Tottenham are slumping towards the second tier.
It's as bleak as it can get in north London right now. The Igor Tudor punt hasn't yet come off, with the group of players at his disposal struggling to buy in.
Tudor's brief tenure so far hasn't been defined by drastic tactical failings. His inability to boost this broken squad has been more damning, but it says more about the personnel rather than the man on the touchline, who's been thrust into a terrible situation.
The senior players continue to let the club down, whether that's through a lack of care or discipline. Micky van de Ven, who's sauntered through the past few weeks as if he's above it all, was the latest to spark a nadir. His sending off on Thursday night caused a rapid collapse after a moment of respite, leading to yet another Premier League defeat.
The light at the end of the tunnel is merely an oncoming train, so it's time for Tudor to turn to the kids. The fearlessness of youth may ignite something deep within, and Spurs are blessed with a talented crop of homegrown teenagers.
Here are three academy starlets who could help save Tottenham from the threat of relegation.
I suspect that if Mauricio Pochettino or even José Mourinho were in the home dugout at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Lucá Williams-Barnett would've had ample opportunities to prove himself ready for the big stage.
The crafty attacking midfielder has made fools of teenagers up and down the country all season, and Frank did hand Williams-Barnett his first-team debut last September, becoming the youngest-ever player to appear in the League Cup for Spurs.
Mikey Moore was the talent on the tip of everybody's tongues last season, and his potential was teased before his Rangers loan, but Williams-Barnett is the shiny new toy pretty much every supporter wants to see more of.
There's a serious emotional void at this football club, with the connection between players, manager and fans at its lowest ebb. However, escaping the feeling the emptiness doesn't require anything drastic. Simply giving the club's youth a chance is enough to restore something, whatever that may be. Williams-Barnett is the most gifted at Tottenham's disposal, and the Lilywhites have nothing to lose by trusting him.
This team needs personality.
A desperate situation at home to Borussia Dortmund in January forced Frank to turn to the academy, as the highly-rated Jun'ai Byfield appeared for the final 30 minutes of Tottenham's 2-0 victory.
With Tudor unlikely to deviate from a back three and seemingly one senior centre-back having to be suspended at all times, there should be an opening for the 17-year-old to at least play some minutes before the end of the season. The outside right centre-back role particularly suits his skill set, and he should certainly be above Radu DrÄguÈin in the pecking order.
If we can retain a backline of Kevin Danso, Cristian Romero and Van de Ven once the Dutchman returns from his ban, we should be okay. But, if any of the aforementioned three are unavailable, Tudor must opt against square pegs in round holes and instead trust someone who, despite his youth, has an excellent grasp of the position.
Remarkably, 17-year-old winger Tynan Thompson hasn't come particularly close to making his senior bow, especially after a bright pre-season. Frank had Djed Spence doing left-wing shifts over the talented teenager, who shone in the UEFA Youth League this season.
Thompson scored seven in seven against European opposition, and has developed nicely into a multi-faceted winger who boasts lightning-quick feet and an eye for goal.
Competent clubs would be handing a talent like Thompson first-team minutes here and there to aid his development, without compromising his joy at youth level. Like Williams-Barnett, age-group football has appeared beyond the winger.
And considering no moves were made by Johan Lange to replace Brennan Johnson or mitigate Mohammed Kudus' injury, Tudor still has few options out wide. Mathys Tel and Randal Kolo Muani are the only two capable of hugging the touchline after Wilson Odobert succumbed to an ACL tear. Thompson seems like an exciting, high-upside solution that's currently being ignored.