Steve Bruce became the first Premier League manager to be sacked this season when Sunderland announced they had parted company with the former Manchester United player.
|Last Updated: Dec 01, 2011, 08:38 AM IST|Source: Bureau
London: Steve Bruce became the first Premier League manager to be sacked this season when Sunderland announced they had parted company with the former Manchester United player.
Bruce, 50, joined Sunderland from Wigan Athletic in 2009 and leaves with the north-east club languishing two points above the drop zone.
"Sadly results this season have simply not been good enough and I feel the time is right to make a change," chairman Ellis Short said on the club`s website.
"It is my job as chairman to act in the best interests of our football club at all times and I can assure everyone that this is not a decision that I have taken lightly."
Bruce guided Sunderland to 13th in his first season in charge and improved on that with a 10th-placed finish in 2010-11.
American businessman Short, who took over the club in May 2009 and became the chairman last month, paid tribute to Bruce`s hard work.
"Steve has acted with honesty and integrity throughout, which is testament to the character and commitment he has shown during his time at Sunderland," he said
"I would like to personally place on record my thanks to him for his significant contribution to our football club...I would also like to thank our fans, who have endured a trying start to the season.”
"Their support continues to be the driving force behind our club and is vital as we now look to the future."
Short added that assistant manager Eric Black would take charge of the first team duties as the club searches for a new manager.
Former Aston Villa boss Martin O`Neill and ex-Fulham manager Mark Hughes are the early favourites with bookmakers.
Bruce, whose last match in charge was a 2-1 home defeat by ex-club Wigan, was hampered by striker Asamoah Gyan making a loan move to Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates in September when the transfer window was already shut.
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.