"Really shocked, really surprised" - Ex-Liverpool star brands Chelsea's decision to sack Tuchel a 'knee-jerk reaction'

Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy has expressed his shock at the news that Chelsea have sacked Thomas Tuchel.

The west London outfit have taken the decision to dismiss the German boss following a disappointing start to the campaign. The Blues have only won half of their Premier League games so far while losing three away games on the bounce.

Tuchel's final game in charge was a disastrous 1-0 defeat against Dinamo Zagreb in the Blues' Champions League opener on Tuesday night (September 7). The German tactician was visibly furious with his side after the game and new owner Todd Boehly clearly feels he has lost the dressing room.

Speaking to talkSPORT, Murphy gave his reaction to the sacking, describing the decision as a 'knee-jerk' reaction. The former Liverpool midfielder proclaimed:

“I’m really shocked, really surprised. I like him, he’s intelligent, he’s one of the top managers out there. I think it’s too early, that’s my gut feeling. I think it’s a knee-jerk reaction to a game last night that they dominated and would have won nine times out of ten."

"You look at the two centre-halfs they’ve brought in, he’s just brought in a centre-forward they’ve been crying out for, N’Golo Kante has been out. Yeah, it’s not a perfect start and their away form has been poor and a couple of his interviews have been a bit cagey, a bit whiny but I’m not sure it’s the right thing.”

Chelsea release statement thanking Thomas Tuchel following shock sacking

Just over a year ago, former PSG boss Tuchel led the Blues to their second Champions League triumph with a 1-0 win over Manchester City in the final.

Tuchel then led the Blues to a third-place finish in the Premier League despite well-publicized ownership issues distracting his team.

This summer, the west London club have signed over £200 million worth of players but Tuchel has clearly paid the price for a poor start to the season.

The club released a statement on their website that said:

"On behalf of everyone at Chelsea FC, the Club would like to place on record its gratitude to Thomas and his staff for all their efforts during their time with the Club. Thomas will rightly have a place in Chelsea’s history after winning the Champions League, the Super Cup and Club World Cup in his time here."

"As the new ownership group reaches 100 days since taking over the Club, and as it continues its hard work to take the club forward, the new owners believe it is the right time to make this transition. Chelsea’s coaching staff will take charge of the team for training and the preparation of our upcoming matches as the Club moves swiftly to appoint a new head coach."