Stoke have sacked manager Gary Rowett only eight months after recruiting him from Derby.
The club acted amid fan unrest and with promotion slipping from sight.
Stoke’s board believe the squad is one of the best in the Championship but they are eight points off the play-offs and lost 2-0 at home to Bristol City before drawing 1-1 at Shrewsbury in the FA Cup.
Rowett was informed of the decision on Tuesday morning and Stoke will now search for a replacement, with David Moyes an immediate favourite due to his close relationship with chief executive Tony Scholes.
The pair worked together at Preston.
Sam Allardyce is another name in contention but Sportsmail understands the former England manager has major reservations about dropping into the second tier.
Steve Bruce would have been in the running but he is joining Sheffield Wednesday.
Rowett has paid the price for being unable to reinvigorate a team that was relegated against a backdrop of disputes.
Rowett experienced frustrations in shaping his team, with eight players expressing a desire to leave in the summer, and some transfer targets were met with resistance.
The balance of the squad after signings made by Mark Hughes and Paul Lambert was a significant issue and scrutiny falls on technical director Mark Cartwright, who has been responsible for a number of failed signings. Stoke were among the Premier League’s highest spenders before relegation.
But Stoke did make a net spend of some £35 million and were able to keep hold of Joe Allen and Jack Butland, so returning to the Premier League at the first time of asking was seen as essential.
Although Rowett had kept the players onside, supporters had turned and Stoke’s hierarchy felt a change was necessary to try to revive a promotion bid.
Chairman Peter Coates and his influential son John, the vice-chairman, will lead the search.
Scholes and Cartwright will assist.
A club statement read: “Stoke City have terminated the contract of manager Gary Rowett. Members of his immediate coaching staff have also left the bet365 Stadium.
“The club would like to thank Gary and his staff for their efforts over the past eight months.
“A new managerial appointment will be made as swiftly as possible but in the meantime Rory Delap, Kevin Russell and Andy Quy will take charge of first-team affairs.”
—