Two weeks ago, an anonymous source was quoted by The Athletic as saying there was "irritation" at boardroom level over criticism being directed at Fabian Hurzeler by Brighton fans.
Oh to be a fly on the wall in the directors' lounge then to hear what was said after Hurzeler was serenaded with "you're getting sacked in the morning" and "you don't know what you're doing" as the Albion fell to an abject 1-0 defeat against Crystal Palace.
Irritation may well have upgraded to disappointment, disgruntlement or even fury. But watching the shambles unfold, there were two concerning second-half moments which made me think the crowd might be right and Hurzeler doesn't know what he is doing any more.
The first came after a triple sub. Maxim de Cuyper, Carlos Baleba, Harry Howell come off. Danny Welbeck, Diego Gomez, Yankuba Minteh on. Nobody in the stands could work out who was taking over from De Cuyper at left-back or if there had been a formation change. Worryingly, the players on the pitch did not seem to know either.
During an injury break, Bart Verbruggen sprinted from his goal to the technical area appearing to ask what was going on. Around 30 seconds and a lot of hand gesturing later, he was jogging around his defence, seemingly telling them where to play.
The second moment came entering injury time when Lewis Dunk was the furthest Brighton player forward, chasing a through ball. It was like watching an Under-9s game when the players ignore the positions selected by the manager, go rogue and just do their own thing.
Where the Albion go from here, it is impossible to say. Hurzeler appears to have lost the crowd to such a degree than even a few wins will not be enough to turn it around.
Qualifying for Europe or lifting the FA Cup would probably be needed to get supporters back on side, neither of which looks remotely likely right now. Especially if the players on the pitch do not know what they are doing and Dunk is playing up front.
What a mess.
Find more from Scott McCarthy at We Are Brighton
