Aston Villa have sacked manager Steve Bruce having won only one of their past nine matches in the Championship, the club confirmed today.
The Villans currently sit 12th in the table following a 3-3 with bottom of the league Preston North End on Tuesday night.
Bruce replaced Roberto Di Matteo as manager at Villa Park two years ago.
The 57-year-old guided Aston Villa to the Championship play-off final back in May, losing 1-0 to Fulham at Wembley Stadium. He becomes the first manager to be dismissed in the second tier this season.
Under-23s manager Kevin MacDonald has been installed as the caretaker manager for the third time ahead of Saturday’s game at Millwall.
A statement on the club’s official website read:
“We would like to place on record our gratitude to Steve and his team for their hard work and commitment. We wish them well for the future.”
Steve Bruce’s position had come into question as early as the summer when Arsenal legend Thierry Henry was linked with the job at Villa Park.
