As Chelsea's season gradually petered out in 2015/16, Guus Hiddink remained adamant he was targeting European qualification for the club.
The Blues were already out of the Premier League title race by the time he returned for a second spell as interim manager, replacing the sacked Jose Mourinho in December.
The FA Cup and UEFA Champions League were the Dutchman's only opportunities of silverware that would have provided European football for this season, while Chelsea had an outside shot of qualifying through the Premier League.
As such, the debate that ensued was: Given Chelsea's position, would it benefit the club to take a year out of Europe, thus playing less games and focusing on developing a team to serve beyond one season?