Fletcher left the club after a string of poor results (Getty)

Newcastle Falcons chairman Dave Thompson has blamed poor league form for the departure of director of rugby John Fletcher on Tuesday.

"The club was not going to improve with the current management," Thompson told BBC Radio Newcastle.

"At the beginning of the season we had assembled the best squad we've ever had. I look at the performance this year and it did not merit the spend."

"We had excellent coaches and squad but there was no chemistry between them."

Falcons chairman Dave Thompson

Interview: Falcons director of rugby Steve Bates

Newcastle Falcons lie third bottom of the Guinness Premiership with just 27 points from 15 games.

Thompson was also disappointed with the club's form against major sides, particularly when the Falcons first-team was at full strength.

Marriages are made in heaven but sometimes two good partners don't make a marriage Falcons chairman Dave Thompson

"The first time we had our full squad out was against Wasps and we lost. We lost against Gloucester, we lost against Connacht away, we lost against Bath," he said.

"Marriages are made in heaven but sometimes two good partners don't make a marriage."

One of the key reasons behind the appointment of a new management team is that Thompson felt the previous regime was too comfortable for the players.

"The relationship between a coach and a player does not have to be good to get the best out of a player," Thompson said.

606: DEBATE What do you think about Fletcher's departure?

"Players need too many crutches, they want to blame other people. They need to stand on their own two feet."

Coaching and technical director Steve Bates will take charge of team affairs until the end of the season, to be assisted by Ian Peel.

And the Falcons chairman is backing Bates to oversee the club successfully until a permanent director of rugby is appointed.

"Steve has been away, worked at Border Reivers with limited resources, and had incredible results," he said.

"He can manage instead of necessarily coaching, which is very different."