Neil Warnock sacked: Crystal Palace confirm manager Warnock has been axed following the Boxing Day defeat to Southampton

Warnock incurred the wrath of the home fans during Friday's 3-1 defeat to Saints and has paid the price for their poor start to the season

Neil Warnock (Getty Images)

Crystal Palace have sacked manager Neil Warnock after just four months since he took over on the eve of the Premier League season, the club have confirmed.

Parish reveals Warnock 'just didn't gel' with Palace

Warnock has been under increasing pressure in recent weeks as the Eagles slipped down the table, with the biggest backlash from the fans coming in Boxing Day’s 3-1 defeat to Southampton. With his side trailing, Warnock decided to haul off Yannick Bolasie for defender Martin Kelly, and was immediately booed by the home fans.

The club issued a statement on Saturday morning that confirmed Warnock's departure, with his assistant Keith Millen set to take charge of the team for Sunday's match against Queens Park Rangers.

The statement read: "Crystal Palace Football Club can today confirm that Neil Warnock has been relieved of his duties and is no longer first-team manager.

"The club would like to put on record its thanks to Neil for all his hard work and energy over the past four months.

"Keith Millen will lead the team against Queens Park Rangers tomorrow as caretaker manager."

Millen has taken charge of the side twice before following the dismissal's of Tony Pulis and Ian Holloway, and faces a tricky task to lift the Eagles out of the bottom three.

Speaking after the match, Warnock admitted that he would have reacted the same had he been in the stands rather than the dugout, but insisted he expected to remain in the job at Selhurst Park and was eyeing up his transfer targets in January – a striker was the minimum that the 66-year-old wanted.

Warnock’s axing echoes the dismissal of Holloway last season when the club were languishing in the relegation zone, only for Pulis to come in and turn the club’s performances around to lift them to Premier League safety.

Palace conceded three goals to Southampton before scoring a consolation through Scott Dann (Getty Images)

Despite much optimism at the club during the summer, Pulis’ unexpected exit two days before the new season begun caused much concern among the Eagles faithful, and Warnock’s failing have justified their worries at the halfway stage of the season.

It also means that Warnock has become the first Premier League manager to be sacked this season. Palace sit in the relegation zone in 18th place, a point behind 17th Hull, and Warnock leaves having won just three of his 16 games in the Premier League this season.

Warnock's departure means the 2014/15 season is the third longest wait for a manager to be sacked after 1992/93 when Chelsea axed Ian Porterfield on 15 February and 1995/96 when Roy McFarland left Bolton on 2 January.