Chelsea may have fallen to defeat in the FA Cup final, but even in the event of a victory, the difficulties of the season won't have been covered up.
The long-term vision of the club has been brought into question once again after another head coach dismissal and uncertainty over the signings made in the past year.
Recent reports have suggested that Xabi Alonso may be the next Chelsea manager to stand in the Stamford Bridge dugout, with plans of taking the club forward after a stop-start time under the Blueco ownership.
If the former Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen coach is to take the role, there are several areas he will need to address to find some improvements, including one that was made abundantly clear as a problem area in the FA Cup final defeat to Manchester City.
Chelsea have wide area concerns Xabi Alonso must solve
Chelsea's Marc Cucurella leaves the pitch after he is sent off
One of the first tasks Alonso must undertake is finding a way of playing that will suit the current Chelsea players available to him within the squad, as it's unlikely that a massive transfer splurge will be on the way to give him all the players he wants or needs.
The main choice will have to be between the back five system that brought him success at Bayer Leverkusen, or the back four that he switched to while at Real Madrid.
In either instance, there are concerns over one area in particular: Out wide.
On the right there is ample width with Reece James and Malo Gusto as full-back options, both of whom are more than capable going up and back and either could feature at full-back or wing-back.
Looking at the left, there are doubts that either Marc Cucurella or Jorrel Hato could play as wing-backs, particularly the former, who played as a left-winger against Man City in the FA Cup final.
The Spaniard didn't have the running power required to get up and back as effectively as some of the best wing-backs out there, while he also lacked the attacking threat that is also needed.
While Cucurella could suit playing as a left-back in a back four, there are then doubts over the wide options ahead of him, with both Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho failing to impress much during their stints at Stamford Bridge so far.
Estevao's long-term injury, followed up by the poor form of Cole Palmer on the right, only compounds the issue in that key area of the pitch.
It was underlined particularly at Wembley when players were unable to get close enough to Joao Pedro to combine and create attacking opportunities.
So, even before Alonso's arrival, it's clear that the wide areas must be looked at, whether that's for full-backs and wingers, or just wing-backs.
Once that is resolved, there is a fully fit starting lineup that could beat anyone in the division, with the task then being to provide depth or keep those players fit for long enough to compete throughout the whole season.
Chelsea transfer conundrum
boehly chelsea winstanley
Regardless of their need to sign some improvements to the squad in the transfer market, there is a conundrum that the Chelsea hierarchy now faces.
The Blues are all-but confirmed to miss out on Champions League football for next season, bar a series of events happening in their favour, while they run the risk of missing out on European football altogether.
Given the lack of revenue that would then follow, there is a possibility that the club needs to sell before they can buy anyone that can improve the team.
The issue is that the only players who are likely to fetch the fees that the team needs will be the ones they are desperate to keep hold of because of their quality.
That leads to a conundrum over who to keep and who to let go, while Alonso himself may have to do some work to keep others at Stamford Bridge who may want to leave.
In all, it points to an awkward time ahead to ensure that all of these moving parts can work in harmony to get Chelsea back to where they think they should be.
Whether Alonso's possible arrival can start that forward momentum again remains to be seen, but pressure is building on the boardroom at Stamford Bridge to get the next few moves right.
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