Sheffield United are set to sack Chris Wilder on Friday amid their dreadful Premier League campaign.
The Blades are rooted to the bottom of the table and are a huge 12 points adrift of safety.
Wilder's relationship with the club's Saudi owner Prince Abdullah is believed to have reached breaking point in recent weeks.
And it is understood the club have decided to take action by relieving him of his duties.
Wilder will be remembered fondly by United fans for his achievements with the club despite this season's disappointment.
He took over his boyhood team in 2016 while they were still in League One and won two promotions in three years, leading them to the Premier League for the first time since 2007 as they finished second in the Championship in the 2018-19 season.
And they upset the odds on their return to the top flight, mounting an unlikely bid for European qualification before eventually finishing ninth.
This led to Wilder being named runner-up in the LMA Manager of the Year award in July, finishing behind only Liverpool's Jurgen Klopp.
But things have gone horribly wrong this season, with United picking up just four wins in the Premier League in the whole campaign.
It remains to be seen who United turn to now to try to save them from their current plight, but they look destined for the Championship whatever happens.
The strains between Wilder and the club's owners were laid bare recently when he admitted he did not know if he would be the man in charge next season when asked about his future.
Speaking ahead of their game against Aston Villa, Wilder said: “I don’t know. Listen, heads down and on to the Villa game. Let’s see if we can get a result and what will be, will be.
“I know what direction I want to take the football club in, where it should be, but it’s not happening.”
