LENS have reportedly sacked manager Dino Toppmoller just four games into the season.
The German tactician, 45, joined the Ligue 1 outfit in June, replacing Pierre Sage after he joined Crystal Palace.
But now it appears he will have to find a new club on short notice after L’Equipe reported he was set to be let go.
Lens were desperate to build on Sage’s success in the role after he led the side to a Coupe de France trophy and a second-place finish in the French top tier, earning them Champions League football for this campaign.
And Toppmoller’s quest to repeat the feat got off to a dream start as Lens stunned Paris Saint-Germain in the Trophee des Champions in his very first official match in charge.
He followed it up with an even more emphatic win as his side thumped Auxerre 5-2 in their first game of the Ligue 1 season.
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But those games proved to be the highlight of his time with the club, as results quickly took a turn for the worse.
Their next match was a 2-1 loss to Strasbourg, before Lorient shocked them 1-0 at home.
Patience would have been at a low when Slavia Prague tucked home what they thought was an 88th-minute winner in their Champions League clash last week.
But Toppmoller’s men fired back with goals in the first and third minutes of injury time to somehow turn the fixture around at the death.
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Friday 18 September
Brentford
20:00
EPL
Chelsea
Saturday 19 September
Spurs
12:30
EPL
Villa
Brighton
15:00
EPL
Arsenal
Everton
15:00
EPL
Ipswich
Newcastle
15:00
EPL
Hull
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17:30
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Coventry
Monday 14 September
Leeds
4 – 1
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Newcastle
Sunday 13 September
Man Utd
0 – 1
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Man City
Coventry
0 – 5
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Brighton
Saturday 12 September
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0 – 0
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English Premier League
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D
L
Form
1
4
12
7
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The feel-good factor lasted just a couple of days, however, drawing that weekend to newly promoted Le Mans.
With the side well off the pace of their Champions League aspirations in 10th, it seems the hierarchy has decided to pull the trigger on a managerial shake-up.
Tuesday 15 September
Genoa
17:00
COI
Südtirol
GC Zürich
18:00
SUL
Sion
Rayo
18:00
PRD
Espanyol
Alavés
19:00
PRD
Valencia
York
19:00
Northern Group C
Newcastle
Chesterfield
19:00
Northern Group D
Man City
Wycombe
19:00
Southern Group C
Chelsea
Tuesday 15 September
Bahia
2 – 1
SEA
Remo
Monday 14 September
Braga
1 – 0
PRL
Estoril
Moreirense
3 – 1
PRL
Marítimo
Villarreal
1 – 2
PRD
Betis
Leeds
4 – 1
EPL
Newcastle
Inter
5 – 3
SEA
Udinese
Standings currently unavailable.
Tuesday 15 September
Genoa
17:00
COI
Südtirol
GC Zürich
18:00
SUL
Sion
Rayo
18:00
PRD
Espanyol
Alavés
19:00
PRD
Valencia
York
19:00
Northern Group C
Newcastle
Chesterfield
19:00
Northern Group D
Man City
Wycombe
19:00
Southern Group C
Chelsea
Tuesday 15 September
Bahia
2 – 1
SEA
Remo
Monday 14 September
Braga
1 – 0
PRL
Estoril
Moreirense
3 – 1
PRL
Marítimo
Villarreal
1 – 2
PRD
Betis
Leeds
4 – 1
EPL
Newcastle
Inter
5 – 3
SEA
Udinese
Standings currently unavailable.