Sunderland, England (SportsNetwork.com) - Sunderland sacked manger Gus Poyet on Monday after a poor run of form which saw the Black Cats earn just one win from their last 12 Premier League games.
The final straw for Poyet came on Saturday when his club surrendered four first-half goals on Saturday in a 4-0 defeat against Aston Villa at the Stadium of Light.
"Sadly, we have not made the progress that any of us had hoped for this season," said chairman Ellis Short.
"We find ourselves battling, once again, at the wrong end of the table. We have therefore made the difficult decision that a change is needed."
Poyet, 47, took over for Paolo Di Canio in October 2013 and guided the club to four victories and a draw from their final six league games to keep them up last season - a run that included wins at Chelsea and Manchester United and a draw at Manchester City.
He also led the Wearsiders to the 2014 Capital One Cup final, which they lost to City.
"I would like to thank Gus for his endeavors during his time at the club, in particular last season's 'great escape' and cup final appearance, which will live long in the memory of every Sunderland fan," said Short.
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