Aston Villa have sacked manager Dean Smith after three years in charge.
Smith, 50, leaves following Villa’s 1-0 defeat by Southampton on Friday, the club’s fifth successive defeat in the Premier League.
Villa are 15th in the league, two points above the relegation zone.
“This year we have not seen the continuous improvement in results, performances and league position which we have all been looking for,” said Villa chief Christian Purslow.
He added: “For this reason we have decided to make a change now to allow time for a new head coach to make an impact.”
Smith was appointed Villa manager in October 2018, guiding them to promotion from the Championship in his first season in charge.
Though they struggled in their first season in the top-flight, narrowly avoiding relegation, Smith led the club to the 2019-20 Carabao Cup final.
