Sheffield Wednesday manager Carlos Carvalhal has left the club by mutual consent after being in charge for a total of two-and-a-half years.
The news comes as no surprise following the Owls' dismal run of form in The Championship which has seen them go seven games without a victory.
What went wrong for the Owls this season?
Before the start of this season, there was reason for optimism at Hillsborough as Carvalhal had guided the club to back-to-back play-off finishes in his first two years in charge and they were looking to push on and challenge for automatic promotion this time round.
However, it has not worked out this season and he has left the club with them sat 15th in the Championship table, 11 points adrift of the play-off places and 20 points off the automatic promotion places. This is simply not good enough considering the expectations surrounding the club at the start of the season.
Carvalhal has pointed out in recent weeks that he has had to contend with a large number of injuries which have really taken a significant hit on his squad. The likes of Jack Hunt, Tom Lees, George Boyd, Kieran Lee, Steven Fletcher, Sam Hutchinson, Fernando Forestieri and more have all missed a number of games this season and are all vital players.
Despite these injuries, Carvalhal still had a good enough squad to choose from to perform better than they currently are. Seven games without a win is always going to put any manager's future in doubt, especially in the Championship. Whether the Owls have left themselves too much to do in regards to securing a play-off place this season remains to be seen.
Carvalhal "very sad" to leave Hillsborough
Carvalhal has told Sheffield Wednesday's official site that he is very sad to leave the club in this way. He said: "The chairman and myself talked after the game and we believed this was the correct timing to make this decision."
He added: "Of course, I am very sad at this moment because I have enjoyed my two seasons and a half so much with Sheffield Wednesday."
The 52-year-old decided to focus on his success in the past two years and pointed out that certain circumstances made it difficult for him to replicate that success this time round.
He said: "We had two fantastic seasons and two play-offs on the row but unfortunately we have not managed to replicate these positions this season."
He added: "There are reasons why I believe this is the case and the problems we have faced, of which I have spoken in my press conferences, so now is not the correct time to repeat."
What next for Wednesday?
Wednesday chairman Dejphon Chansiri had a very good relationship with Carvalhal during his time at the club and he wished him all the best on the club's official website.
He said: "I would like to offer my sincere thanks to Carlos for the time, effort and commitment he has given Sheffield Wednesday over the last two and a half years."
The Owls will travel to The City Ground on Boxing Day to face Nottingham Forest and it has been confirmed that Lee Bullen will take charge for this match as the search begins for a new manager.