Garde appears set to be axed as manager less than five months after taking the reins, with the claret and blues destined to be relegated from the Premier League.

The Frenchman, who replaced Tim Sherwood in the Villa Park hotseat, has cut an increasingly frustrated figure since Villa failed to bring in any new signings during the January transfer window and last month appeared to publicly question the commitment of his players. Ginola, who played for Villa between 2000 and 2002, reckons his fellow countryman became exasperated at the attitude of his squad.

"I've spoken to Remi many times," he said. "He said the attitude of the players isn't bright.

"He also said that 'I don't think I have got the players to understand what keeping Villa in the Premier League means'.

"They are not ready to fight for the club. The attitude on the pitch isn't right. I think he gave up."

Villa have won just three times under Garde and suffered a club-record 21st Premier League defeat of the season at Swansea on Saturday, a result which left them rooted to the bottom of the table, 12 points adrift of safety.

Garde met for more than two hours last week with David Bernstein, who will head up the club's new football board yet, tellingly, new chairman Steve Hollis has refused to give any guarantees when quizzed over the manager's future.

Though, publicly, the 49-year-old has vowed to keep fighting until relegation is mathematically confirmed, the decision is now set to be taken out of his hands.

Former Leicester City boss Nigel Pearson is the early frontrunner to replace Garde. Hull City boss Steve Bruce and Burnley's Sean Dyche are also thought to be on Villa's shortlist while Anderlecht boss Besnik Hasi has also been touted as a possible contender.