When Luiz Felipe Scolari addresses his squad before conducting his first training session at Cobham on July 7, the new Chelsea manager will have a far easier task than his predecessor. Unlike Avram Grant, who took more than six months to earn the grudging respect of his players, Scolari will have their immediate backing, possessing the credentials and charisma to leave even established internationals quaking in their boots.

Scolari, the ultimate hired hand who has spent 25 years traipsing across three continents to earn a living, cannot believe his luck in finding a club willing to pay him £5.5million a year, but his good fortune extends far beyond his enormous salary.

After coaching possibly the most talented collection of players in Portuguese history, the Brazilian will inherit a Chelsea squad packed with ability but also the right attitude, with many of the players still smarting after their first season without a trophy in four years.

With a World Cup triumph on his CV, Scolari's appointment is unlikely to be questioned by the Chelsea players, despite his faltering English, but if they do harbour doubts, he has three ready-made lieutenants to put them right. Ricardo Carvalho, Paulo Ferreira and José Bosingwa have thrived under Scolari for Portugal and will be eager to champion his merits.

In John Terry, Scolari will find his perfect on-field representative, as he is understood to have told a friend more than a year ago that the Chelsea captain was his favourite player in the world. Scolari admires the England centre back for his commitment and endeavour, seeing a more refined version of his younger self when he was an uncompromising defender nicknamed “The Truck”.

Scolari is likely to limit himself to a spot of tweaking, altering the formation to his preferred 4-2-3-1 and encouraging greater flair. With that in mind, his priorities in the transfer market will be attacking wide players, such as Franck Ribéry and Robinho, and a replacement for Didier Drogba, with Fernando Torres being the dream signing.