Paul Ince has been sacked as Reading manager after the club fell into the Championship relegation zone with just five games remaining.
After an eight-game winless run which has seen Reading collect just three points, Ince has been relieved of his duties following a defeat to Preston North End on Easter Monday.
Former Reading player Noel Hunt has stepped up from being Under-21s manager to take caretaker charge for the rest of the season.
The club were deducted six points last week for a breach of profit and sustainability rules, making their position even more ominous.
Having now slipped into the bottom three, the board have decided to act, but their sole focus is on survival, and they will not hire a full-time manager until the end of the season.
Head of football operations Mark Bowen told the club's official website: "I would like to thank Paul and Alex [Rae] for their efforts throughout what has admittedly been a frustrating and exceptionally challenging season so far. We would like to wish them well in their future endeavours.
"The board will work diligently to identify the manager who is the best fit for this football club going forward - a candidate capable of driving it towards a healthier, brighter future.
"However, for the next five games, our only focus is on doing everything we can to survive this season. Put simply, that means everyone – from myself, to the staff, to the supporters - lending all their support to Noel, Eddie, James and the first team players as we go into five crucially important games at the end of our 2022-23 campaign."
Reading face runaway league leaders Burnley at home at the weekend, with the Clarets looking to seal the Championship title in the coming weeks.
Andrew Delaney
