Relegation rivals of Blackpool & Wigan axe manager with just five games to go

The Royals were heading for what appeared to be a relatively comfortably mid-table finish before they were slapped with a six-point deduction by the EFL for their failure to comply with an agreed business plan.

An eight-game winless run has seen Ince’s side plummet down the table and into the relegation zone, where they sit one point adrift of Cardiff City who have a game in hand to play.

Easter Monday’s 2-1 defeat to Preston North End, who won the game in stoppage-time, proved to be the final straw for Reading’s board.

Assistant Alex Rae has also departed the club alongside Ince, while the club’s Under-21 manager and former striker Noel Hunt will take interim charge.

His first game in the dugout will be against champions elect Burnley next weekend.

Head of football operations Mark Bowen said in a statement: “I would like to thank Paul and Alex for their efforts throughout what has admittedly been a frustrating and exceptionally challenging season so far. We would like to wish them well in their future endeavours.

“The board will work diligently to identify the manager who is the best fit for this football club going forward – a candidate capable of driving it towards a healthier, brighter future.

“However, for the next five games, our only focus is on doing everything we can to survive this season.

“Put simply, that means everyone – from myself, to the staff, to the supporters - lending all their support to Noel, Eddie, James and the first team players as we go into five crucially important games at the end of our 2022-23 campaign.”

Ince initially took the Reading job on an interim basis in February 2022 and helped stave off relegation with four wins from the club’s final 14 games.

He was given the job on a permanent basis in the summer and started brightly before their form nosedived midway through the season.

But for the second season running it’s the club’s off-the-field plight that is making the headlines for all the wrong reasons.