FORMER Newport County boss Peter Nicholas says the club's board panicked into giving him the chop after just eight games in the Conference South.

Nicholas, dismissed yesterday after 22 months in charge, said: "I'm disappointed I haven't been given enough time to get the best out of this squad.

"Results have not been great so far, but it's only eight games into a new season of a new league and I think the board have panicked to be honest.

"Last season there were a lot of changes and I had to cut the budget to keep the club going and we still managed to get up but now that seems to be forgotten."

The 73-times capped Welshman had an up and down career at Newport, with a final appearance in the FAW Premier Cup in 2003 after defeating Cardiff in the quarter finals and Swansea in the semis.

But a ten game winless streak at the start of last season dented fans confidence although his side recovered to eventually qualify for the newly-formed Nationwide South.

This year has seen an increase in the budget for players to around 5,000 per week and an influx of former Football League players like Jason Bowen, Roger Freestone and Scott Young.

But performances have still been inconsistent.

Nicholas says he is not shocked and insists he still has the support of the majority of the squad and staff.

"I heard one of the board members say I only had three games left to get it right and that was three weeks ago, so that was true," he said.

"I got on with most of the board and I've been getting calls from some of the players who have given me a lot of support. At the end of the day, they came here for me and feel a bit let down.

"But that's football and life goes on. I have to thank guys like Glyn Jones, Bobby Morris, Russell Jones and John Fitzpatrick, who have been fantastic."

Nicholas insists he does not intent sticking the knife into the club.