Blackburn Rovers have confirmed that they have sacked manager Paul Ince after a run of 11 Premier League matches without a win left the club in the relegation zone.
Ince was just six months into a three-year contract that made him the first black Briton to coach a Premier League team.
He arrived in the summer from League One Milton Keynes Dons to replace Mark Hughes, who opted to join Manchester City.
But the offseason sale of midfielder David Bentley to Tottenham and goalkeeper Brad Friedel to Aston Villa has depleted the squad and contributed to Ince's failure to prevent the slide.
Now with the club sat second from bottom of the Premier League and five points from safety with the league's worst defense, Blackburn have decided they needed to take action.
A club statement read: "It is with great sadness the board announce that Paul Ince is to leave the club.
"After a board meeting yesterday it was decided to relieve Paul of his duties.
"The board, having selected Paul back in June, were desperate for him to succeed and wanted to give him as much time as possible in the unforgiving environment of Premier League management where time is such a precious commodity."
Chairman John Williams told Sky Sports News: "Three wins in 17 games has seen a squad, which finished seventh last season, fall to 19th position. We are currently in real danger of becoming detached from the pack.
"Frankly it's time to change in order to help the club secure its status. It's very disappointing and not the way we thought things would go at all.
"The survival of the club in the Premier League is paramount and our focus now is on finding a replacement who will be able to maintain our top division status.
"Paul will bounce back, he is a fighter and we wish him well."
Assistant coach Ray Mathias has been put in temporary charge along with first-team coach Archie Knox and assistant first-team coach Karl Robinson.
Early reports suggest that former boss Graeme Souness has been mentioned as potential successors to Ince.
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Ince was just six months into a three-year contract that made him the first black Briton to coach a Premier League team.
He arrived in the summer from League One Milton Keynes Dons to replace Mark Hughes, who opted to join Manchester City.
But the offseason sale of midfielder David Bentley to Tottenham and goalkeeper Brad Friedel to Aston Villa has depleted the squad and contributed to Ince's failure to prevent the slide.
Now with the club sat second from bottom of the Premier League and five points from safety with the league's worst defense, Blackburn have decided they needed to take action.
A club statement read: "It is with great sadness the board announce that Paul Ince is to leave the club.
"After a board meeting yesterday it was decided to relieve Paul of his duties.
"The board, having selected Paul back in June, were desperate for him to succeed and wanted to give him as much time as possible in the unforgiving environment of Premier League management where time is such a precious commodity."
Chairman John Williams told Sky Sports News: "Three wins in 17 games has seen a squad, which finished seventh last season, fall to 19th position. We are currently in real danger of becoming detached from the pack.
"Frankly it's time to change in order to help the club secure its status. It's very disappointing and not the way we thought things would go at all.
"The survival of the club in the Premier League is paramount and our focus now is on finding a replacement who will be able to maintain our top division status.
"Paul will bounce back, he is a fighter and we wish him well."
Assistant coach Ray Mathias has been put in temporary charge along with first-team coach Archie Knox and assistant first-team coach Karl Robinson.
Early reports suggest that former boss Graeme Souness has been mentioned as potential successors to Ince.
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