Given the crippling pressure facing some of his Premier League counterparts, few would have expected Thomas Tuchel would become the second managerial casualty of the season, following in Scott Parker's footsteps.
Yet Chelsea owner Todd Boehly made the ruthless decision to sack the highly-regarded German on Wednesday morning, following a mixed start to the domestic campaign and a humiliating 1-0 defeat by Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League. It was a competition Tuchel and his Blues triumphed in only 16 months earlier, so it was no surprise to see the good and the great of the punditry world promptly criticise his dismissal.
On the surface, Boehly's decision appears a brutal one, especially as he was informed of his sacking via a blunt 10-minute phone call, bringing an end to his one-and-a-half years in West London. He departs Stamford Bridge having won 60 per cent of his games in charge, comparable to Jurgen Klopp's 60.9 per cent ratio at Liverpool, and having reached four major finals.
