Championship side Leeds United have fired manager Simon Grayson following the Yorkshire club’s 4-1 home drubbing by Birmingham City.

Leeds said in a statement on Wednesday that Grayson had been dismissed in order to give the club the best possible chance of forcing their way into contention for a place in the play-offs to reach the Premier League.

“We have 18 games to go this season and we are still within touching distance of the play-offs, but felt with the transfer window now closed we needed to make the change at this time in the belief that a new management team will be able to get more out of the existing squad of players and make the difference,” Leeds chief executive Shaun Harvey said.

The statement said youth team manager Neil Redfearn would take temporary charge of the club, although media reports swiftly linked former Queens Park Rangers coach Neil Warnock to the vacancy.