What would success look like for Maurizio Sarri's Chelsea this season?

Sometimes life comes at you fast.

That will surely be among the thoughts going through Maurizio Sarri's mind, as Chelsea speed through the first pre-season of his life as the eighth permanent manager of Roman Abramovich's ownership.

A little over a week into the job, and he is already charged with getting a side assembled, match fit, and tactically organised, for the Community Shield against Manchester City.

A friendly in Perth last Monday, against the side which finished eighth out of ten in Australia's A-League, told us little.

This was followed on Saturday night by a win on penalties over Inter in Nice. And Wednesday night's trip to Dublin, to face Arsenal in what looks at this stage to be a vastly underpopulated Aviva Stadium, will be the extent of the preparation time he has for Wembley.

The traditional seasonal 'curtain-raiser' is not the showpiece it once was.

Robbed of its status as a formal match some time back, clubs look at it as part of pre-season.

And, as such, victory or defeat are less important than the advancement of the squad, in preparation for the real kick off, less than a week later.

A final friendly, at home to Lyon, will introduce Sarri to Stamford Bridge – and vice versa – before the opening day trip to Huddersfield.

Sarri's competitive Chelsea career will commence in the unlikely surrounds of the Kirklees Stadium: a place where Antonio Conte's Blues romped to a 1-3 win before Christmas.

It would be unfair to compare whatever result transpires with that exercise in plain sailing.

This is David Wagner's fourth season in charge of The Terriers, and even he would probably agree that his design of football is an easier thing to drill into a side than the eponymous 'Sarri-ball' (a term of which most have surely already become tired).

Also remember how Conte's first season at Chelsea began: his eventual title-winners looked pretty lost in the opening half-dozen games.

Which is not to say Sarri's Chelsea should be expected to reach such heights.

The Premier League is under the control of a far more established power now: in the form of Pep Guardiola's Manchester City – who are already odds-on favourites for the title.

Liverpool have spent massively on reinforcements over the summer, and there is truth (for once) in Jose Mourinho's words that an inability to turn that into trophies would be a failure.

There is no easy start in the Premier League these days, and Chelsea's season opening this year confirms that.

After Huddersfield comes the visit of Arsenal, a trip to Newcastle, and Bournemouth at The Bridge – all before the first international break.

Having been a World Cup summer, Sarri will receive many of his most able players late in the day – they have been given leave until this coming weekend, and will take at least another three weeks to understand Sarri's methods as well as their team-mates.

There then comes another burden, the likes of which Conte did not have to bear in his first season: the first of six Europa League group matches, on 20 September.

Sarri's calendar will be far fuller than that of his predecessor, at least to start. And the gains his fellow Italian managed, in terms of post-match recovery time, will be depleted.

Conte was charged with returning Chelsea to what is seen as their rightful place in the top four; and with winning a cup of some sort as a bonus.

Sarri's objectives are the same, though the odds are stacked slightly higher against him.

But, should Chelsea earn a place in next season's Champions League group stage draw, then this season will be seen as a business success.

A greater sign of footballing success, and one which might benefit his longer term prospects more, would be if he can get this side playing to the heights that he wrought out of Napoli.

Manage that, and he will have little problem winning over fans and critics, as well as the bean counters.