Leeds United sack Simon Grayson

Please refresh page for the latest version and vote in our poll on the right-hand side of the page.

The club have acted swiftly following their 4-1 defeat to Birmingham last night.

Chief executive Shaun Harvey said: “We have 18 games to go this season and are still within touching distance of the play-offs, but felt with the transfer window now closed we needed to make the change at this time in the belief that a new managerial team will be able to get more out of the existing squad of players and make the difference.

“Simon and his staff have given the club over three good years service and we would like to place on record our thanks and wish them all the best for the future.”

Neil Redfearn, the club’s youth team manager, has been placed in temporary charge.

Grayson, 42, who replaced Gary McAllister as manager of his boyhood club in December 2008, has come under increasing pressure in recent weeks as Leeds have fallen out of the top six in the npower Championship.

Last night’s home defeat was the final straw for chairman Ken Bates, who is now in the hunt for his fifth Leeds manager during his seven years at the club.

Former Blackpool boss Grayson, who began his playing career at the club, steered Leeds to promotion from npower League One in 2010 and missed out on the Championship play-offs by three points last season, but so far the club have failed to mount a serious promotion challenge this time around.

Former Sheffield United manager Neil Warnock, who has just lost his job as boss of QPR, and Chelsea assistant manager Roberto di Matteo are among the early front-runners to replace Grayson.

More to follow...