The reaction of Tottenham’s players at the end of their 2-1 defeat to Fulham on Sunday spoke perfectly to the mood around the club.
Spurs’ top goalscorer had come off the bench in the second half to give the north London club a lifeline they could not fully grasp, and there seemed an admittance from the 28-year-old that the severity of the club’s situation was now very much weighing on his mind.
For much of this season, relegation has felt improbable. Now there is no mistaking that Spurs are involved in a battle to beat the drop.
The Croat admits his side must improve in every aspect. With 10 league games to go, that is a worrying assessment. Forget a new manager bounce, Tudor is already speaking like someone on the warpath.
“Difficult moment, difficult situation, but only way is to come tomorrow on the training and try to do better, better things,” he added.
Tudor would not have been naive to the size of the job on his hands, but he has already acknowledged that it has been more difficult than he envisaged.
“We are lack when we attack, we are lacking of the quality to score the goal, we are lacking in the middle to run and we are lacking behind to stay there to suffer and not concede the goal. So, an amazing situation. Amazing,”
One of the most pertinent things Frank said during his ill-fated spell in charge was that it was as much a risk not to take risks in possession. Spurs’ players have not heeded their former manager's words of warning.
Against Fulham, Spurs managed just one shot on target. As much as they were open at the back, they were insipid with the ball. The safe pass, the hurried clearance into touch, the positional rigidity, it was a performance utterly devoid of inspiration.
Tudor has had time on the training ground, yet Spurs are still a team in the image of Frank. The direction of travel for this squad is troubling, and every game feels like a final.
With a four-point buffer to 18th-place West Ham, Spurs know that even a couple of results could drag them to safety. The fact is, though, with two wins in their last 19 league games, it's unclear where those wins will come from, and they could be reliant on results around them going their way, with West Ham and Nottingham Forest facing trickier run-ins.