Former Preston North End midfielder Michael Appleton has reportedly been sacked by Lancashire rivals Blackpool.
Many were stunned over the summer when Blackpool decided to appoint Appleton for a second time.
Appleton had just left League One side Lincoln City after a strong spell in charge at Sincil Bank.
Blackpool went with Appleton as their new boss following Neil Critchley’s show move to Aston Villa.
Some felt that Appleton’s strong connections to North End meant that he shouldn’t be in the Blackpool job.
Appleton turned out for PNE as a player and his son is a huge North End fan, so the move to Blackpool was slightly controversial.
Additionally, Appleton had a spell in charge of Blackpool in 2012 but he left after just two months to take the Blackburn Rovers job.
Appleton did hand Blackpool a 4-2 win over PNE in October but his time in charge at Bloomfield Road has been difficult.
The Tangerines sit second-bottom of the Championship with just six wins in 27 games, picking up only 26 points.
Fans have been calling for Appleton to go for weeks now and Blackpool have announced that they have parted company with Appleton.
Assistant boss David Kerslake is also leaving Bloomfield Road, with Blackpool now looking to make an appointment in the coming days.
Blackpool’s other top target from the summer, Liam Rosenior, is now in charge at Hull City so it’s unclear who they will go for as Appleton’s successor.
Whoever lands the job will be heading to Deepdale in April as PNE host Blackpool in search of a home win just like last season.