There are a multitude of factors behind Chelsea's miserable season, but as the weeks go by, it's hard not to dwell on the decision to part company with Thomas Tuchel back in September - a move that looks madder by the minute.
Tuchel's exit, which came less than 24 hours after a humbling Champions League defeat against Dinamo Zagreb, felt incredibly harsh at the time considering his achievements at the club.
And after months of navigating the Stamford Bridge outfit through stormy waters amid the uncertainty prior to Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital's takeover, Tuchel was casually cast overboard by the new ownership just weeks after the deal was rubber-stamped.
Eight months, three coaches and over £300million in January transfer fees later, the rudderless Blues have sunk to the bottom half of the Premier League and are seemingly no better off under caretaker manager Frank Lampard, who has lost all six of his games since returning to the dugout.
Already, several of the decisions made by the Boehly regime have been openly scrutinised. Thiago Silva painted a fairly bleak outlook following Chelsea's Champions League exit earlier this month.
And now comments from Kai Havertz over the club's shock decision to axe Tuchel speak volumes in the wake of their current plight. Speaking to Sky Germany, via Kicker, Havertz said: "Everything that could go wrong went wrong for us this year. The season actually started relatively quietly even though we had a change of ownership, which was a big change for the whole club.
"And then Thomas Tuchel was fired, which of course always makes a big difference in a team like this when you've been successful with a coach and then he gets fired out of nowhere."
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Although Havertz went on to stress that Chelsea's beleaguered - and bloated - playing squad must shoulder a portion of the blame for their shoddy form, his comments hint that the new club hierarchy made the wrong call in getting rid of Tuchel, who has since landed the top job at Bayern Munich.
Chelsea, meanwhile, are taking their time in the search for Graham Potter's successor. The former Brighton boss was axed just six months after arriving as a head coach capable of fulfilling the club's long-term plans.
Former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino appears to be the frontrunner for the role following positive talks with Boehly and the Blues hierarchy. He certainly possesses the credentials to ensure Chelsea get back on track next season.
But then again, some may argue that Boehly and co. already had a coach of that calibre in place right at the start of their premiership.
