Cardiff City deputy chairman Peter Risdale has drawn a line under the Lennie Lawrence years at
Lawrence's three-year reign took the Ninian Park side to the Division Two play-off final in 2003 resulting in them playing their football in the Championship.
Cardiff have struggled in the Championship as their level of debt increases, forcing them to sell key players Rob Earnshaw and Graeme Kavanagh, while Wales defender Danny Gabbidon seems set to leave south Wales for the Premiership this summer.
Risdale said: "We'll soon find out what Dave has that Lennie didn't.
"The board decided it was time for a change and time will tell how successful he is.
"I'm not going to go into what happened with Lennie because it's irrelevant now, it's history.
"This club is now about what happens today, tomorrow and next season. It's about the future."
Ridsdale admits that situation cannot and will not be allowed to continue.
Former Southampton and Wolves boss will begin his new job on Monday with a meeting with both Ridsdale and club owner Sam Hammam expected to take place.
"In the short term we have got to get the squad payroll to an affordable level.
"We will have to spend the next few weeks trying to persuade those people we can't afford to keep that there should be another club somewhere for them and at the same time bring in those players that the manager wants and the club can afford.
"We have to recognise that until we have a wage bill we can afford we haven't solved the challenge at this club."
Ridsdale warned: "The next player to go will be the one I don't expect.
"It never happens the way you expect it to. If you think so-and-so is going to go or come in, it always ends up being someone else.
"But who comes and who goes remains the domain of Sam Hammam."