LEE Power has signalled the end of the ill-fated association between Swindon Town and close friend Tim Sherwood by indicating that the former Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa boss will sever his ties with the club once a new manager is appointed.

Sherwood arrived at the County Ground on a non-contract basis last November, taking on a director of football role described by Power at the time as "one of the biggest appointments in the club's history.''

The 48-year-old was brought in to advise on transfer policy at Town but also insisted at his introductory press conference that he would have the final say on tactics and picking the team, appearing on the sidelines in the FA Cup first round replay defeat to non-league Eastleigh and relaying instructions via an earpiece to the bench for a large period of the second half of the season.

His appointment failed to have the desired impact however, four wins in 16 games since the turn of February seeing Town drop into League Two while Sherwood's influence and lack of local media engagement came under increasing scrutiny from supporters and heaped further pressure on the beleaguered Williams.

The day after Town's relegation was confirmed last month Sherwood further distanced himself from the club and its fate, suggesting his remit had been purely recruitment-based, although it is understood he still held sway over selection matters for the final-day defeat to Charlton Athletic.

However chairman Power, who has so far been frustrated in his attempts to appoint a new manager despite confirming that individual will have "100 per cent control over football matters'', now expects the six-month relationship between Town and Sherwood to end with the confirmation of the next appointment.

"I think that in all likeliness, when the new manager comes in, that Tim will move on,'' Power said in an interview with BBC Wiltshire.

"Tim came in to help me, to sit down and have a look at what was needed for the one transfer window and to help Luke.

"Luke asked for help and that's the help we gave him. Tim needed to come in and evaluate what we needed at the football club, what we needed for the transfer window. That was always going to be his role and that's what he did.

"Unfortunately, it didn't work out that way and we are where we are and when the new manager comes in I believe Tim will move on.''

Power has based his strategy on developing young talent to sell on to help secure Town's future in his three-and-a-half years in control at the County Ground, but the policy was a marked failure this season, with the club supremo indicating a significant change of tack in the future.

That includes relinquishing control of transfer policy and playing style to the new manager, although the chairman insisted his previous approach had been been born out of necessity.

"Obviously I've been involved (in playing and recruitment affairs) since my tenure at the football club because I had to be,'' he added.

"Losing £500,000 a month, I needed to bring in players that we could sell. I did that successfully for a couple of years.

"We sold millions and millions of pounds of players to get the debt (the club) was in on a monthly basis down and under control but obviously (in) the last season, that's very evident that we didn't do it properly.

"We ran out of magic in the wand and found ourselves in the position we are at the moment.

"Next season, we need to go down a more traditional route and that's what we're going to try and do.

"We needed to try and find the nuggets to keep this club's head above water. It's a different remit this year, (it's) about getting the club back into League One whatever way we need to do it.''