▁said ▁that ▁they ▁had ▁consult ed ▁both ▁fans ▁and ▁the ▁players ▁over ▁their ▁decision ▁to ▁s ack ▁West ley ; ▁he ▁had ▁been ▁confront ed ▁by ▁ir ate ▁supp or ters ▁at ▁Rod ney ▁Par ade ▁and ▁after ▁his ▁s ack ing ▁transfer - list ed ▁mid f iel der ▁Mark ▁Rand all ▁came ▁out ▁to ▁say ▁he ▁had ▁been ▁" tre ated ▁quite ▁unf air ly " ▁by ▁West ley . ▁Care t aker - manager ▁Michael ▁F lyn n ▁managed ▁to ▁organ ise ▁an ▁unlikely ▁escape ▁from ▁re leg ation ▁for ▁the ▁" Ex iles " ▁after ▁over see ing ▁seven ▁vict ories ▁in ▁the ▁remaining ▁ 1 2 ▁games ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 6 – 1 7 ▁season . ▁ ▁West ley ▁maintained ▁that ▁his ▁strategy ▁had ▁played ▁a ▁key ▁part ▁in ▁New port ' s ▁surv ival , ▁stating ▁" If ▁you ▁go ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁AG M ▁just ▁after ▁the ▁turn ▁of ▁the ▁year , ▁New port ▁were ▁root ed ▁to ▁the ▁bottom ▁of ▁the ▁Football ▁League ▁and ▁I ▁was ▁very ▁clear ▁there ▁was ▁one ▁way ▁out ▁of ▁it ▁– ▁turning ▁the ▁whole ▁squad ▁over ▁in ▁January . ▁I ▁put ▁together ▁a ▁team ▁to ▁function ▁on ▁the ▁bog ▁of ▁a ▁pitch ▁that ▁was ▁Rod ney ▁Par ade ▁and ▁my ▁strategy ▁is ▁what ▁kept ▁that ▁club ▁in ▁the ▁Football ▁League . ▁Yes , ▁it ▁happened ▁under ▁F lyn ny ' s ▁management ▁but ▁I ▁think ▁anyone ▁who ▁is ▁honest ▁would ▁say ▁I ▁did ▁a ▁very ▁good ▁job