West Ham have sacked their women’s team manager, Rehanne Skinner, with the club second-bottom of the Women’s Super League. A statement said “recent results have not matched expectations” and that a change was deemed necessary.

Skinner had been in charge since July 2023 and departs after securing one win from 11 WSL matches this season. The news comes three days before West Ham host Manchester City in the League Cup quarter-finals.

Last Sunday Skinner’s side drew 2-2 at home to the division’s bottom side, Liverpool, who played for more than 70 minutes with 10 players after Gemma Bonner’s sending-off. West Ham led twice but conceded a late equaliser.

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“Recent results have not matched expectations and the board of directors believe that a change is necessary to help improve the team’s position in the Barclays Women’s Super League as soon as possible,” the club said.

“The board would like to thank Rehanne for her hard work and commitment during her time with the Hammers and wish her every success for the future. The process of recruiting a new women’s team head coach is under way.”

It is understood West Ham’s players and staff were eating their planned Christmas lunch on Thursday and that the festive mood was dampened as it began to emerge that the club were letting Skinner go.

Skinner guided West Ham to ninth last season and 11th in her first campaign. Last season, Skinner led them to a League Cup semi-final, where they lost to the eventual winners, Chelsea.

She spent three years in charge at Tottenham after a brief spell as the assistant manager in the England setup. Before that, she worked for the Football Association coaching in the youth international pathway, having similarly coached Wales’s youth teams. Her coaching career began at Leicester nearly 20 years ago.

The 46-year-old was one of four women managing in the WSL and one of its five English managers.