Paul Merson has called Chelsea's decision to part ways with manager Mauricio Pochettino 'crazy'.
The Blues announced on Tuesday that Pochettino will leave by mutual consent after one season in charge.
Pochettino was unable to deliver silverware at Stamford Bridge and Chelsea spent most of the 2023/24 campaign in the bottom half of the table. However, a late-season revival saw them climb to sixth in the Premier League, guaranteeing them European football next season.
The Argentine also guided Chelsea to the final of the EFL Cup and the semi-final of the FA Cup, losing at Wembley to Liverpool and Manchester City in separate competitions.
None of this was enough to convince the powers that be at Chelsea that Pochettino was the right man to lead the club forward and the search is on for his replacement.
Merson criticizes the decision of Chelsea Pochettino
Despite making over 400 appearances for Arsenal during his playing career, Paul Merson is a young Chelsea fan.
The former England international – who has long worked as a pundit for Sky Sports – was quick to express a strong reaction to the news of Pochettino's departure, calling Chelsea's decision 'crazy'.
“I just hear the news about Pochettino. I can't believe he's gone. I can't believe it,” Merson said in a video posted on his X (which was a Twitter account).
“Whoever makes these decisions… how will he replace a manager like him? The team just went, they went really well, they went into Europe, they went sixth in the league from where they were. You just found this group playing.
“It's crazy, I can't, I can't, I can't believe what I'm hearing.”
Reaction to Poch news #Chelsea ??? pic.twitter.com/FjOE0wX1ia
— Paul Merson (@PaulMerse) May 21, 2024
Among the names linked to replace Pochettino are Stuttgart coach Sebastian Hoeness, Ipswich Town's Kieran McKenna and Leicester City's Enzo Maresca.
Whoever comes in will face heavy pressure at a big-money club without a Premier League title since 2017 or a trophy of any kind in the last two seasons.
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