Mauricio Pochettino has been axed from the Chelsea job earlier today, after just one season at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea announced on Tuesday evening that they had parted ways with Pochettino by mutual consent.

Arsenal legend Paul Merson has slammed the news, calling it madness.

“Just hearing the news about Pochettino, cannot believe he’s gone. Cannot believe it,” Paul Merson said in a video on his Instagram page

“Whoever is making this decision… how are you going to replace a manager like him? Just got team going, went on a great run, got into Europe.

“He got them to sixth in the league from where they were and he’s just got this team playing.

“It’s madness. I cannot, cannot, cannot believe what I’m hearing.”

Gus Poyet, who won the FA Cup winner with Chelsea in 2000, has also slammed the decision.

“My initial reaction was: I know nothing about football. I don’t know, nothing surprises me now,” the ex-Chelsea midfielder told Sky Sports.

“I think the best moment of Pochettino was the last two months, by far, and everybody close to Chelsea, we were expecting a great summer and the start of something important for next year.

“But we don’t know the inside. I was shocked. Someone told me and I couldn’t believe it. I started checking on my phone because it was kind of impossible. But everything is possible in football.”