Soccer

Hull ditch Mike Phelan in desperate bid for Premier League survival

<span style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; ">Hull parted company with Mike Phelan on Tuesday night&nbsp;</span>&nbsp;
Hull parted company with Mike Phelan on Tuesday night   Hull parted company with Mike Phelan on Tuesday night  

HULL have parted company with manager Mike Phelan.

The Tigers announced on Tuesday night that the 54-year-old, only appointed as boss on a permanent basis in October, had left the club. Monday's 3-1 loss at West Brom left Hull deep in Premier League relegation trouble, with just 13 points from 20 games.

"The club can announce this evening that it has parted company with head coach Mike Phelan," Hull announced.

Phelan stepped in after previous manager Steve Bruce left the club shortly before the start of the season. Bruce had only months earlier led Hull into the top flight. The Tigers won their first two league matches of the season, against last year's champions Leicester and Swansea, but have been unable to build on that strong start.

Hull's statement added: "We would like to thank Mike for his efforts both as assistant manager and head coach over the last two years.

"The search for a replacement has begun and an announcement will be made in due course."