The future of Roberto De Zerbi at Tottenham Hotspur has been called into question following the latest defeat to Aston Villa, with GIVEMESPORT senior correspondent Ben Jacobs revealing the latest on the situation on Thursday afternoon.
Tottenham fans were excited about the season ahead after the positive impact the Italian manager made at the end of last season, as he ensured Spurs didn't drop into the Championship.
Ten new faces and a £300m+ summer spend followed, and the expectation was that the north London outfit had a good chance of competing again for the European spots in the Premier League.
That hasn't been the case so far though, and they look as bad as they were last season right now, lying bottom of the standings having taken two points from their opening five matches.
Defensively there are some concerns, as shown by conceding three times at home to Aston Villa at the weekend, but the biggest worry is in the final third with the two goals they scored against Unai Emery's men their first in the Premier League this term.
With no improvement in performances and results so far, it's no surprise that De Zerbi is already starting to be questioned, even if it isn't being suggested he leaves now during the international break.
There is certainly a big game for the former Brighton boss after the international break, when they face Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Carrick is also being questioned following an underwhelming start to the campaign which has seen the Red Devils win just two of their opening seven fixtures in all competitions.
Speaking on the latest episode of GMS' Market Madness podcast on Thursday afternoon, Jacobs revealed the latest on the De Zerbi situation at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadiium.
He said: "Roberto De Zerbi joined on a long-term project and my feeling with Tottenham is there's not really a sporting infrastructure in place to make a decision.
"If these results continue, all these well-run clubs have to think about a succession plan. I'm not expecting a surprise departure in the international break, but he will know results need to improve quickly.
Behind the scenes at Tottenham they are relatively calm and I'm still told the intent is to explore whether another sporting official, a co-sporting director or some form of senior executive is necessary.
"Maybe only after they find that name in whatever capacity will they start to understand if they need to assess Roberto De Zerbi.
"He came in for a long-term project and some of the teething problems that have slowed Spurs down have been expected. I don't think De Zebri felt everything was going to improve overnight, but there's no doubt they don't look any better than they did last season, and we're in a results-driven business, so Carrick and De Zerbi, to some degree, are in the same boat."
Tottenham Chiefs Right to Stand By De Zerbi
Tottenham chiefs made a big investment into the De Zerbi project when they appointed him, handing him a five-year contract and giving him a big say in their transfer business.
To perform a U-turn on that five games into the season would be madness, and the Italian deserves longer to turn things around at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
He showed at times at the end of last season that he could galvanise these players, and perhaps more time is needed to get their 10 summer signings up to speed and firing like he believes they are able to do.
There have been some glimpses of hope from their matches in recent weeks, including Liverpool away in the EFL Cup, but there is no doubt that the players need to show more if they are to start climbing up the Premier League table.
Highest-Paid Premier League Managers:
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Roberto De Zerbi and Enzo Maresca (£12m)
De Zerbi is in this for the long haul, and it is a project where things could get worse before they get better, but there has to be trust in the 47-year-old that improvements will follow.
We all know the pressures of being a Premier League manager and if Tottenham are beaten by Man United after the international break, then their game at home to newly-promoted Coventry City the following week takes on extra significance.
There would be no better opportunity to pick up their first league win of the season, and if they fail then serious questions would need to be asked whether De Zerbi really is the right man for the job.