It is less than two weeks since Frank Lampard returned to Chelsea as caretaker manager in a move intended to reinvigorate both fans and players, but the outlook is now darker than ever.

Tuesday's 2-0 loss to Real Madrid made it four in a row under the former midfielder, ending any hope of salvaging silverware from a dismal season and all but ensuring Chelsea, 11th in the Premier League, will not feature in next season's Champions League at all.

Even a Europa League finish looks beyond them right now but is it any surprise a man who was deemed unsuitable for the job only two years ago has been unable to reverse their slide? What chance of new manager bounce when the manager in question is not new?