Town have sacked manager Paul Hurst after less than five months in charge with former Norwich boss Paul Lambert close to taking over.

Owner Marcus Evans is understood to have wielded the axe this afternoon following last night’s 2-0 defeat at Leeds with the players believed to have been called to the training ground to be told the news.

Evans is understood to have sounded out a number of experienced Championship managers to take over from Hurst as he looks to avoid a damaging and costly relegation to League One.

TWTD can confirm the Daily Mirror's earlier report that former Norwich, Aston Villa and Colchester manager Lambert could be confirmed as boss prior to Saturday’s trip to Millwall, although Bryan Klug has returned to his caretaker-manager role in the meantime.

Hurst was only appointed Town boss on May 30th and his tenure - only the 16th since the club turned professional - at 149 days is the shortest in the Blues' history.

Town won only once during his time in charge, at Swansea prior to the international break, with his overall record in all competitions reading played 15, won one, drawn seven, lost seven. They sit bottom of the Championship.

Rumours of training ground discontent have been rife for some weeks, while Hurst's summer recruitment, largely players who impressed him while working in the lower leagues while a number of more experienced players departed, is widely viewed as a significant factor behind the current position.

Hurst's departure appeared only a matter of time with the win at Swansea having perhaps bought him a little time. However, Saturday's dismal performance the 2-0 home defeat to QPR was probably the final straw.

Lambert, 49, was last in a job earlier this year, taking charge of Stoke City in January but leaving in May following their relegation to the Championship.

Previously he was in charge at Wolves, Blackburn and Villa, but is most remembered in East Anglia for his stint in charge at Norwich between 2009 and 2012 during which he took them from League One to the Premier League.

The Scot had joined the Canaries from Colchester United where he spent just under a year. The U's had defeated Norwich 7-1 on the opening day of 2009/10.

He started his managerial career at Livingston and Wycombe having played in midfield for St Mirren, Motherwell, Borussia Dortmund - with whom he won the Champions League - Celtic and Livingston as well as winning 40 caps for Scotland.

Photo: Action Images

Suffolkboy added 17:37 - Oct 25 To be expected ; before the new man arrives the ' fans ' are looking for super critical assessments ! PL is at the very least knowledgeable ,keen on discipline and will no doubt show elements of proper man management , and appreciation of what goes on in our youth and Academy which PH & co. found a burden and from comments did not enthuse about , nor value the product ! It'll be very interesting to see what any new incumbent does about utilising more home grown strengths , recalling loanees AND better use of systems : he will show a more immediate recognition of tactics , on the field personnel and flexibility of thought than PH unfortunately ever demonstrated . Almost all report PH as being a nice man BUT a square peg in a round hole , into which he couldn't fit . This change has had to be made , for heavens sake we all love the Club ,let's get right behind the new appointee !! Up the Blues !

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kpblues added 17:41 - Oct 25 Out of the kettle into the fire Lambert's entry on Wikipedia include ... - "performances worsened greatly, especially home form, and Lambert was criticised by many fans and pundits for putting out a counterattacking side with no plan B." - Lambert also said "many Premier League clubs could do without the distraction of the FA Cup - Lambert's third season in charge saw him opting to buy players with experience as opposed to the previous seasons, where the club would sign young prospects See familiar ? Welcome Mick the second Sad stuff

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Westy added 17:41 - Oct 25 Noooo. Time was up for Hurst but ex Norwich Lambert ! It seems like Evans has got this all wrong again. The fans simply won't take to him. I feel sick to the stomach - Evans is clueless.
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truthhurts added 17:45 - Oct 25 Can't remember the last time i posted on here, not that anyone particularly cares, i'm sure! Got to admit i'm really disappointed how this has all turned out. I really desperately wanted McCarthy to go. Credit where it is due, the guy kept us up when we looked doomed. But the standard of football - and the results - required a change. I think the vast majority of us wanted a younger, up-and-coming manager to come in. I also think the majority of us also wanted us to look into the lower leagues for players, rather than Championship 'has beens' on expensive salaries. So, on the face of it, we got what we wanted. It is a crying shame it hadsn't worked out. I actually - maybe to my shame - walked out of Portman Road (ironically against Leeds) a few seasons back under McCarthy, and hadn't been back since, despite having had a season ticket since the mid-90s. I know that is nothing to be proud about. I was keen for Hurst to do well, have been to a few games this season, and actually seen some genuine potential. Following the sacking in all probability we will now go down the route of appointing a 'has been'. Someone who is currently out of work - for a good reason - and back to sqiare one. I'm bored of the managerial names going round and round and round. My only hope is, on the assumption we get an 'experienced' head, we steady the ship, stay in the league, and appoint someone fresh again next season. The Club almost got me back. Almost

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Skip73 added 17:47 - Oct 25 Lambert hasn't even been appointed yet and some on here are throwing their toys out of there prams again.
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Fress added 17:47 - Oct 25 Like everyone else, I was really pleased when we got Hurst in the summer, but he changed too much and wasn't helped by senior players wanting to leave. If it is Paul Lambert taking over, I'll get behind him just like I got behind Hurst, the Norwich connection is irrelevant and will all be forgotten if he keeps us up. Whoever it is we need to get behind the team as the bad atmosphere makes it harder for the players too. As supporters we need to support the team whoever is in charge

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Skip73 added 17:48 - Oct 25 It should have read 'their' not 'there' sorry for the poor grammar
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bluearmy78 added 17:53 - Oct 25 I don't like to see anybody lose their job but unfortunately this decision is the right one & had to be done immediately. I was very pleased with his arrival at the club but unfortunately he didn't have what it takes to manage in this division & signed too many players who are just simply not good enough to compete in the Championship. PH is a nice bloke but this simply isn't good enough, if we get Paul Lambert then hopefully he should have the know how to keep us up, however he'll still have PH players up until January. Whoever gets the job Evans has to seriously back him in the transfer market! COYB!

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Warkys_Tash added 17:57 - Oct 25 Lambert has come right out of left field. No-one saw that coming! I'll take it right now. Think the budgies will be more disappointed. He knows the division. Lets all get behind him & get out of this mess! I am backing him.
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stiffy501 added 18:01 - Oct 25 No suprise, sorry it did'nt work out for him but he knew it's a results game. Happy to Give Lambert a chance, rather him than Bruce or Allerdice !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Popeye added 18:02 - Oct 25 Bruce or Pearson please
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Len_Brennan added 18:05 - Oct 25 Right decision to sack & had to be done immediately as there was no prospect of a revival under Hurst, lacklustre performances were going to continue. It may already be too late given the calibre of the squad we now have, but at least there is a chance of survival. Another couple of defeats by relegation threatened opponents would have been critical this side of Christmas. And so the new era comes to a shuddering halt & the 'rebuilding for the future' work will be postponed for at least one season as survival at all costs becomes the order of the day. In that regard I can understand & even live with the idea of Lambert. It was the right decision to get rid of Mick McCarthy, but ironically he is the kind of solution we'd be considering now had he not been recently replaced. It's a stop gap fixer we urgently need right now, the rebuilding in style & potential will have to take a backseat in the short term. Such a disappointment given the optimism pre-season. Hurst may well bounce back having learnt from this experience, but his headlessness in the transfer market could cost us for seasons to come.

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blockb_steward added 18:10 - Oct 25 They will give Lambert the keys to the town if he sorts this mess out
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Grumpyoldgit added 18:11 - Oct 25 Hate to see anyone lose their job but it's the best thing for all involved . Wanted him to succeed but too many changes were made too soon with lower league players almost made it inevitable that he would fail, then i think panic set in. Whoever takes over will be hard pressed to keep this team up! Hopefully an experienced, calm head who will get the best from what we have. Good luck Paul in whatever you do next. Maybe this was a up in your managerial career you weren't quite ready for yet

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LWNR2013 added 18:12 - Oct 25 Don't care that Lambert May get the job - never liked him, but don't really know why. I got what I wished for, MM out and PH in. It didn't work out but that's life sometimes. Optimism returns ITID.
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LWNR2013 added 18:14 - Oct 25 Oh yeah. What does EVANS out actually meaN? No EVANS, no ITFC.
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markytitfc added 18:15 - Oct 25 Why has nobody else been adter Lambert? Another disaster in the making
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Vancouver_Blue added 18:16 - Oct 25 Let's all pretend Lambert was a Colchester manager not a Scum manager
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LWNR2013 added 18:16 - Oct 25 One more thing... Blue boy ... I'm worried that I'm starting to agree with you more than less!! (Don't let it go to your head) lol
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Lukeybluey added 18:17 - Oct 25 TBH, Lambert or not, I support whoever can sort out the mess we're in! Cos boy are they gonna need A LOT of support!
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jonny100970 added 18:17 - Oct 25 So many hypocrites on here. We wanted change from Mick, we got it in the form of a young, up and coming manager we all seemed to think was worth a punt, then it doesn't work, and suddenly 6 months later its a case of shoot the chairman and we never should have hired him! I say fair play to Marcus for acting quickly and not letting something drag on that blatantly wasn't working.

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cactusjack added 18:19 - Oct 25 Good decision marcus but now you need to be clever! However we need a young foreign manager, or at the very least big sam or timmy sherwood would suffice, Paul Lambert is a definate no for me you can do much much better, please see reason!!!
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acquiesce added 18:20 - Oct 25 NORWICH fan here and a lover of Suffolk. I always want Norwich to beat Ipswich, but I also want to see Town do well. Two East Anglian clubs in the top flight would be great. Regarding LAMBERT, he created the most attacking and exciting football I have seen at Carrow Road and managed to get sell outs every week even in League 1. With a passion for young, hungry players who want to fight for the shirt, I hope he will bring excitement back to Portman Road.

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Northstandveteran added 18:21 - Oct 25 Apparently Ian Culverhouse, Lambert's right hand man in Norwich promotion year has just resigned from his job with Grantham town? Coincidence?
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markytitfc added 18:25 - Oct 25 I wonder who our manager will be in the new year?
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