Everton have sacked Sean Dyche as their manager, just three hours before their FA Cup third-round tie against Peterborough United on Thursday.
The Toffees are in another fight against relegation, but the timing of Dyche’s dismissal will raise eyebrows with it being so close to kick-off.
Although the Everton are scheduled to play at 7:45pm on Thursday, the club announced the sack of its manager at 4:25pm.
Dyche leaves the club languishing a point above the relegation zone at the halfway point of their Premier League season.
The Merseyside outfit have collected 17 points from 19 matches so far this season with the club winning just three of those games.
The 53-year-old was in the final few months of his Everton contract, but the hierarchy decided to end his tenure ahead of time.
Dyche’s final game in charge of the Goodison Park resulted in a 1-0 defeat at Bournemouth.
