Reid is dismissed as Leeds manager
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Leeds United are looking for a new manager after sacking Peter Reid
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LEEDS, England -- Peter Reid has been sacked as manager of Leeds United, just two days after the club lost 6-1 to Portsmouth -- their worst defeat since 1959.
Reid, 47, had been in charge for six months and 20 league matches after taking over from Terry Venables on a temporary basis last March.
However, the club are bottom of the Premier League with eight points from 12 matches and the Portsmouth loss was their sixth defeat out of seven.
Former player Eddie Gray is taking over as caretaker manager.
Reid became full time manager at Elland Road on May 9 and helped steer the debt-ridden club out of the relegation zone last season.
He had previously been in charge of Sunderland for over seven years before being sacked by them in October 2002.
Nottingham Forest's Paul Hart, a former Leeds defender and youth coach, is the favorite to take over from Reid.
West Bromwich Albion's Gary Megson, Southampton's Gordon Strachan, Coventry's Gary McAllister and Leicester's Micky Adams have also been mentioned.
Reid is the second Premier League manager to be fired this season. Glenn Hoddle was dismissed by Tottenham on September 21.
The club released a statement saying: "The board acknowledges that Peter did a sterling job for the club towards the end of last season in keeping us in the Premier League.
"However we believe this season must not be allowed to reach a point beyond which our top flight status comes under serious threat again.
"The recent run of results has clearly been unacceptable. The board therefore concluded that it has a duty to act now.
"With effect from Tuesday morning, Eddie Gray will take over the duties of the first team manager on a caretaker basis, assisted by Kevin Blackwell, the chief coach.
"The process of identifying a longer term first team manager is underway and the board has a clear view of the credentials required of any candidate."
Copyright 2003
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