(Football news) Bournemouth have parted ways with manager Scott Parker after just four games in the Premier League season. The 41 year old left Fulham to join Bournemouth 14 months ago and guided his team to promotion in England’s top flight. However, a humiliating 9-0 defeat to Liverpool has cost him his job and Gary O'Neil will take over as interim manager and will be assisted by Shaun Cooper and Tommy Elphick. No manager since Southampton’s Paul Sturrock, who was sacked in August 2004 has been made to leave the club quicker than Scott Parker.

Bournemouth co-owner Maxim Demin said in a statement: "I would like to place on record my gratitude to Scott and his team for their efforts during their time with us. Our promotion back to the Premier League last season under his tenure will always be remembered as one of the most successful seasons in our history. However, in order for us to keep progressing as a team and a club as a whole, it is unconditional that we are aligned in our strategy to run the club sustainably. We must also show belief in and respect for one another. That is the approach that has brought this club so much success in recent history, and one that we will not veer from now. Our search for a new head coach will begin immediately." 

After the 9-0 loss to Liverpool, a visibly distraught Parker called his team “under equipped” in order to deal with the level of the Premier League. He said “This is the toughest day as a player and certainly as a coach. This is the toughest and most painful day that I have experienced, for sure. It goes without saying it's a real humbling experience and one which was pretty shell-shocking, really, in the sense of the result. And probably not surprised so much, to be honest with you, in the sense of the levels we're playing against here and the quality is just far greater than what we have in this present moment in time at our disposal. 

“While of course it's not me making any excuse because there were some goals in that game that were of our own doing, in terms of the set-play goals were really poor, and we can do something about that. But at this present moment in time I feel sorry for the fans, I feel sorry for the players, to be honest with you, because at the moment we are just a bit under equipped at this level from where we have come from." 

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