Liverpool today announced that they wold be parting company with manager Brendan Rodgers after nearly three years.
The news came in the wake of a draw in the Merseyside derby, but after a number of weeks in which there had been a huge amount of speculation about the Northern Irishman's position.
In an official statement on the Liverpool website, the club said that he would leave with immediate effect and that the process to appoint his successor is already underway.
In a joint statement, Principal Owner John W Henry, Chairman Tom Werner and President Mike Gordon said "we would like to place on record our sincere thanks to Brendan Rodgers for the significant contribution he has made to the club and express our gratitude for his hard work and commitment.
"All of us have experienced some wonderful moments with Brendan as manager and we are confident he will enjoy a long career in the game.
"Although this has been a difficult decision, we believe it provides us with the best opportunity for success on the pitch. Ambition and winning are at the heart of what we want to bring to Liverpool and we believe this change gives us the best opportunity to deliver it.
"The search for a new manager is underway and we hope to make an appointment in a decisive and timely manner".
There have been a number of names circulating in recent weeks that were linked with the job at Anfield, with Carlo Ancelotti and Jurgen Klopp chief among them. Both men are currently without a club, and German football expert Raphael Hongistein has stated several times in recent weeks that Klopp's comments about joining a club with history and looking to have a project to build were all more than likely aimed at Liverpool.
This decision to sack a manager in the middle of the season is also somewhat of a rarity for the club, who are famous for finding a way to negotiate a departure "by mutual consent", but under the new management of the Fenway Sports Group, it appears that their patience with the Brendan Rodgers system and philosophy has finally run out.
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