Aston Villa have parted ways with manager Roberto di Matteo after just 124 days, or 1.85 Sam Allardyces in today’s parlance.
The Italian manager took over in the summer with Villa among the favourites for promotion from the Championship – a feat he achieved during his time with West Bromwich Albion – but has left Villa Park with the club just two points clear of the relegation zone.
He oversaw a busy summer transfer window in which the club forked out more than £50m on nine players, including Ross McCormack, James Chester and Jonathan Kodjia.
‘The Club decided to act following a run of disappointing results which has the left the team occupying 19th position in the Championship,’ a statement reads.
Steve Clarke, Di Matteo’s former Chelsea team-mate and Villa assistant, has taken temporary charge of first team affairs.
Tom Dulat/Getty Images
Villa won 3-0 against Rotherham United in Di Matteo’s first home game in charge, ending Jack Grealish’s noteworthy winless run, but failed to pick up three points in any of the following nine games.
And for those wondering how poor the Champions League winner’s record really is, allow us to compare it to that of his predecessors.
The midlands club finished bottom of the Premier League last season, ending the campaign 17 points adrift of 19th-placed Norwich City and winning just three times in 38 league games.
Many agreed that both Tim Sherwood and Rémi Garde (the two permanent managers last season) underwhelmed in charge, but both did better than Di Matteo despite playing in a higher division with an arguably weaker squad.
Garde won three of his 23 games in charge, for a win percentage of 13% – higher than Di Matteo’s 8.3% – while Sherwood won once in the league and twice in the League Cup for 25% overall.
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