Cardiff sacks Malky Mackay as manager following loss to Southampton

Cardiff City manager Malky Mackay has reportedly been sacked from his post a day after the English side was defeated 3-0 at home by Southampton in the Premier League on Thursday.

The Scot's acrimonious departure comes despite the club granting him a reprieve last weekend after Malaysian owner Vincent Tan's e-mail demanding he either resign or be sacked.

According to Sport24, confirming Mackay's departure, a statement on the Cardiff website said that a new first team manager will be appointed and announced in due course.

The report mentioned that there has been ill-feeling between Tan and Mackay since Tan's removal of Iain Moody as his head of recruitment in October, and the owner was furious at Mackay's hopes of adding to his squad in January, which resulted in the email, although Mackay has launched a staunch defence of his performance as a manager.

The report mentioned that Mackay is the sixth Premier League manager to leave his job this season, his dismissal following those of Andre Villas-Boas (Tottenham Hotspur), Steve Clarke (West Brom), Martin Jol (Fulham), Ian Holloway (Crystal Palace), and Paolo Di Canio (Sunderland).

Mackay leaves his post having guided Cardiff, which lie 16th in the Premier League and a point above the relegation zone, to the League Cup final in 2012 and the Championship title in 2013, the report added.