London - Struggling English Premier League club Blackburn Rovers sacked manager Paul Ince on Tuesday after just 17 games in charge.

Blackburn sit one place off the bottom of the league table, with only three wins all season. A new manager is yet to be announced.

"It is with great sadness the Board announce that Paul Ince is to leave the club," Blackburn said in a statement.

"The board, having selected Paul Ince back in June, were desperate for him to succeed and wanted to give him as much time as possible in the unforgiving environment of the Premier League, where time is such a precious commodity."

John Williams, the chairman, said the club had decided to take action sooner rather than later.

"Three wins in 17 games has seen a squad which finished seventh last season fall to 19th place," he said.

"We are currently in danger of becoming detached from the pack."

"The survival of the club in the Premier League is paramount and our focus is on finding a replacement who will be able to maintain our top-division status.

"Paul will bounce back, he is a fighter and we wish him well."

Former Manchester United, Liverpool, Inter Milan and England midfielder Ince, for whom the job at Blackburn was his first in the top-flight, had come under increasing fire in recent weeks.

Six consecutive defeats in the league dropped them into the relegation zone and they are now five points away from safety.

Ince is the fifth manager to leave his post in the Premier League this season but only the second to be sacked after Tottenham Hotspur fired Juande Ramos.

Roy Keane (Sunderland) and Kevin Keegan (Newcastle) both resigned, while Harry Redknapp left Portsmouth to replace Ramos at Tottenham. (dpa)