Former Chelsea ace Joe Cole has claimed that the decision to sack Thomas Tuchel was a harsh one.

According to Cole, Tuchel deserved time to turn things around, after a poor start to the season.

Asked for his take on Tuchel’s sacking, former Chelsea and England star Joe Cole told the FIVE YouTube channel: “I’m happy to say I think it was the wrong decision to get rid of Thomas Tuchel. He connected to the Chelsea fans and he won trophies.

“He was in a difficult period, that’s for sure, but getting rid of him was harsh. How was it handled? There’s no good way to get rid of a manger but I think the decision was wrong and they could have stuck with him.”

Manchester United tried to poach Tuchel last season, when the club was going through a tough time amid sanctions, but Tuchel chose to remain at Chelsea.

Joe Cole has claimed Manchester will be kicking themselves for missing out on the German, as they have already appointed Erik ten Hag for the long term.

Joe Cole went on: “I feel for Thomas Tuchel, it’s harsh because he’s a top manager.

“I tell you who will be kicking themselves a little bit: Man United. I bet they wish this happened three or four months ago.

“I don’t know how the Ten Hag era will go – it’s looking promising at the moment – but Thomas Tuchel is exactly what Man United need. He’s the type of character who can galvanize a group. I think he’s different gear, Thomas Tuchel.”