Huddersfield Town have sacked manager Lee Grant after Saturday’s 3-1 defeat at Burton Albion.
The 42-year-old was appointed by the League One side on a three-year deal in May, his first role in management after three years on the coaching staff at Ipswich Town.
Aiming to win promotion back to the Championship at the second attempt, the club overhauled the squad over the summer and made a bright start, with five wins from their first seven league games.
They have struggled for consistency since and Saturday’s defeat at the Brewers left them 10 points off the top two in sixth place.
“Entering this season with renewed optimism and hope having proactively reshaped our first team throughout the summer, we were clear about not only our ambitions but how we wanted to achieve them, and the type of team on the pitch we wanted to enjoy alongside our supporters,” Huddersfield owner Kevin Nagle said.
“Sadly, on current form, none of those objectives are being met, and with just under half of the season remaining we feel no other option but to make a change to put the side back on track.
“I would like to thank Lee for his efforts and wish him nothing but the best for his future career. Our previously stated aims and desires for the season remain the same, and we will be making a change with those ambitions still firmly in mind.”
Huddersfield are the seventh League One side to change manager this season.
Grant’s dismissal means that Carlos Corberan in 2021-22 remains the last Terriers boss to lead the club for a whole season.
Since the Spaniard’s exit, seven managers have now come and gone in West Yorkshire.
Grant arrived at Huddersfield in the summer after three years on Kieran McKenna’s coaching staff at Ipswich.
The former Derby, Burnley, Sheffield Wednesday and Stoke goalkeeper reshaped a squad which had laboured to a 10th-place finish last season.
Birmingham striker Alfie May was signed for in excess of £1m and experienced Championship players Jack Whatmough, Ryan Ledson and Lynden Gooch were also brought in.
That recruitment drive and the ambitions of American owner Nagle saw the club backed as pre-season favourites for promotion and they started the campaign in style with a 3-0 home win over last season’s beaten play-off finalists Leyton Orient.
They were third when they travelled to local rivals Bradford City on 13 September but slumped to a 3-1 defeat at Valley Parade and have not climbed that high since.
Although they have spent the majority of the season in or just outside the top six they are now 16 points behind leaders Cardiff, having played a game more.
They host the third-placed Bantams next Saturday looking to end a four-match winless run.
