Colchester United have sacked former Blues central defender Wayne Brown as their head coach.
Brown, 45, was appointed interim boss of the U’s for the third time in January before being given the job on a permanent basis in May.
However, the U’s have made a disappointing start to the season and sit fourth from bottom of League Two, having taken two points from 15 in their last five matches.
Brown's best moment this season came at Portman Road when the North Essex side beat the Blues 1-0 in the Caraboa Cup.
Chairman Robbie Cowling issued a statement outlining the reasons for the decision: "I and everyone associated with the club will always be extremely grateful to Wayne Brown for the job he did last season when he lifted the club from being in the midst of a relegation battle to finishing a very respectable 15th place.
"However, we have decided to act swiftly and decisively following the team’s poor start to this season.
"I accept that many of you will feel I have made a harsh decision, given Wayne’s success last season and given that he has been such an exceptional servant to Colchester United over the years as a player, coach and manager.
"On a personal level, I feel that too but as the club’s chairman I have a duty to make what I believe are the right decisions for the long-term future of Colchester United.
"We thank Wayne for the hard work and attention to detail he has shown in not only his role as head coach, but in all his roles here at the club.”
Brown’s departure is likely to lead to speculation that former Blues skipper Luke Chambers might be keen to take his first steps into management. The 36-year-old has long harboured ambitions to become a manager with fellow former Town man Cole Skuse keen to be his assistant.