Roberto Di Matteo(credit:
AtilaTheHun)
Roberto Di Matteo has been sacked as West Brom manager, the club have confirmed.
The Baggies were surrounded by optimism following a bright start to the season, but they have now lost 13 of their last 18 games in all competitions to sit just two points above the Premier League relegation zone.
And Saturday’s 3-0 defeat to Manchester City has proved to be the final straw for the Hawthorns board, with chairman Jeremy Peace announcing the news on Albion’s official website.
He said: “"This has been a tough decision but we, as a board, believe it is the right one to give the club the best possible chance of remaining in the Barclays Premier League.
“Our poor sequence of results stretches back more than three months and there has been little sign of it coming to an end.
“If this run continues much longer, achieving our goal of retaining our Premier League status will become increasingly difficult. That is why we felt compelled to act now.
“This club's track record proves we do not take such decisions lightly, with Roberto being only our fourth manager or head coach in almost 11 years.
“On behalf of the board, I would like to thank Roberto for his efforts over the past 19 months, particularly for his contribution towards last season's promotion success and our very promising start to the current campaign.
“We wish him and his family well for the future.”