Remi Garde, Aston Villa part ways as club looks doomed

Remi Garde and Aston Villa have parted ways, leaving the Premier League club without a manager for the final two months of the season.

Garde took over Villa in November, with the club already in the relegation zone after a disastrous start under Tim Sherwood. It was a curious move for Garde, who was well-regarded and seemed an unlikely choice to take on a survival fight. But he took the job and expected to make some signings in January that would help keep Villa in the Premier League.

Unfortunately, Villa didn't sign a single player in January. Garde chalked it up to players not wanting to join a club that looked bound for relegation. The second half of the season has been playing out with Aston Villa essentially just waiting to go down because they are all but doomed.

With seven matches remaining in the season, Aston Villa are dead last with 16 points and 12 points from safety. They have won three matches in the campaign and have lost their last six.

As shocking as Garde taking the Villa job was, it would be even more shocking if he managed the team in the Championship next season, so parting ways now makes sense. They might as well call it quits -- because the club isn't going to turn things around for the rest of the season with him in charge and, when they did get relegated, the Frenchman wasn't going to manage them next season, anyway.

Eric Black will be the club's interim manager until a new boss is named. It would not be surprising if Villa did not hire a permanent replacement until the summer.