Assistant manager Tristan Lewis told Harry Wheeler it was time to step down as Maidstone boss.

Wheeler's position looked untenable with fans calling for his head after the 3-1 defeat at Dover on Boxing Day.

His departure, by mutual consent, was confirmed on Friday morning, with Lewis and captain Simon Walton named caretaker managers.

Lewis said: "I had a long conversation with Harry when we got off the bus from Dover.

"I was honest with him and said I felt a change might be good for him and the club.

"He’d worked so, so hard but it was just an environment that became very difficult for everybody to thrive in.

"I’ve been around football a while and I’ve seen managers lose their jobs.

"It gets to a stage where you’ve rolled the dice as many times as you can and then sometimes you have to take a different approach.

"We kept rolling the dice and literally changed it as many different ways as we could and we didn’t find a winning formula.

"So actually you think it’s not about shape, it’s not about systems, it’s about relationships.

"It’s a little bit of love, a little bit of an arm round people.

"I’m not saying Harry hasn’t done that but maybe we’ve done it in a different way.

"I was part of what went on so I’m not immune to it and I’m sure certain people felt 'well, he was with Harry, he should go as well'.

"But I said right from the off, I’m not a yes man, I have my own opinions on how the game should be played.

"As an assistant your job is to back the manager in public. Whoever you work for, you have to do that.

"I would always put my opinion forward but it’s easy for me to say my opinion would have been right.

"On another day, Harry's opinion might have been right."

Lewis has stopped short of saying he wants the job full-time but he sees potential in the partnership with Walton.

The former Leeds midfielder has the playing background Lewis lacks and they bounce off each other.

Lewis said: "I’m not saying I want to be a manager now but I don’t want to be anyone’s assistant any more.

"I think you just get to a stage where I’ve done 450-odd games at this level and the league below and I’ve seen enough.

"Having someone like Simon with me gives me confidence in that the things I lack, he brings, and vice-versa.

"He made a great quote where he said he wouldn’t put his name to this if he didn’t trust the players.

"That's great for young lads to hear from someone who's had an illustrious playing career."