Iain Dowie was sacked on Monday (Getty Images)

Fletcher, who appointed Dowie as City boss last year, told BBC Coventry & Warwickshire: "Iain wasn't managing a stable club at the time.

"There was obviously a lot of bickering going on in the background which was all part and parcel of the build up to the takeover.

"Sometimes the manager and even the players get dragged into this."

Dowie was dismissed on Monday, just shy of a full 12 months in charge at the Ricoh Arena.

A string of poor results in the Championship led to his demise, with assistant Tim Flowers and Bob Dowie following the former Charlton manager out of the club.

Fletcher resigned in October last year after failing to secure a proposed takeover deal with Manhattan Sports Capital Partners.