A competitive ball has not even been kicked yet this season, and the stakes already feel increased before Chelsea's final pre-season game against Udinese on Friday evening.
That has mostly been fulled by the shambolic display against Arsenal in Orlando. The confrontational mood of Thomas Tuchel has sparked unwanted comparisons to an irritable Jose Mourinho preceding that disastrous 2015/16 season.
With only four warm-up games on the schedule and another intense campaign afoot that includes a World Cup, the fear amongst supporters is that the Blues are not ready. Even if Friday's game might bring some much-needed encouragement, it is hard to think it can resolve all the wounds picked up on the tour of America.
