PETER Reid last night paid the ultimate price for Sunderland's steady decline over the past 18 months when he was sacked after seven-and-a-half years as manager.

Reid was axed only 24 hours after a 3-1 defeat at Arsenal left Sunderland, who only finished one place above the relegation zone last season, in 17th spot and facing another grim winter.

While an increasing number of fans turned against Reid - including one who threw beer over him during the club's pre-season tour of Belgium - chairman Bob Murray remained defiantly loyal to the man he brought to Wearside in 1995.

But Murray eventually buckled last night and fired 46-year-old Reid, plus his backroom staff of Adrian Heath, Bobby Saxton, Tony Book and Mike Walsh.

The departure of Reid's entire coaching team, save for player-coach Niall Quinn and reserve team boss Ricky Sbragia, indicates Sunderland expect to name a new boss shortly, and certainly well before their next match, against West Ham United on October 19.

Last night, bookmakers installed former Leeds manager David O'Leary as 2-1 favourite to succeed Reid, followed by former Arsenal and Leeds boss George Graham. O'Leary said: "I'm gutted for Peter, but I'm an out-of-work manager and I'm happy to talk to anyone."

Fans greeted the news with relief, although they were also grateful to Reid who took over when the club was staring relegation to the Second Division in the face but has since established them as a Premiership side.

Lifelong supporter Francis Todd-Malone, of Town End Farm, Sunderland, said: "We've not even been treading water over the last year or so - we've been going backwards. No other manager has been given so much time to turn it round.

"There's a feeling of thanks for everything he did, but at the same time, most fans think that if he hadn't gone now, we would definitely have been relegated."

Murray said: "In taking this difficult decision, it's hard to realise that it has had to come to this, but the club must always come first. Nearly a quarter of the season has gone, we are at the wrong end of the table and we can't wait any longer for performances to improve."

Sunderland were the lowest scorers in the Premiership last season with 29 goals in 38 games.

Despite a belated summer spending spree of £22m, including the club record £8.2m purchase of striker Tore Andre Flo, the trend has continued this season with only four goals in nine games. They have won only twice in the league, and crowds have plummeted at the Stadium of Light. In one poll last week, 80 per cent of fans wanted him out.

Murray said: "We've invested more than £22m in the playing side in the last nine months, but unfortunately results have not changed for the better since last season.

"I have enjoyed a close professional relationship with Peter and the board, and I would like to thank him for his significant contribution and efforts for the club in the last seven years."

Reid led the Black Cats to seventh-place finishes in the 1999-2000 and 2000-2001 seasons, but they have been on a downward spiral since January last year - when they were in the lofty heights of second place.

Murray said: "I stand by my decision not to change manager during last season as I am convinced that we would have gone down if we had.

"While I know that recent months have been difficult and disappointing, that should not cloud people's judgement to the many positive things Peter has achieved for this club over many years.

"Sunderland is totally unrecognisable now to when Peter Reid walked through the door at Roker Park in 1995, and I'm sure his services will be snapped up by another club and that he'll be successful again.

"I have no hesitation in giving Peter a glowing reference, as he's been a great and committed manager. We will be appointing a successor as quickly as possible.

"Overall, the fans have been incredibly tolerant and supportive in the last few months, and I would also like to thank them for that.

"We now need to stick together more than ever to give a new manager and the team support to get back to winning ways."

Martyn McFadden, spokesman for Sunderland fanzine A Love Supreme, said: "Ultimately, Reid's downfall was brought about by his stubbornness and failure to embrace modern coaching techniques.

"The person I was with when I heard the news said that it was like when Margaret Thatcher left as Prime Minister, and in many ways they are similar characters.

"Reid achieved some great things as manager, but the statistics over the last 18 months didn't make for very good reading."

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