Paul Ince has been sacked as manager of Blackburn following the club's disappointing start to the Barclays Premier League season.
The Blackburn board met on Monday to discuss the future of the former Macclesfield and MK Dons boss, who guided Rovers to just three wins in 17 league games since his appointment in June. He leaves with the Lancashire club second bottom of the league.
"It is with great sadness the board announce that Paul Ince is to leave the club," read a statement on Blackburn's club website. "After a board meeting it was decided to relieve Paul of his duties."
The statement continued: "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 added: "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.
"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."
Ince was appointed in June on a three-year contract and, despite a promising start to the campaign, saw performances and results begin to deteriorate. The club have not won since September 27 at Newcastle and reports of dressing-room unrest began to emerge.
Saturday's woeful 3-0 defeat at Wigan was one of the worst performances of that spell and ultimately cost Ince his job.
The search is now on for his replacement with former Rovers boss Graeme Souness the favorite to return, with veteran midfielder Tugay possibly in a player-coach role.
Ex-Bolton and Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce, who was considered in the summer before Ince got the job, appeared to rule himself out of the running at the weekend. Former Charlton and West Ham boss Alan Curbishley has also been linked with the club.
Rovers chairman hopes to have Ince replacement by Saturday
Blackburn chairman John Williams hopes to have Paul Ince's successor in place by Saturday, but confirmed Archie Knox, Ray Mathias and Karl Robinson have been put in temporary charge of team affairs.
Ince, in his first top-flight job, was today sacked as Rovers boss after 17 matches in charge and only six months into a three-year contract.
His failure to arrest an 11-match winless run ultimately cost him his job after the club slumped to 19th in the Barclays Premier League, already five points from safety.
The woeful 3-0 loss at Wigan on Saturday - a sixth successive defeat - proved to be the final straw.
An emergency board meeting was held yesterday, and Ince was informed of his fate this morning.
Williams said: "Appointing a new manager is our total focus.
"We acknowledge that timelines are tight for we are in a very worrying situation concerning our Premier League status.
"We will endeavor to have a new manager in place for Saturday's game with Stoke City at Ewood Park, but there are no guarantees and we must ensure that we get the right man.
"In the meantime, the day-to-day training will be carried out by Archie Knox, Ray Mathias and Karl Robinson. Our coaching staff and all of the players fully understand the importance of this weekend's game.
"Our supporters can rest assured that we will do everything in our power to get the team climbing the Premier League table as soon as possible."
The League Managers' Association had called for former Macclesfield and MK Dons boss Ince to be given more time, but Williams explained the risk was any further delay could worsen their position.
"I can understand that point, but we are halfway through the season and we are getting detached at the bottom," said the chairman.
"A poor run of results and a disappointing performance at the weekend - frankly it is time to change in order to help the club secure its [top-flight] status.
"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."
Back in June, Ince was preferred to more experienced candidates like former Bolton and Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce and ex-England and Middlesbrough boss Steve McClaren (now at Dutch club FC Twente).
His dismissal today is an admission by the Blackburn board that they got it wrong.
"It was a very difficult decision," Williams told Sky Sports News.
"It is not something we like to do at all. But we have to think first and foremost about the club, and our predicament was worrying - and we had to make a decision which was in our best interests."
Ince could claim he was not given a fair chance to continue the good work done by his predecessor Mark Hughes.
He lost arguably two of the club's best players in goalkeeper Brad Friedel (to Aston Villa) and David Bentley (to Tottenham) for a combined sum of £17million.
Ince brought in England goalkeeper Paul Robinson, Australia international Vince Grella and MK Dons midfielder Keith Andrews for about £9million.
Two matches into the season, he lost the influential David Dunn to an Achilles injury from which he is only just returning - while midfield ball-winner Steven Reid was ruled out for the season with a knee problem.
Further injuries struck, Grella ruled out for a month in November with a calf injury.
Rovers' defensive coach Nigel Winterburn, brought in by Ince, felt the former Manchester United midfielder deserved more of a chance.
"I'm not surprised (by the sacking), because the pressure on Paul over the last few weeks has been immense - and results haven't gone well for him," he said.
"He put on a brave face, took all the flak and stood up for the players.
"You lose David Dunn, Steven Reid, Vince Grella, and sell David Bentley; that's four top-class players who would have started week in week out had they been fit or with the club.
"Blackburn have quite a small squad - and allied with those injuries, I think it made it quite difficult for Paul."
The search is now on for a replacement, former Rovers boss Graeme Souness the favorite to return - with possibly Tugay in a player-coach role.
Allardyce and McClaren's names have also been linked again, while former Charlton and West Ham boss Alan Curbishley is another to have been mentioned.
Among other contenders suggested by bookmakers include former Rovers striker Alan Shearer, ex-Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier, Chelsea's former manager Avram Grant and Celtic's Gordon Strachan.
