Chelsea players are mentally fatigued by Maurizio Sarri's regime, with his over-detailed training sessions identified as one of the reasons for their swift decline in the last six weeks, and the manager is likely to be sacked if the club are heavily defeated by Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final.
Thomas Tuchel, the coach at Paris Saint-Germain, has been suggested by one intermediary used by the club as next year's replacement but PSG will not allow their coach to go unless they want to replace him.
Zinedine Zidane seems less likely, given the nature of the job, which essentially requires rebuilding the squad while under a one-year transfer ban, imposed by FIFA on Friday for breaking rules in recruiting youth players from overseas.
Maurizio Sarri is is likely to be sacked if Chelsea are heavily defeated in the Carabao Cup final
Even if Chelsea's appeal delays the ban, the club will not have much to spend in the summer given that they are likely to be in the Europa League at best next season and have already committed £58million on buying Christian Pulisic, who is on loan at Borussia Dortmund.
Some are questioning the system they have been asked to play. Sarri has even been asked directly by one senior player whether N'Golo Kante can return to his usual holding role to add more defensive stability.
There is widespread bewilderment at the persistence with this 4-3-3 now that it has been exposed by so many teams. Training sessions seem very truncated, according to those present.
Sarri's over-detailed training sessions identified as one of the reasons for their swift decline
Antonio Rudiger's recent comments resonated: training is like being back at school, but not in a good way. The defensive unit may have five minutes being addressed by Sarri on positioning, while the attacking unit waits around. The roles can be reversed a few minutes later.
Sarri works principally on what is known as 'phase of play'. Essentially, it's what position to take up and which passes to look for as an opponent's attack breaks down and you transition into attack; or, as your own attack breaks down and you transition into defence. While all top coaches work obsessively on these transitions, under Sarri it has become a joyless exercise.
The decline is possibly explained by the fact that the worse Chelsea get, the more time Sarri feels he has to spend explaining instructions; conversely this has had the effect of some players engaging even less.
Some players want Sarri to adapt and play 4-2-3-1, with Kante holding alongside Jorginho and with Eden Hazard as a No 10. It would have the bonus of affording more opportunities to Callum Hudson-Odoi out wide.
However, Sarri has made it clear that in his first season he wants to stick with a core of players who he feels can understand and implement his tactics.
The problem is that even his core players now don't appear to be able to implement what he wants. Goals conceded since the new year have been a mixture of counter-attacks, set pieces and sustained pressure.
For all the focus on Jorginho, overwhelmed as a single holding midfielder, none of the back four now seem sure of their positioning and there are tactical weaknesses all around. It has been a spectacular fall from grace for Sarri. It is only 11 weeks ago that he beat City, 2-0 at home.
He seemed ready to adapt then, after two early-warning defeats to Tottenham and Wolves. Against City he had played largely on the counter-attack, though Chelsea did press City high up the pitch, so it was still recognisably Sarriball. Yet there seemed more flexibility.
It is widely understood that Sarri is now a man on borrowed time, as Chelsea's woes increase
Sarri himself noted admiringly that Kante played closer to Jorginho (though he still offered a surging run to score the opener). Defensively they looked a coherent unit. Just two months later, in the return fixture, they were a mess and 4-0 down in 25 minutes.
