Chelsea, Premier League champions in 2005, 2006, 2010, 2015 and 2017 as well as the 2012 Champions League winners, are currently eighth in the English top flight table following Tuesday's comfortable 2-0 defeat to Leicester City.
Club owner Roman Abramovich has fired plenty of managers since 2003 for far less miserable standings — in fact, trigger-happy personnel changes have become his calling card — but current boss Frank Lampard presents a bit of a dilemma for the Russian entrepreneur.
Signing one of the most popular figures of the Abramovich era, a man who lifted many of those trophies listed above, as the London side's talismanic number eight, was a far cry from the usual policy of headhunting the biggest names in soccer club management. It appeared that Roman realised that the quick-fix moves were leaving long-term damage, and sought to build something with solid foundations.
Lampard's short spell in charge of Championship side Derby County in his managerial rookie year was nowhere near the credentials one would expect a boss to take into an interview at Stamford Bridge. But he did offer fresh views and an unwavering loyalty to the club he proudly represented in the middle of the park for 13 years. And, of course, a popular hire will always divert attention away from potential criticism.
It was established pretty early into Lampard's spell as Chelsea manager, beginning in the summer of 2019, that he would be given the time to build something meaningful that the likes of Andre Villas-Boas were not. That meant patience as Lampard attempted to elevate youth prospects into the first team — a particular weakness of the Roman-era Blues — and zero expectations for instant silverware.
Given the club's reputation over the last two decades, many said they'd believe that when they saw it. And indeed, halfway through Lampard's second season in charge, reports that he will soon be removed from his position are snowballing.
The Daily Mail claim the club are looking at German-speaking coaches such as Julian Nagelsmann, Ralf Ragnick and Ralph Hasenhuttl, perhaps in a bid to get more out of recent big-money signings Kai Havertz and Timo Werner. Other sites have criticised Lampard loyalists as "cheerleaders", arguing that five defeats in the last eight games and the prospect of their worst season since the 2003 revolution cannot be ignored.
Of course, recruiting the likes of Havertz and Werner, who were red-hot in the Bundesliga, is indicative of going for honours now, not of a five-year plan. This sort of inner conflict will make it difficult for anyone, let alone a coach as inexperienced as Lampard, to execute a clear vision of any kind.
Regardless, it seems inevitable at this stage that Lampard will be replaced. The bigger question now would be whether the club drop the hammer soon, or write the 2020-21 campaign off and look for a fresh start with a more accomplished CV from the summer.
Lampard's contributions to Chelsea Football Club will not disappear just because the last 18 months did not work out. However like his long-time England midfield team-mate Steven Gerrard, he could do with finding the right job to develop his managerial skills.
Meanwhile, a return to short-termism awaits Abramovich and his West London project. With their firepower and finances, it will surely return them to winning ways and add more hardware to their trophy cabinet. The problems that came with every boss after Jose Mourinho's first spell up until Lampard himself will return, but one cannot shake the feeling that Chelsea feel more comfortable dealing with that than they do attempting to slowly craft something good from scratch.