League Two side Crawley Town have confirmed they have mutually agreed to part company with manager Matthew Etherington, just five weeks after he took charge.
The Red Devils are deep in the battle to avoid relegation and sit just six points off the drop zone in the fourth tier. They had already sacked one manager this season, with Kevin Betsy departing his job at the start of October.
Fan sentiment is beginning to turn against owners WAGMI United, who bought out Ziya Eren's controlling shares in April. So far, the group's ownership has been a little short of a disaster, with Crawley on the search for their fourth manager since the takeover.
Etherington only arrived at Broadfield Stadium at the end of November after he left his role as Peterborough United's Under 23s boss. He started with a win over Swindon Town, before suffering back-to-back defeats to Hartlepool and Sutton.
The loss to Sutton included a bizarre corner routine that was widely mocked on social media. And Crawley have now announced that both Etherington and assistant manager Simon Davies will depart the club.
The League Two side promised a new permanent boss would be appointed as "soon as possible". Director of football Chris Galley also thanked Etherington and Davies for their efforts during their short spell at the club.
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"It has become clear to all involved parties that this partnership is not the right fit to carry the club forward and achieve our goals. As a result, we have mutually decided to move in a different direction. We wish Matty and Simon well in their future endeavours," he said.
The departures of Etherington and Davies come in the same week that Crawley confirmed they would sell star striker Tom Nichols to relegation rivals Gillingham as soon as the January window opened.
Nichols joined the Red Devils in 2020, going on to score 29 goals in all competitions, including in the Carabao Cup win over Fulham earlier this term. The news prompted huge protests from Crawley fans, though Galley insisted it was for the best.
"Tom has been a great player for this football club, and I would personally like to thank him for his service and wish him all the best for the future," said Galley, who is also interim chief executive.
Though they have insisted they are hoping to appoint a new manager as soon as possible, they have not confirmed who will be taking charge of the team for Friday's trip to second-placed Stevenage.
Former player Lewis Young had taken interim charge after Betsy was sacked in October, winning four of his nine games. But he departed Broadfield Stadium ahead of Etherington's arrival as manager, with the League Two side now having to find a different man to take over.
