Sunderland have sacked their manager Jack Ross after just 18 months in charge of the Black Cats.

He leaves the club 6th in League One, eight points adrift of Ipswich town who are top of the table.

Ross took over at The Stadium of Light in May 2018 and fell just short of silverware after Sunderland lost to Portsmouth in the EFL Cup, before losing out on promotion to the Championship when Charlton scored a 94th minute winner in the play-off final.

Sunderland chairman Stewart Donald said in a statement: “This is a decision that has been made with a heavy heart. When we arrived at the club 18 months ago, we appointed Jack because we felt that he was the right man to take Sunderland forward over a number of years.

“Jack has worked extremely hard, and has helped us achieve stability at the club, and I sincerely thank him for his efforts. I hope and believe that he will go on to have a successful career in management.”

Ross’ last game in charge was a 2-0 defeat to Lincoln City on Saturday, which witnessed fans voice their resentment towards the team’s performances at the final whistle.