Former Aston Villa assistant manager Roy Keane has questioned Tim Sherwood's visits to the club's matches prior to Paul Lambert's dismissal.
Sherwood, who had been out of work after being dismissed as Tottenham boss at the end of last season, had been present at Villa games prior to Lambert's sacking in February.
Sherwood was handed the job soon afterwards and Keane, who left Villa prior to Lambert's exit, said in the forthcoming updated version of his autobiography "The Second Half" that he would not go down the same route.
Keane said in extracts from the book published in The Sun: "I went to watch Villa against Bournemouth in the FA Cup a few weeks before Paul was sacked and Tim Sherwood was sitting behind me. I just thought, 'All right ...'
"I think some men go to matches if they think there's a job there for him. I believe Tim had been at two or three games.
"It's not a criticism of Tim. It's part of the game, it's the industry we're in. I'd go the other way myself. If I thought the manager was under pressure and that I was somehow being linked to the job, I'd avoid the place."
Keane also said he had not been impressed with Villa striker Christian Benteke's efforts in training during his time at the club.
Benteke, who missed the start of the season with a torn Achilles tendon, has scored 11 goals in his last nine games as Villa have edged closer to Premier League safety as well as reaching the FA Cup final.
However, he had made limited impact this season prior to Sherwood's arrival, and former Manchester United midfielder Keane said: "I'd look at Christian and he wasn't one for scoring many goals in training.
"With all the top strikers I'd worked with, the top ones always loved scoring in training. I thought he'd give them a lift when he came back from injury ... but I wasn't thinking: 'The Messiah's back.'
"He isn't the type of personality that will get people together."