You've got to feel for Graham Potter. How can you expect to facilitate improvement on the pitch with just £320m worth of young fresh talent?
His reign as Chelsea boss began brightly, but the Englishman has overseen just three victories in his last 17 outings in all competitions.
Since the closure of the January transfer window, Chelsea are winless in four despite spending obsence amounts of money to bring the likes of Mykhailo Mudryk and Enzo Fernandez to the club.
The pressure is mounting on the former Brighton boss, with Southampton's victory at Stamford Bridge on Saturday depleting Potter's stock further. For now, his job remains safe and reports suggest the club are willing to give him until the end of the season to turn things around.
But there are currently no signs of a revival, and the possibility of a replacement arriving soon can't be shunned. Here are five potetential candidates to succeed Potter at Chelsea should he get the sack.
1. Mauricio Pochettino
Pochettino has emerged as an early favourite to replace Potter at Stamford Bridge with 90min reporting that the Argentine has already rebuffed an approach from the Blues.
Pochettino hasn't returned to management since leaving Paris Saint-Germain last summer, and many believe he's waiting for a return to Tottenham. Antonio Conte's future in north London is up in the air, potentially opening the door for a Poch reunion.
The 50-year-old isn't believed to be keen on taking the Chelsea job as it stands, but his mind could sway should Conte stick around in N17.
2. Luis Enrique
Enrique's tenure as Spain boss came to an abrupt conclusion after they were dumped out of the 2022 World Cup by Morocco.
Enrique's Spain had earlier impressed the masses, especially at Euro 2020, with their club-like cohesion and there's no doubting the 52-year-old's status as an elite-level coach after his previous tenure at Barcelona.
He hasn't been involved with club coaching since leaving Camp Nou in 2017, but many have also tipped him to become Diego Simeone's successor at Atletico Madrid should El Cholo decide to end his reign.
3. Zinedine Zidane
Since quitting Real Madrid a second time, Zidane had been waiting patiently to take the France job. But Les Bleus' impressive performance in Qatar convinced Didier Deschamps to retain his post as head coach.
Zidane may therefore seek an alternate route back into management.
The Frenchman worked wonders during his two stints in Madrid, helping Los Blancos to three Champions League titles on the bounce.
However, would his rather relaxed style work at Chelsea given their current situation? While he's proven himself to be an excellent coach and an astute tactician in big moments, this doesn't appear to be a great fit given that the project awaiting at Stamford Bridge is in its infancy.
4. Diego Simeone
There's something about Simeone and Chelsea that just makes sense.
His football might be archaic in the eyes of idealists, but El Cholo's philosophy aligns with the very best Chelsea sides of the 21st century. It's hard to imagine this being the route the Blues go down should Potter get axed, but the possibility is intriguing nonetheless.
Simeone could leave Atletico at the end of the season, but there are no guarantees this will be the case and A promising end to 2022/23 will likely convince the Argentine to continue his stay.
5. Thomas Tuchel
Potter's disastrous reign has left Tuchel's stock at an all-time high among Chelsea supporters.
The German masterminded a Champions League triumph during his time as manager, before he was hastily sacked at the start of the 2022/23 season. Plenty of fans are clamouring for his return, although this seems incredibly unlikely given the nature of his departure.
A lot of reconciliation will have to occur if the Blues were to even consider a reunion. Plus, PSG are believed to be sniffing around for Tuchel's services should they part ways with Christophe Galtier. The German guided Les Parisiens to their first and only Champions League final in 2020.
Source : 90min