Bournemouth have sacked head coach Scott Parker after just four games of the Premier League season.
Parker left Fulham and took charge of Bournemouth 14 months ago, guiding them to promotion to the Premier League behind his former club last season.
Bournemouth were beaten 9-0 by Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday, with Parker making no secret of his frustration following the result.
Bournemouth co-owner Maxim Demin said in a statement: “I would like to place on record my gratitude to Scott and his team for their efforts during their time with us. Our promotion back to the Premier League last season under his tenure will always be remembered as one of the most successful seasons in our history.
“However, in order for us to keep progressing as a team and a club as a whole, it is unconditional that we are aligned in our strategy to run the club sustainably. We must also show belief in and respect for one another. That is the approach that has brought this club so much success in recent history, and one that we will not veer from now. Our search for a new head coach will begin immediately.”
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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from the match between Liverpool and Bournemouth in the Premier League
Gary O’Neil takes interim charge of the team and will be assisted by Shaun Cooper and Tommy Elphick.
Parker’s final interview as Bournemouth boss: ‘Underequipped for this level’
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Parker was disappointed for the Bournemouth players after the Liverpool game and said how they bounce back from the 9-0 defeat will define them as a group
Parker was left rocked by that 9-0 result, calling his team “underequipped” in order to compete at Premier League level.
“This is the toughest day as a player and certainly as a coach,” Parker said. “This is the toughest and most painful day that I have experienced, for sure.
“It goes without saying it’s a real humbling experience and one which was pretty shell-shocking, really, in the sense of the result.
“And probably not surprised so much, to be honest with you, in the sense of the levels we’re playing against here and the quality is just far greater than what we have in this present moment in time at our disposal.
“While of course it’s not me making any excuse because there’s some goals in that game that were of our own doing, in terms of the set-play goals were really poor, and we can do something about that.
“But at this present moment in time I feel sorry for the fans, I feel sorry for the players, to be honest with you, because at the moment we are just a bit underequipped at this level from where we have come from.”
What’s next for Bournemouth?
Bournemouth entertain Wolves (7.30pm) in the Premier League on Wednesday and then have a run of eight games with fixtures against none of the traditional ‘big six’.
- September 3: Nottingham Forest (a)
- September 10: Brighton (h)
- September 17: Newcastle (a)
- October 1: Brentford (h)
- October 8: Leicester (h)
- October 15: Fulham (a)
- October 24: West Ham (a)