Last night, Lee Johnson was sacked by Sunderland following Saturday's 6-0 thrashing at Bolton Wanderers.
Sunderland sit two points off the top of League One. However, second-placed Wigan Athletic have played four fewer games than the Mackems – with top-spot Rotherham having played two games fewer.
Head coach Johnson arrived at the Stadium of Light in December 2020. Both he and assistant Jamie McAllister have departed.
“I would like to thank Lee for his commitment and endeavour over the past 14 months,” said Sunderland's Swiss chairman Kyril Louis-Dreyfus.
“We regret that we have had to take this decision, but felt immediate change was needed.
“We firmly believe this is in the best interests of Sunderland as we strive to earn promotion this season,” added Louis-Dreyfus, the youngest chairman in English football when he took over last February, at the age of 23.
Johnson won 41 times in 75 games, including the EFL Trophy final victory over Tranmere Rovers in March, the club's first Wembley win since 1973.
The sacking comes as the club are desperate to get out of League One and return to the Championship.
Sunderland said in a statement: “The process to appoint a new head coach will commence immediately and a further update regarding the club's interim coaching set-up will be communicated shortly.”
Excluding caretakers, the Wearsiders are looking for their 12th boss in 10 years to follow the line of Martin O'Neill, Paolo di Canio, Poyet, Dick Advocaat, Sam Allardyce, David Moyes, Simon Grayson, Chris Coleman, Jack Ross, Phil Parkinson and Johnson.
