Sunderland have confirmed this evening that Phil Parkinson has left the club after their poor recent form.

Given the budget, stature and size of the Black Cats, winning promotion back to Championship was seen as a must, however the Wearside outfit are currently in eighth position, having failed to win in three.

As well as the minor recent blip, supporters have been annoyed with the style of play, with the ex-Bolton chief favouring a more direct approach.

So, the pressure was building on Parkinson and a 1-1 draw with Fleetwood was his last game. That's after the club announced on their official site that the boss had gone.

Assistant manager Steve Parkin has also left the Stadium of Light, with first-team coach Andrew Taylor taking temporary charge ahead of the midweek clash against Burton Albion.

This news is perhaps unsurprising, as Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and current minority shareholder Juan Sartori close in on a deal to buy a majority stake in the club from Stewart Donald.

It appears their first major task will be to appoint a new manager to take the club forward.

Sunderland quiz: Are these 10 facts about the Stadium of Light true or false?

The verdict

Parkinson can't really have any complaints with this decision as he should be getting more out of the current group.

Whilst they aren't in a disastrous position by any means, they haven't been performing well enough either, so a change is understandable.

This update indicates the takeover is done, so it really is the start of a new era for Sunderland and it will be very interesting to see who comes in.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.