of weeks now. Slightly surprised it's come so quickly - with immediate effect," Wallace said on Game On on RTÉ2fm.
However, the team's form has declined drastically this season, reaching its nadir with a shocking display against Harlequins in January, which sealed their elimination from the Champions Cup at the pool stage.
He said: "Dan came into Ulster when the team were not playing well. He solidified things. There were some very, very bright moments in his coaching career at Ulster. They were a whisker away from making the final of the URC (in 2021-22).
"It descended in the last couple of years, where there's been the odd good performance mixed in with not so great. In the last couple of months there has been a steady decline in the performances of the team on the pitch.
"Unfortunately, he's had the sword of Damocles hovering over him for a number of months. The performance away against the Ospreys in Swansea was the last straw. It was the culmination of (a series of) poor performances."
From his own soundings, Wallace reckons there was a growing rancour among the players - or at least a segment of them - and the coaching staff.
"I'm still in touch with the game in Ulster and some former players, and some players who played under Dan," he added.
"With a squad of 30 to 40 players, there's always going to be players who don't get the game-time they want and there can be grumblings. That's just the nature of professional sport.
"From what I've heard, there was probably a disconnect between players and the coaching staff. That just doesn't breed a culture that's going to be successful in the long-term.
"There's always going to disappointed players but as long as they're fighting towards a culture or a goal that they feel inclusive in, the squad and the performances will thrive then. It's whenever there's that disconnect between the management and the players, that's when the rot sets in. I've experienced that a few times in my career. Seemingly, that seems to the case in Ulster at this point in time.
"Then you hear the grumblings from the fans, the pressure starts to arrive from all angles."
Murphy will be taking over on an interim basis after Ireland's U20s Six Nations campaign ends in mid-March.
Since taking the job in 2021, he has guided Ireland to back-to-back Grand Slams in 2022 and 2023. After two weeks, they remain on course for another in 2024.
"First of all, he needs to get the lay of the land," says Wallace. "He comes from a very successful coaching background within Leinster, through to under Joe Schmidt. He's a very successful campaign started off already this year with the U20s. His pedigree is certainly there.
"I think Ulster more than anything need to develop a strong inward culture within the squad. Richie will get a grasp on all the personalities he will have at his disposal.
"He will want to have a hand in recruitment, as to what players stay on and what players they attract to the province. That is vital.
"The likes of Marcel Coetzee and Duane Vermeulen, those big ball carriers, the recruitment after they moved on haven't filled their boots. Coetzee was a stalwart for Ulster, gave us go-forward ball all the time. That has been lacking this year. So, recruitment will be a big point of emphasis."
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