That a Premier League club are too good to go down has become a tired adage, and the phrase will certainly be put to sleep if Tottenham Hotspur's fears are realised and they are relegated this season.
Last year's Europa League champions have been in freefall for a while now. Thomas Frank could not stem the toxic flow, and Igor Tudor only aggravated matters before being dismissed after 44 days.
This is an injury-riddled, confidence-shorn team, lacking fight and conviction. It's pretty bleak, all right, with the 18th-place side now in need of a sharp upswing under the fresh management of Roberto De Zerbi.
However, Spurs are good enough to stay up. They are certainly among the biggest clubs in the country, with the current advanced discussions with Bournemouth defender Marcos Senesi's camp a testament to that.
Spurs in advanced talks to sign Marcos Senesi
It's a funny old business, football. Tottenham might be hurled into the second tier of the English game, and yet they have moved ahead of Barcelona and a host of Premier League outfits for Senesi, one of the Premier League's most in-demand defenders.
The prospective bid is conditional, of course, with Senesi not willing to join a Spurs side who will be playing their football in the second tier, but even so, this is another illustration of the magnitude of Tottenham's task, with the future bright if they do manage to stave off this huge threat.
It has recently been reported that Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea are all contenders for the 28-year-old, whose contract expires this summer. However, Tottenham have stolen ahead in spite of their current predicament.
Senesi is an experienced Premier League defender who is approaching the end of his fourth year at the Vitality Stadium. He has a lot more to give, especially for a Spurs side who could make use of his natural on-the-ball progression.
Senesi would not augment the current crop at Tottenham, but instead help shape the next phase. Should Tottenham capture the Argentina international's signature, it may spell the end for one of the club's biggest stars.
The Spurs star who could be finished if Senesi signs
Tottenham have been rotten to the core this season, and while Cristian Romero is one of the most talented players at the club, he has left an awful lot to be desired.
The skipper was agonisingly injured against Sunderland, shoved into Antonin Kinsky by Brian Brobbey during a tussle. He is not expected to recover fitness before the end of the season, with his World Cup spot also jeopardised.
It's a cruel end to his Lilywhites career. Even if Tottenham avoid relegation this term, Romero is expected to depart on a free transfer this summer, with Cuti and his camp expecting the opportunity to search for a new challenge at the end of the season.
In truth, a clean break might be best for all parties. Romero has hardly been the perfect captain for this struggling side, picking up any number of bookings and red cards that have hindered the London club in their fight for revival.
Club legend Chris Waddle, speaking to Football FanCast, has even asserted that the 2022 World Cup winner "never really wanted to be at Tottenham", supposedly envisaging a future with one of the Spanish superpowers.
Whether that claim is true is another question. Romero is hot-headed and erratic at times, but he's certainly not dispassionate, as his tears revealed when injured against Sunderland last time out.
There is bound to be interest in Romero's signature this summer. He is a brilliant defender who could thrive in Spain or Italy, for example. However, whether ENIC Group will manage to find a suitor willing to meet their £87m valuation is another question, especially if they fall into the Championship.
However, moves are already being made for a top player such as Senesi. His technical quality and ranged passing suggests that his arrival would come as Romero departs, and if that is to be the case, maybe it wouldn't be the worst outcome in the world for a Spurs side who have staved off the unthinkable threat of relegation.