Struggling English Premier League club West Bromwich Albion have fired manager Alan Irvine after winning just one of their last nine games.

The club said in a statement late on Monday that “Irvine leaves the club with immediate effect.”

Assistant head coach Rob Kelly will take charge of the team for Thursday’s game against West Ham, and the club hope to name a permanent successor this weekend.

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Irvine is the second Premier League manager to be sacked this season, just two days after Neil Warnock was let go by Crystal Palace.

West Brom’s technical director Terry Burton said parting company with Irvine was a matter of “regret but necessity” because of the team’s continuing poor results.

West Brom have won just four of 19 league games and are 16th at the halfway point, one point clear of the relegation zone after losing seven of their last nine.

“We appointed Alan in the summer convinced that we had taken on one of the foremost coaches in the U.K. and nothing that has happened since then has altered our view,” Burton said.

“But sadly that simply has not translated into results and they remain the ultimate currency of Alan’s position.

“Securing a sixth season in the Premier League is the over-riding target and sometimes unpleasant decisions have to be taken to serve that imperative.”

Irvine was the sixth man to manage West Brom since Roberto Di Matteo’s sacking in 2011, following Roy Hodgson, Steve Clarke and Pepe Mel, as well as caretakers Michael Appleton and Keith Downing.