'Jaded' John hoping for a reaction from players
After three years of non-stop progress, City have faltered at the start of this campaign and Relish believes the club needed fresh impetus.
"Hopefully they will use my going to galvanise the players and kick a few backsides," he said.
"Jack Charlton said that you can stay at a club for four or five years, but after that either the players need to change or the manager because the message becomes stale, no matter how hard you try to keep it fresh.
"Perhaps that has been the case and I hope my decision will cause a few of the players to have a good look at what they have been doing.
"Adie Britton and Lee Howells will stamp their own mark on things now and I fully expect them to get the club into the play-offs this season. When they get everyone fully fit and functional, I expect the team to put a good run together."
Relish admitted he had also been struggling for inspiration in recent weeks and was looking forward to a change of role.
"Just lately I have been feeling jaded," he said.
"I have been a non-league manager for the past 18 years and on top of that I have a job with the Football League which entails driving 40,000 miles a year.
"I just felt I needed a breather and maybe the players have picked up on that so I felt it was in everyone's interest if I stepped aside now that we are out of the FA Cup.
"I have been in discussions with people for the past 12 months about setting up an academy and I am always working towards more community involvement for City, so I would like to bring those to fruition."
Relish said he was proud of City's achievements during his three-year spell as boss, which included the celebrated British Gas Business Premier Division title success in 2006-07, and called on the fans to get behind the new managerial team as they push for more success.
"As a manager, you always want to leave the club in a better position than you found it and I have done that," he said.
"I would like to say thank you to the supporters for their backing.
"Players need backing when things aren't going well and I just hope the fans get behind them and give them 100 per cent."
