Nigel Adkins: Reading sack manager after 6-1 defeat

Nigel Adkins previously managed Southampton, Scunthorpe United and Bangor City

Reading have sacked manager Nigel Adkins after 20 months in charge of the Championship club.

The former Southampton boss, 49, was appointed in March 2013, but Saturday's 6-1 loss against Birmingham was his last in charge of the Berkshire club.

Reading are 16th in the Championship and 10 points from a play-off place.

"Following this weekend's 6-1 defeat at Birmingham, the board feel that a change in manager is necessary," read a club statement.

Assistant manager Andy Crosby and coach Dean Wilkins have also left the club.

Adkins took charge of Reading two months after being sacked by Southampton, having led the Saints from League One to the Premier League in successive seasons, but was unable to prevent the Royals from being relegated from the top flight.

They finished seventh in the Championship last season and were only denied a play-off place by Leonardo Ulloa's late winner for Brighton at Nottingham Forest.

On Monday, Nigel Adkins tweeted that he was "embracing the challenge" to improve results at Reading

Reading won four of their first seven league matches this term but Adkins came under increasing pressure during a poor run of form, culminating in a heavy defeat at St Andrew's on Saturday.

The Royals have lost nine of their last 15 matches in all competitions.

Earlier on Monday, Adkins used his Twitter account to address concerns from supporters about his side's results.

He posted: "Good morning. Yes bad result on Sat. Read your messages reflecting over weekend. Embracing challenge to turn it around. We can do it together."

Speaking earlier this month, director of football Nicky Hammond told BBC Berkshire that Adkins had the full support of the club's executive board.

"We all know managers are judged on results," said Hammond. "But he has the support of myself, everyone at the training ground, and I don't sense any lack of support for him at executive level of the club."