Paddy Davitt City legend Iwan Roberts revealed last night that Bryan Gunn was left totally in the dark over his shock dismissal.Gunn had been putting the finishing touches to his line up for today's League One test at Exeter before the Scot's sudden exit.

Paddy Davitt

City legend Iwan Roberts revealed last night that Bryan Gunn was left totally in the dark over his shock dismissal.

Gunn had been putting the finishing touches to his line up for today's League One test at Exeter before the Scot's sudden exit.

Media pundit Roberts was contacted by the ex-City chief to check on the fitness and form of Welsh international Owain Tudur Jones following the Principality's midweek friendly in Montenegro.

Roberts also hinted former Newcastle fire fighter Joe Kinnear was reportedly among the early front runners to succeed the Canary stalwart.

“I've heard Joe Kinnear and I think he would be a good appointment, but if that is the case then I think the club could have gone about it a much better way,” said Roberts.

“It hurts me to see the way they have treated him so God knows how he must feel. Why didn't they just give the fella a chance? He texted me the other night to ask me how Owain had got on after I'd been out in Montenegro.

“From what I could read from his texts there was no inkling of this happening. He was in good spirits and looking forward to the game to the extent that his thoughts were on picking the team for Saturday. After winning midweek he was thinking he couldn't put Owain back in because he hadn't played. He'll be absolutely devastated. I texted him when I heard the news and I haven't had one back. I wouldn't expect to get one because he has more important things to deal with at the moment.”

Roberts insists the timing of Gunn's departure was tough to comprehend.

“The timing is unbelievable,” he said. “Now they have to get someone else in and whether he fancies those players or not they'll just have to wait and see.

“Gunny brought 12 players in so if they weren't going to give him a chance, don't give him a job in the first place. Maybe he wasn't everybody's first choice to be manager and maybe supporters wanted someone else with a bit more experience but Gunny was the man at the helm.

“I can understand if it was 15 or 20 games into the season but you get freak results on the opening day. He then made four of five changes and won 4-0 at Yeovil.

“What more can he do? If you'd told me this morning that by Friday afternoon Gunny would have been sacked I'd have laughed at you.”

The City cult hero believes many of Gunn's close season signings will now demand answers from the club's top brass.

“I'm sure the majority of players will be disappointed,” he said. “Certainly the 12 he brought in will be scratching their heads and thinking what is going on here. The players already at the club I would imagine would have had his respect because of the way he conducts himself. It's almost a case of 'here we go again.' I don't know what the thinking is from the people who run the club because the place needs stability.”

Roberts is adamant Gunn deserved better treatment from his paymasters.

“It really disappoints me how they have treated an unbelievable servant to the club,” he said.

“If they had done it at the end of May I could maybe understand it having failed to keep the club in the Championship.

“To do it after two games - I'm sorry, that is really shocking.”