Chelsea told they're the 'worst run club in the history of the sport' following 'backwards' decision to fire Enzo Maresca

The Blues have sacked Maresca as they aim to remain competitive at the top-end of the Premier League. The club are now 15 points behind Arsenal and have gone on a run of just two league wins in seven games. As a result, they are now seeking an alternative to the Italian, with Strasbourg boss Liam Rosenior seemingly the frontrunner to take the role. They have also been linked with Roberto De Zerbi, but are unlikely to target the controversial Marseille manager. Rival fans, though, have taken aim at the Blues, after they once again appeared to feed a manager to the wolves.

@DarrylRMFC said: "Back to being a banter club we will be there."

@UTD_Louie added: "Please interview (Ruben) Amorim for the vacant manager role."

@The_Sambu said: "We are never getting off the woods anytime soon with Eghbali at the helm of Chelsea. This will be the pattern. Building a backward project!"

@MajidMheiri added: "Great.. let's look for League One Managers and belittle our club especially when it's finally settled. Sacking Maresca after he finally got us back to trophies with the youngest team in the history of PL is something we might regret later."

@ClinicalKai said: "Chelsea under Clearlake are the worst ran club in the history of the sport."

@Wizard_Season said: "Terrible decision, sporting directors should have gone instead. This obsession of signing young players will get us nowhere. This is NOT Chelsea Football Club!"

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Former Chelsea star Pat Nevin has called on the club to simply appoint a "puppet" in the dugout.

He told the BBC: "Not stunned, not shocked. Mildly surprised but no more than that. Over the years, look how many managers have a dig at their board and then survive the next crisis after that. It is minuscule.

"As soon as he said what he said after the Everton game, I thought his days were numbered. I know how board members react - they can put up with anything as long as it's the manager taking the hit. This was an absolute stick-on."

He added: "Chelsea need someone who is going to buy into the methodology. Another way to say that is you need a puppet. Someone who does exactly what they are told from above.

"Chelsea want success. They want the points to get top four or five and into the Champions League every season. But they want something else. They want someone who will do what they tell them to do. Those two things may not be compatible.

"Liam Rosenior sounds like a really good idea, but he's never done it at this level. To bring someone in who doesn't have that level of experience is a massive, massive chance to take. They will get someone in who is young and easy to manipulate."

Chelsea face Manchester City this weekend as they take in their first game of the post-Maresca era. It is currently unclear who will take charge of the side.

His assistant, Willy Caballero, claimed that Maresca was ill after their 2-2 draw with Bournemouth, something that has since been debunked.

At the time, he said: "Yes, he is not feeling well. He did not feel well the last two days, but he made the decision [to manage tonight]. I don't know how he found the strength to do it because we saw him working and he was suffering with a temperature and other stuff. Today he asked me to come to replace him because he did not feel well."