The paradox in which Chelsea have placed themselves was laid bare on the opening weekend of the new Premier League season, far beyond just their 2-0 defeat by Manchester City.
Owners obsessed with building a long-term vanity project, while at the same time seemingly demanding instant success. A club constantly signing new players as if they were collectables, then not naming any of them in the starting XI.
There will no doubt be crumbs of comfort taken from positive statistics and some of the signs Chelsea showed against the champions, but there shouldn't be. It all pales into insignificance given the scale of issues Enzo Maresca must somehow navigate.
Following a summer that had more than a hint of imminent disaster, Raheem Sterling's camp made sure he - rather than (God forbid) the football - took prime focus in the build-up to kick-off via the unusual act of releasing a statement when their client wasn't named in the matchday squad.
"Sometimes players don't like it (being left out). That's normal," said Maresca. While he may be right, there's very little about Chelsea that anyone would describe as close to normal.
Perhaps that is why in a desperate pursuit of some blissful state of calm, he named a starting XI exclusively of players on the books last season; no mean feat considering they've made 11 signings, sold a handful of first-teamers and seemingly jettisoned Conor Gallagher, Ben Chilwell, Trevoh Chalobah and, it would appear, Sterling.
Among the XI were Marc Cucurella, Enzo Fernandez and Cole Palmer, all of whom reached the final of either the Euros or Copa America little over a month ago.
No such players were included in the Manchester City team, with none who progressed beyond the quarter-finals in their XI; Cucurella's karaoke partner Rodri wasn't even on the bench.
When Chelsea's left-back went down injured and limped off after 80 minutes, it should have come as no surprise.
Appointing a fifth different manager in two years fairly reflects the short-termism of Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital. That attitude is bound to infect your manager, even one pure in his ideology, stubbornly focused on embedding a patient style of play over the long-term and insistent that things will take time.
When time is something you're unlikely to get, it's amazing how quickly someone's pureness dilutes.
The sight of Boehly rushing into the sanctity of the executive lounge after Mateo Kovacic made the game safe to put the seal on an afternoon that began with Sterling's public tantrum neatly encapsulates this tawdry, never-ending affair.
As does the fact only one player from Chelsea's starting XI in their Champions League final win over City three years ago started at Stamford Bridge on Sunday: the man who sent Chelsea's chairman scuttling off with six minutes to play.
And it was Boehly who sold him.
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