Tim Sherwood has left his position as manager of Aston Villa after just eight months in charge of the club.
The 46-year-old has come under increasing pressure in recent weeks, having seen his side pick up one point since the opening day.
Saturday's 2-1 home reverse to Swansea City has proved to be the last straw for club chiefs, with the decision now being made to replace Sherwood at the Villa Park helm.
Kevin MacDonald will take charge of the Villans on an interim basis, while the search for a new manager officially gets underway.
A statement on Villa's official website read: "The board has monitored the performances closely all season and believes the results on the pitch were simply not good enough and that a change is imperative.
"However, the club would like to place on record its sincere thanks to Tim for all his efforts during a difficult period last season and for the many positive contributions he has made to the entire football set-up during his time with the club. We wish him well in the future."
Assistant boss Ray Wilkins has also been sacked, along with first-team coach Mark Robson and performance analyst Seamus Brady.
Real Sociedad manager David Moyes is the early frontrunner to take over at the West Midlands outfit, who have lost each of their last six league games to slip into the Premier League relegation zone.
Daniel Lewis
