Antonio Conte's decision to sanction a new one-year deal for Chelsea captain John Terry was the first of many big calls the Italian must make at Stamford Bridge during the summer.
Despite having to fulfil his obligations as Italy manager at Euro 2016, there is no doubt that since agreeing to become the new Chelsea boss at the beginning of April, Conte has been planning how he will restore the London club's fortunes, which have waned dramatically since they won the Premier League a year ago.
Fitness will be key to the number of games Terry adds to his phenomenal haul of 703 appearances for Chelsea, but Conte clearly understands the additional benefits the 35-year old can bring, not only in the dressing room and on the training ground but also in helping him build a bridge of trust with fans whose patience has been sorely tested by events during the past 12 months.
With Terry's future secured, Chelsea followers are more likely to be supportive of Conte when it comes to other key decisions about positions that have proved problematic for his recent predecessors.
Left-back is a prime case in point. Ashley Cole had excelled in the position at Chelsea for seven seasons, but the return of Jose Mourinho to manage the Blues for a second time in June 2013 spelt the beginning of the end of Cole's career at Stamford Bridge.
Mourinho, who had originally signed Cole from Arsenal in August 2006, phased the defender out of the team during the course of the 2013-14 season, favouring right-footed right-back Cesar Azpilicueta. The Spaniard, a £7 million signing from Marseille in August 2012, arrived during the short managerial reign of Roberto Di Matteo. He soon found himself jockeying for the right-back position with Branislav Ivanovic -- a duel that continued during the brief tenure of interim boss Rafael Benitez, who replaced Di Matteo when the Italian was sacked in November 2012.
Cole was released in the summer of 2014, and the signing of specialist left-back Filipe Luis from Atletico Madrid for £15.8 million, coupled Ryan Bertrand leaving on loan, suggested Mourinho had made his mind up about the position.
However, Azpilicueta's form, the immovable presence of Ivanovic at right-back and Chelsea's searing start to what was to be an emphatic title-winning campaign saw the Portuguese stick to his makeshift template.
Given the Blues' dominance in the top flight, the permanent sale of Bertrand for £10 million to Southampton in February 2015 -- while frustrating to those keen on seeing youth progress -- was largely ignored up until July that year. Chelsea then sold Luis back to Atletico for an undisclosed fee and subsequently spent £21.7 million on Augsburg left-back Baba Rahman.
With Bertrand excelling at Southampton, the acquisition for such an astronomical sum of 21-year old Baba, widely reported to have been driven by Chelsea technical director Michael Emenalo, heaped unwarranted pressure on the Ghana international.
Chelsea's title defence speedily unravelling and Mourinho losing his job amid tales of dressing room angst would hardly have been the best environment for Baba to walk into. Yet sympathy was in short supply as critics rounded on the youngster following a couple of jittery early performances.
Despite this, Baba's pace, ability to read the game and get forward to make telling crosses shone through in Champions League games against Dynamo Kiev and Paris Saint-Germain. However his confidence was then given a massive knock by interim manager Guus Hiddink. The Dutchman hauled the defender off at half-time in a 2-1 win at Southampton on Feb. 27, following a mistake which allowed Saints' striker Shane Long to score.
Hiddink publicly lambasting and dropping Baba was risible, but the youngster appears to have had the last laugh. The long term injury sustained by Kurt Zouma and subsequent problems encountered by both Terry and Ivanovic forced the Dutchman's hand. Shorn of realistic options at left-back as Chelsea's campaign came to a drawn out end, Baba found himself back in the side and grew in stature and composure with every game.
Conte will have been impressed with Baba's standout performances in the Blues' final two games of the season, away at Liverpool where he provided the assist for Eden Hazard's goal, and at home to champions Leicester City when he shackled outstanding PFA Player of the Year Riyad Mahrez.
It's been a character-forming Premier League baptism for him, but a solid preseason under Conte could see him establish himself as Chelsea's first-choice left-back.
Another problem solved for the Italian that doesn't require much effort or expense will give Blues fans yet more reasons to be cheerful, though they are unlikely to doff their caps to Emenalo for his wisdom in signing the player just yet.