It was never going to be plain sailing for Enzo Maresca after he assumed control at Chelsea this summer, but his first few weeks in the job proper will have been a confronting challenge nonetheless. A disappointing pre-season campaign has prefaced an underwhelming start to competitive action, all of which has come against the backdrop of more bewildering transfer business, with as many as 11 new faces arriving and a host of established names being pushed out the exit.
Although it's obviously early days, there is the sense that this period could make or break Maresca's tenure, as some members of the fanbase already begin to voice their discontent with both the way the club is being run and the new head coach's particular tactical approach.
For his part, Maresca has been bullish in the face of the early adversity, which has gone down well with those supporters who yearn for the days of Jose Mourinho. But it's increasingly evident that one of the toughest tasks facing him may well be reunifying a splintered fanbase, as others accuse him of being a 'puppet' for the Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital ownership.