Lowly Blackburn sack manager Ince

Blackburn have sacked manager Paul Ince after less than six months in charge with the club second-bottom of the Premier League.

Ince, 41, joined Rovers from MK Dons in June but Blackburn's last league win was at Newcastle on 27 September.

Chairman John Williams said: "Three wins in 17 games has seen a squad which finished seventh last season fall to 19th place.

"We are currently in danger of becoming detached from the pack."

The decision to sack Ince was taken after a Blackburn board meeting and Williams made it clear that the need to keep the club in the top flight was behind the move.

Williams said the club intends to appoint a new manager in time for Saturday's match against Stoke with former boss Graeme Souness an early front-runner, possibly assisted by veteran Blackburn midfielder Tugay.

The former Bolton and Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce, who was considered for the post in the summer before Ince got the job, and ex-Charlton and West Ham boss Alan Curbishley have also been linked.

Williams was publicly critical of Blackburn's display in what proved to be Ince's final game, the 3-0 defeat at Wigan on Saturday.

He added: "The survival of the club in the Premier League is paramount and our focus is on finding a replacement who will be able to maintain our top-division status.

"Paul will bounce back, he is a fighter and we wish him well."

A statement released on the Blackburn website said: "The board, having selected Paul Ince back in June, were desperate for him to succeed and wanted to give him as much time as possible in the unforgiving environment of the Premier League, where time is such a precious commodity."

The Blackburn squad returned to training on Tuesday after their Christmas party in Dublin and they were put through their paces by assistant manager Ray Mathias while Ince met with the board.

Mathias, first-team coach Archie Knox and assistant first-team coach Karl Robinson will take charge against Stoke, although Chairman Williams said the club hoped to appoint someone before the weekend but added there were "no guarantees".

Ince was appointed on 22 June on a three-year contract after spells with Macclesfield, who he helped avoid relegation from the Football League, and MK Dons, who he led to the League Two title and the Johnstone's Paint Trophy in his first season in charge.

Despite Rovers' promising start to the campaign, the former Manchester United and England midfielder saw performances and results begin to deteriorate.

Rovers have lost their last six league games and there have been reports of dressing-room unrest.

But Mathias insisted that there was no unrest at Blackburn and that had no part to play in Ince's departure.

"It is a load of rubbish. There is no happier a dressing room than ours - you would go a long way to beat that," he said.

"It is a massive disappointment Paul has gone. Everyone is feeling it; the players, you can see it in their eyes.

He added: "At the end of the day we are professional enough. Unfortunately the decision on the gaffer has been made, and we have to go along with what the club has said.

"It is a small number of games for any person to be judged on, but we have to get on with our job now."

Following the defeat at Wigan, Williams told the Lancashire Telegraph: "After all the signs coming out of Brockhall (Blackburn's training ground) this week, I was led to believe we would get a top performance.

A statement released on the Blackburn website said: "The board, having selected Paul Ince back in June, were desperate for him to succeed and wanted to give him as much time as possible in the unforgiving environment of the Premier League, where time is such a precious commodity."

The Blackburn squad returned to training on Tuesday after their Christmas party in Dublin and they were put through their paces by assistant manager Ray Mathias while Ince met with the board.

Mathias, first-team coach Archie Knox and assistant first-team coach Karl Robinson will take charge against Stoke, although Chairman Williams said the club hoped to appoint someone before the weekend but added there were "no guarantees".

Ince was appointed on 22 June on a three-year contract after spells with Macclesfield, who he helped avoid relegation from the Football League, and MK Dons, who he led to the League Two title and the Johnstone's Paint Trophy in his first season in charge.

Despite Rovers' promising start to the campaign, the former Manchester United and England midfielder saw performances and results begin to deteriorate.

Rovers have lost their last six league games and there have been reports of dressing-room unrest.

But Mathias insisted that there was no unrest at Blackburn and that had no part to play in Ince's departure.

"It is a load of rubbish. There is no happier a dressing room than ours - you would go a long way to beat that," he said.

"It is a massive disappointment Paul has gone. Everyone is feeling it; the players, you can see it in their eyes.

He added: "At the end of the day we are professional enough. Unfortunately the decision on the gaffer has been made, and we have to go along with what the club has said.

"It is a small number of games for any person to be judged on, but we have to get on with our job now."

Following the defeat at Wigan, Williams told the Lancashire Telegraph: "After all the signs coming out of Brockhall (Blackburn's training ground) this week, I was led to believe we would get a top performance.

"Who's going to want to turn to the club now, sitting second bottom?" he added. "They're struggling a little bit, there's not a lot of finances there, there are quite a few injuries.

"Steve McClaren was mentioned but he's doing very well in Holland (at FC Twente) and I've heard a small rumour about Roberto Mancini, there'll be a lot of names brandished about.

"The CVs that were put in a cupboard six months ago when Paul got the job will be coming back out again."

Blackburn's record scorer Simon Garner thinks the club have acted at the right time, and given his successor a chance to turn things around.

Garner told BBC Radio Lancashire: "Results have gone badly and the board have acted quickly.

"You have got to admire them for trying to get it sorted out and keep Blackburn in the Premier League.

"It is a results business, especially in the Premier League. You have got to stay in that division.

"The transfer window is coming up and you can see why they have done it. They want to get someone in place to say which players have got to go and which ones have to come in."

Ince becomes the sixth Premier League manager to leave his post this season following the departures of Kevin Keegan (Newcastle), Alan Curbishley (West Ham), Juande Ramos (Tottenham), Harry Redknapp (Portsmouth) and his former Manchester United team-mate Roy Keane (Sunderland) on 4 December.