Thomas Frank has been sacked, and it will come as a surprise to very few of the Tottenham Hotspur faithful, who have been not so much disillusioned as dismayed at their team's struggles throughout the campaign.
A strong Champions League group stage has been little more than a veneer over dreadful Premier League form. Spurs have won two of their past 17 matches in the top flight and were beaten at home against Newcastle United on Tuesday evening. They are also out of both domestic cups.
The greatest surprise is that Frank lasted as long as he did. The Danish coach's positive moments at the helm were few and far between, far removed from a long tenure with Brentford that was universally applauded.
Now, he's gone, and Tottenham need to appoint a successor quickly, with the North London Derby - at home - 11 days away.
The latest on Spurs' managerial hunt
John Heitinga is the obvious choice to step in and lead Tottenham for the remainder of the campaign. Frank's assistant manager, appointed in January, was Arne Slot's deputy as Liverpool won the Premier League last season, and he managed Ajax briefly at the start of the current campaign.
The chants for Mauricio Pochettino chimed across the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as Newcastle secured all three points. The Argentine manager is leading USMNT out for the World Cup in North America this year, but perhaps ENIC Group spy an opportunity to place Heitinga in charge before moving for the club's one-time manager at the end of the term.
However, there is another option, one which could be enacted immediately.
As per talkSPORT, Roberto De Zerbi is in contention for the vacancy down N17, having been dismissed from his post in Ligue 1 with Marseille this week. It's stated that the Lilywhites have a long-standing admiration for the manager.
This has since been corroborated by TEAMtalk, who stress that past Lilywhite interest in the Italian tactician came to nought due to his reservations about working with Daniel Levy and Fabio Paratici, neither of whom is still at the club.
Why De Zerbi could be the perfect appointment
De Zerbi would bring fresh ideas and an electric style of football to Tottenham. There's no doubt that Pochettino understands the Londoners and what makes them tick better than most, but Spurs run the risk of regression by turning to a former face.
And it isn't as if De Zerbi is without Premier League experience.
Pochettino won't be available until the start of next season, and while that may suit Spurs, De Zerbi is there for the taking, and he's been hailed as a "genius" by Statman Dave in the past for his controlled and aggressive brand of football.
Unity and coherence have not been staples of the Frank era at Tottenham. In fact, the football has been so stale at times that player movement and understanding appeared to have crusted over.
And let's not forget that the wheels came flying off for Poch after that agonising defeat in the 2019 Champions League final against Liverpool.
It was November 19th, 2019, and Tottenham were 14th in the Premier League. Domestic results at the end of the previous season also factored in.
Football, Pochettino, Tottenham. All are in a different place now, but whether moving back for the South American coach would be a good idea is open to debate, especially with an innovative coach in the 46-year-old De Zerbi on the market.
It's worth noting Tottenham's second-place position in that chart, when Angeball was at its peak, even against a second-half-of-season collapse that came as a by-product of excessive injuries.
De Zerbi's Brighton were a force to be reckoned with, so difficult to prepare against. There is a reason that English winger Jonathan Rowe hailed him as "one of the best coaches in the world."
While there is a romanticism about moving for Pochettino, that ship may have sailed, and perhaps it would be best to mark a new chapter in north London rather than turning back the page.