Ipswich Town parted ways with Paul Lambert and his assistant Stuart Taylor on Sunday night via the method of mutual consent.

Former Norwich boss Lambert took charge of The Tractor Boys in October 2018 when the club were rock-bottom of the Championship with just one win to their name following the disappointing spell of Paul Hurst.

Lambert was unable to improve upon the club’s position, as Ipswich finished 13 points adrift of safety while rivals Norwich won the title under Daniel Farke, 64 points ahead of Lambert's troops.

Despite a bright start to life in League One, the Scot ultimately failed to instigate an instant return to the second-tier after Ipswich finished 11th - the season was curtailed in March and places decided on a points-per-game basis.

This term, Ipswich again made a strong start, registering 16 points from their opening six games. However, they’ve since been plagued by inconsistency, with Lambert frequently coming under-fire throughout the campaign.

Yet, while he has just picked up eight points from four unbeaten games, the parties have decided to split ways with the club 8th in the table; two points and two places outside of the play-offs with 17 games still left to play.

Owner Marcus Evans said via the club’s official website:

“I would like to put on record my sincere thanks to Paul and Stuart for their services to Ipswich Town over the last two and a half years.

"I have enjoyed a healthy working relationship with Paul in our time together and he has brought a lot of positive aspects to the Club.

“It has, however, become clear after holding discussions over the last few days that there are significant differences of opinion as to the order of immediate priorities and we agreed it was best for us to part company. I would like to wish both Paul and Stuart the best in the future.”

The club will now embark on the search for a new manager for the first time since October 2018. However, there’s the added intrigue of a reported takeover by American investors, which is expected to take place this week.

Paul Cook was instantly installed as the hot favourite in the next Ipswich manager market - many bookmakers have already taken down the odds - with The Athletic reporting on Friday that he’s the man that will be appointed at Portman Road once the new owners arrive.

Out-of-work Cook, who has won league titles with Wigan, Portsmouth and Chesterfield, said in December that he was looking for a Championship club with Premier League ambitions. 

However, a club of Ipswich’s size coupled with their position just outside the play-offs, could well appeal to the 54-year-old who already has a League One promotion on his CV with the Latics.

Elsewhere, Danny - and brother Nicky - Cowley could attract attention, with the duo sure to be popular with many fans. The pair have patiently been waiting for another project following their surprise exit from Huddersfield last summer, and this could prove to be the perfect opportunity for the former Lincoln managers.

Meanwhile, Lambert can still be found out at 40/1 to return to Celtic as manager.