Everton have sacked Sean Dyche as their manager just three hours before their FA Cup third-round tie against Peterborough United on Thursday night.
The Toffees are in another fight against relegation but the timing of dismissal will raise eyebrows with it being so close to kick-off. They are playing at 7.45pm with the news breaking 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 too.