"He has been terrific to work with and in a way I feel that we, the players, have let him down this season.
"It was always going to be a transitional year but we had a sniff of the play-offs until the Preston game. That defeat killed us up there and we fizzled out when we were looking to have a strong finish to the season.
"I wish Joe all the best for the future. He's a lovely guy. Managers come and go in football though, and now we will have a new man in place for next season and a new challenge ahead.
"Everyone will start with a fresh slate come August and I urge all the fans to get behind the new manager, whoever it will be - the players certainly will.
"I'm sure the club will be swamped with applications for the job because, make no mistake, this is a terrific football club with great traditions.
"There is certain to be a number of big names applying and it will be a new and exciting chapter for the club."
Current names being branded about are; Tony Mowbray, Terry Butcher, Alan Curbishley, Phil Parkinson, Ian Holloway and Terry Westley.