The Blackburn Rovers have fired manager Paul Ince after six straight losses which leave the club 19th in English soccer's 20-team Premier League.
Blackburn has 13 points, one more than last-place West Bromwich Albion, and five points behind Sunderland and Manchester City. The bottom three teams are relegated at the end of the season. Rovers have won just three of 17 league matches and are winless in their last 11.
"We are currently in danger of becoming detached from the pack," Blackburn Chairman John Williams said on the club's Web site. "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."
The club didn't say who would replace Ince for its home match against Stoke in four days. Several U.K. newspapers reported today that former boss Graeme Souness may return in an interim role.
Ince became the first black English manager in the Premier League when he was hired in June to replace Mark Hughes, who went to Manchester City. Blackburn finished seventh last season.
The 41-year-old Ince became one of the most sought-after English coaches after guiding MK Dons to the League Two championship during the 2007-08 season.
The previous year, he led Macclesfield to safety in the same division after taking over with the club seven points adrift of its nearest rival and struggling to avoid relegation from England's fourth tier.
As a player, Ince won two league titles, a Cup Winners' Cup, three F.A. Cups and the League Cup with Manchester United. Known as "The Guv'nor," he also had spells at clubs including Inter Milan, Liverpool and Middlesbrough after starting his career at West Ham.
He represented England 53 times in an 8-year international career, becoming the first black player to captain the national team.