Southampton have dismissed manager Ivan Juric after just 107 days in charge, with the club now at risk of recording the lowest points tally in Premier League history following their relegation on Sunday after a defeat at Tottenham.
Juric, who replaced Russell Martin in December, managed only one league victory during his tenure – a win at Ipswich in February. The 49-year-old Croatian oversaw a dismal run of six losses in their past seven top-flight matches, collecting just four points in 14 Premier League games under his leadership.
\"Ivan came to Southampton at a tough time and was tasked with trying to improve a squad in a difficult situation,\" the club said in a statement. \"Unfortunately, we haven\'t seen performances progress the way we had hoped, but we would like to thank Ivan and his staff for their honesty and hard work as they fought against the odds to try and keep us up.\"
Southampton currently sit on 10 points with seven matches remaining and need two more points to avoid breaking Derby County\'s record-low haul of 11 points from the 2007-08 season. Juric\'s points-per-game average is the lowest of any manager to oversee at least 10 Premier League matches.
Simon Rusk, who served as interim manager between Martin\'s sacking and Juric\'s appointment, will take charge for the remainder of the season, with veteran midfielder Adam Lallana, 36, serving as his assistant. Sheffield Wednesday\'s Danny Röhl and Liam Rosenior are reportedly among the leading candidates to take over permanently next season.