Claudio Ranieri will be sacked by Fulham today with the Cottagers heading towards relegation from the Premier League. Ranieri has been summoned for talks this morning by club bosses and is expected to be shown the door after less than four months in charge. The 67-year-old has won just three games since taking over from Slavisa Jokanovic in November and being given the responsibility of ensuring top flight survival.

Fulham have actually got worse since his appointment and the 2-0 defeat to relegation rivals Southampton last night appears to have been the final straw for owner Shahid Khan. That was the London club’s tenth defeat under Ranieri in 16 matches, and they now find themselves ten points adrift of safety and staring Championship football in the face. And after the match even Ranieri appeared resigned to his fate.When asked if he knew about his future as manager, the former title-winning Leicester boss said: “My job? I don’t.

Ask the owner.”Their only win in 2019 came when they beat Brighton 4-2 at Craven Cottage at the end of January. But that match was the only time the side has collected any points in the last eight league games – a horror run of results which has left Ranieri exposed. With just over two months left of the season, and with relegation now almost a formality, the club are likely to resist rushing in to make a new permanent appointment.

Instead they could turn to coach Scott Parker to take over the role on a caretaker basis until the end of the season. That would then give the club time to consider their options as they prepare for next season – and Parker a chance to prove himself in a similar way to Darren Moore at West Brom last year. Fulham’s next match is Sunday’s West London derby against Chelsea at the Cottage, while the also face title rivals Liverpool and Manchester City during a very tricky March.