Liverpool terminated the contract of manager Brendan Rodgers on Sunday, just eight games into the Premier League season with the five-times European champions languishing in 10th place.
The announcement came three hours after the team had drawn 1-1 at Everton in the Merseyside derby leaving them with only three wins from their first eight league games this term.
“Although this has been a difficult decision, we believe it provides us with the best opportunity for success on the pitch," the club's owners said in a statement.
"Ambition and winning are at the heart of what we want to bring to Liverpool and we believe this change gives us the best opportunity to deliver it.
“The search for a new manager is underway and we hope to make an appointment in a decisive and timely manner.”
Liverpool have only beaten Stoke City, Bournemouth and Aston Villa in the league this season and count a 3-0 thrashing at home by West Ham United among their early results.
They also needed a penalty shootout to overcome fourth-tier Carlisle United in the League Cup at Anfield after being held to a 1-1 draw at Anfield after extra time.
Rodgers, who succeeded Liverpool icon Kenny Dalglish as manager in June 2012 and came close to bringing the title back to Anfield for the first time since 1990 in his second season, invested heavily in new players before the latest campaign.
Belgium striker Christian Benteke came in from Villa for 32.5 million pounds ($49.33 million), Roberto Firmino arrived from Hoffenheim for 21 million and England fullback Nathaniel Clyne joined from Southampton for 12.5 million.
Liverpool made a positive start to the season but have since been thrashed at Anfield by West Ham and also lost 3-1 to Manchester United, their first half-showing at Old Trafford described as the worst in living memory.
Draws against Girondins Bordeaux and FC Sion in the Europa League and lowly Carlisle -- despite the subsequent penalty shootout win -- proved to be the final straw.
Rodgers, 42, has now become the seventh man to arrive at Anfield and leave without taking the club back to the pinnacle of English soccer which appeared to be their divine right from the mid-1960s to 1990 when they won their last title.
GOOD START
The former Swansea City manager's tenure began so well when, after guiding Liverpool to a seventh-place finish in his first season, he came close to lifting the title 12 months later.
Liverpool put together an 11-match winning sequence from the beginning of February until the end of April 2014, but with the title within their grasp, it literally slipped away.
Liverpool were top when second-placed Chelsea visited Anfield on April 27 but an infamous slip on the turf by skipper Steven Gerrard allowed Demba Ba to give Chelsea the lead and the subsequent 2-0 defeat severely dented their chances.
Worse was to follow the following week when Liverpool were 3-0 up at Crystal Palace with 11 minutes to play before they drew 3-3 to effectively kill off their title dream with Manchester City crowned champions on the last day of the season.
With Uruguay international Luis Suarez sold to Barcelona and strike partner Daniel Sturridge sidelined for most of the campaign, Liverpool lost their cutting edge in attack and last season proved to be another disappointment.
They exited the Champions League after the group stage and Rodgers' handling of Gerrard's departure from Anfield after the midfielder's 17 years at the club was widely criticised.
Any hopes of a return to the Champions League faded in a calamitous end to the season which finished with a 6-1 defeat at Stoke City in Gerrard's final match for the club.
That was their heaviest league defeat since 1963 and that year came back to haunt them last month when West Ham United won 3-0 at Anfield for the first time in the 52 years since then.
Despite Rodgers' assurances last season that gifted England forward Raheem Sterling would not be leaving Anfield, he was sold to Manchester City for 44 million pounds ($66.78 million).
The gamble on troublesome Mario Balotelli also failed with the Italy striker shipped out after one erratic season.
Rodgers' failure to get the best out of expensive signings ultimately led to his downfall and leaves the club still looking for the consistency that was their hallmark during the 1970s and 80s when they won the league title 11 times through to 199
Reuters
Mon Oct 05 2015
Rodgers succeeded Liverpool icon Kenny Dalglish as manager in June 2012.
AWANI Ringkas: Agihan RM0.67 bilion
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
Bedah siasat: PSM libatkan jururunding, kontraktor padang SNBJ
Perbadanan Stadium Malaysia akan mengadakan mesyuarat 'post mortem' bersama juruperunding dan kontraktor padang Stadium Nasional Bukit Jalil (SNBJ) minggu hadapan.
Pelapor Khas PBB kumpul bukti genosid Israel diugut
Pelapor Khas PBB mendedahkan beliau menerima ugutan ketika cuba mengumpulkan bukti genosid dilakukan Israel di Genting Gaza.
Keliling kampung, ketuk buluh kejut penduduk bersahur
Pasukan gerak sahur di Teluk Bahang di sini masih mengejutkan penduduk di kawasan itu untuk bangun bersahur walaupun sudah dua minggu umat Islam berpuasa.
PADU: Kerajaan perlu lebih fokus mengenai cara untuk mempertingkatkan keyakinan - Pakar
Kerajaan perlu lebih fokus mengenai cara untuk mempertingkatkan keyakinan pengguna untuk memastikan pendaftaran sistem PADU berjaya.
7,348 kes jenayah komersial direkod hingga Mac, kerugian lebih RM770 juta
Belum sampai tiga bulan, polis sudah merekodkan 7,348 kes jenayah komersial melibatkan kerugian lebih RM770 juta.
Pihak berkuasa pelabuhan Singapura siasat insiden jambatan di Baltimore runtuh
Penguasa Maritim dan Pelabuhan Singapura akan menjalankan siasatan susulan insiden Jambatan Francis Scott Key di Baltimore, Maryland runtuh.
Kahwini warga tempatan, jadi dalang sindiket pekerja asing
Dua warga asing yang mengahwini rakyat tempatan dan menjadi dalang sindiket pekerja asing terbongkar selepas dicekup di Jalan Duta, di sini, pada Rabu.
Raja Permaisuri Agong berkenan agih bubur lambuk di Kampong Bharu
Raja Permaisuri Agong Raja Zarith Sofiah hari ini berkenan berangkat ke Majlis Pengagihan Bubur Lambuk di Masjid Jamek Kampong Bharu.
Kemarau: Kerajaan Kelantan gali 100 telaga tiub bantu pesawah
Kerajaan Kelantan akan menggali 100 buah telaga tiub bagi mengatasi masalah kekurangan bekalan air yang menghantui pesawah di negeri ini akibat kemarau.
Rodgers semakin hampir ke Old Trafford ganti Solskjaer?
Pengurus Leicester itu bergerak selangkah lebih dekat kepada tugasan di Old Trafford dengan mencari tempat tinggal di kawasan berdekatan.
Karakter kental Leicester dipuji
Percaturan memasukkan Jamie Vardy membantu skuad kendalian Rodgers itu meraih satu mata dalam minit kelima masa kecederaan.
Liverpool masih di puncak liga selepas Hari Krismas
Dapatkah Liverpool bertahan sehingga Mei 2019 untuk menamatkan kemarau gelaran liga utama Inggeris selepas 29 tahun?
Jurgen Klopp pilihan utama pengurus baharu gantikan Brendan Rodgers
Pemecatan Brendan Rodgers awal pagi tadi menjadikan bekas pengendali skuad Borussia Dortmund, Jurgen Klopp sebagai pilihan utama Liverpool untuk mengisi kekosongan jawatan pengurus baharu kelab itu.
Liverpool pecat Brendan Rodgers
Berikutan satu lagi persembahan hambar daripada anak-anak buahnya, pengendali Brendan Rodgers dipecat dengean segera ketika Liverpool terikat seri 1-1 menentang Everton.
Peminat Liverpool semakin kecewa dengan Brendan Rodgers
Peminat Liverpool kecewa dengan taktik Brendan Rodgers selepas kalah 2-1 kepada Chelsea.
Brendan Rodgers menyerah kalah?
Peminat Liverpool dan pengulas sukan rata-rata mempertikai pemilihan pemain Liverpool menentang Real Madrid yang dibuat pengurusnya Brendan Rodgers.
Liverpool tersungkur di tempat sendiri
Hasrat liverpool meraih tiga mata penuh di Anfield tidak kesampaian selepas tewas 2-0 kepada West Brom.