"It's nice to be back." The words uttered by Frank Lampard as he took his seat for his first Chelsea press conference set the tone for what followed.
There was a degree of familiarity as media members and the Blues boss exchanged nods and other greetings, while Lampard waited for a can of water to help him digest what had happened in the last 48 hours. He had once again been announced as Chelsea boss, even if just until the end of the season.
It was a stunning turnaround from what emerged at Cobham on Monday afternoon. It was confirmed on Sunday evening that Bruno Saltor would be in charge on an interim basis following the departure of Graham Potter, but when the Spaniard emerged from the depths of the training complex there was a degree of tension.
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Bruno had clearly been impacted personally by the removal of Potter, who his entire coaching career had been under to that point; he seemed somewhat reluctant to find himself in the role. The former Brighton star focused on the notion of being 'professional' at a difficult time.
That the moment of change had arrived and little had overall left an element of confusion surrounding Stamford Bridge. Even after the draw with Liverpool Bruno could provide no guarantee beyond that he was heading home to rest after a testing few days.
Lampard was in attendance at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night but still few would have expected that he would call the stadium home once again, at least until the end of the season. Things developed quickly on Wednesday and by Thursday morning a message was disseminated that at press conference was scheduled for 1.30pm, albeit without the details of who would be taking it.
A statement was ready to be released by the club from the morning of the press conference but as each hour went by and the afternoon came, uncertainty over when an announcement would eventually arrived. Journalists arrived with no official confirmation of what to expect and could only wait as time ticked by with no confirmation of Lampard's employment and the start quickly approaching.
It was hard to ignore the hint of a buzz around the Surrey training base. Half-term ensured that supporters were already waiting at the entrance of the training ground hoping for players' autographs and perhaps a glimpse of a returning legend, while the wry smile of security staff told you everything about the busy day they'd had and the hive of activity Cobham had been home to.
It was 1.23pm by the time Chelsea announced Lampard's return to the world and attention could turn to what he would say when he once again arrived in the hot seat after more than two years away.
There was no brashness when Lampard entered the room. Cordial greetings and a priority of a drink of water before the cameras to the waiting world were turned on. Lampard wasted little time in display his affection for the club.
"This is my club," said Chelsea's record goalscorer as he answered his first question.
There was little doubting his sincerity either. The coach, who was sacked by Everton in January, could not hide his smile when talking about his return and had to pause to compose himself when asked about what he will feel when the opportunity to be in the dugout arrives once again.
The 44-year-old was keen to impress that his knowledge of players and the club itself, from training ground to supporters would be of benefit but like Potter and Bruno before him, he would not be drawn away from the day-to-day mentality. Understandably so with the possibility of just 11 games in charge.
His enthusiasm for the job cannot be doubted however, in stark contrast to his predecessor. Now to see if that can be translated to the players, fans and the football pitch.
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