4 Things a New Coach Must Address Straight Away for Chelsea

Whether Jose Mourinho makes a glorious return to Stamford Bridge this summer or another coach takes the reigns, Chelsea's new manager will have a number of important decisions to make.

Whoever the new coach is, what is certain is that he will have his work cut out for him. After a disappointing season by Chelsea's standards, the club will be looking for a man that can lead the Blues in the Champions League (assuming they qualify), as well as winning at least one domestic title, preferably the Premier League.

But before all of this, there a a few more immediate issues that the new coach will have to take care of. Here are four of the main things that the new manager will have to address.

New Contracts

A few months ago, Frank Lampard seemed set to be on his way out of Stamford Bridge as soon as his contract ended. However, some surprising rumors have been surrounding the issue in recent days, and it seems as though the new manager might have a big influence on whether the Chelsea legend stays or goes.

John Terry is another player with an expiring contract. He has one year left on his current deal, but Chelsea will have to decide soon whether they will extend his contract or let him leave. This decision will lie mostly with the club, but the new manager will have at least some impact on it.

There are certain other players, such as Florent Malouda, who look certain to leave.

New Signings

Chelsea have been linked with a number of new players, such as Radamel Falcao and Andre Schurrle.

However, such expensive deals may not be necessary. Although the new manager may want to bolster Chelsea's attack for the right price, there is no point spending £50 million or more on a striker who they may not need—but more on that later.

A defensive midfielder, on the other hand, is a player that the new coach may want to sign sooner rather than later.

Who Will Be the Captain?

John Terry has missed much of this season, and a question mark still hangs over his long-term future. The new manager will have to decide quickly whether they intend to play Terry every match and, consequently, if they still want to keep Terry as the club's regular captain.

With Lampard possibly on his way out, it is uncertain who might step up in Terry's place. Petr Cech, Juan Mata, Branislav Ivanovic, and David Luiz are all possible long term replacements, but you get the feeling that it will still be captain Terry for the time being.

The Attacking Situation

All of the previous decisions will have an impact on the attacking situation one way or another, but the new manager will have a few deliberations regarding this particular dilemma.

Fernando Torres has been much criticized this season. However, the striker has managed more than 20 goals in all competitions. Romelu Lukaku has shined on loan with West Brom and will be staking his claim for a starting place.

The new coach also has the option of granting a regular starting role to January transfer Demba Ba or possibly even a new transfer. Much will be decided once play starts, but at least some choices will need to be made so that Chelsea can make the necessary purchases and sales sooner rather than later.