Tottenham Hotspur are in a rut, but they have more than enough quality to stave off the threat of relegation from the Premier League and rediscover that confidence levels that have evaporated across the course of the season.
And yet, this is an unprecedented situation for the north Londoners, who have never been more imperilled and have any number of issues that no one has been able to find a solution for.
Time is running out. Spurs are now staring down the barrel of a gun, and they need to find some points from somewhere, with relegation rivals Nottingham Forest and West Ham United both in better nick, even a point behind as they both are.
The big question, then, is if Igor Tudor is the right man to lead Spurs forward over the business months of the campaign.
Why Spurs should sack Igor Tudor
Since replacing Thomas Frank on an interim basis one month ago, Tudor's tenure has been a disaster. Tottenham have lost all four matches in the Premier League, with the error-strewn defeat against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League adding insult to injury.
It feels like the Croatian, 47, has failed to rouse the rabble. Cristian Romero is back from suspension, but the Lilywhites lost Micky van de Ven during their home defeat to Crystal Palace last week, and the irreplaceable Dutchman will miss Sunday's trip to Anfield.
In fact, pundit Stephen Warnock has said that he has "lost the changing room", and if Tottenham want to avoid relegation, they may need to wipe the slate clean once again.
Who to appoint, though, in his stead? Pickings are slim, and no mistake, but TEAMtalk reveal that Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe, long admired by the Londoners, could be the perfect pick, should several variables fall into the right places.
This is conditional. Former Newcastle United Director Amanda Staveley, who led the charge as a Saudi-backed consortium purchased the St. James' Park club in 2021, is mooted to be interested in bidding for Tottenham, and her consortium would look to place the English coach in the dugout. The cost of such a takeover would be a mammoth £3billion.
Howe's future at the Magpies helm is by no means secure, but he's done exceptional work in recent years and could be the perfect project manager to bring Spurs back into the limelight.
Why Howe would be perfect for Spurs
Howe's Newcastle are enduring a tricky season, but there's no question that his time at the Toon helm has been sensational, lifting the club back into the ascendancy and keeping them there.
Newcastle are now regular European competitors, having spent two of the past three campaigns in the Champions League.
The chances of Howe becoming Tottenham manager this season are negligible. However, this could become a reality if things gather pace, and that would likely require clarity in regard to Spurs' precarious position in the Premier League.
In any case, Howe would be an upgrade on Tudor, whose tactics and methods have raised no shortage of questions so far this season, leaving most of a Lilywhites persuasion hoping he will be sacked just one month after his appointment.
Hailed for his "special" success on Tyneside by Newcastle reporter Sean McCormick, Howe's record on Tyneside speaks for itself, turning the Magpies into one of the Premier League's most formidable outfits.
That, of course, is without even mentioning the Carabao Cup title that Howe secured last season, Newcastle defeating Liverpool at Wembley to lift the trophy.
Compared to Howe, Tudor's managerial accomplishments pale in comparison. Moreover, Howe has a wealth of experience in the English game, and he knows what it means to weather adversity and challenge for European places, also battling for form lower down the ladder.
It's unlikely that the Croatian will even fulfil his interim contract at Tottenham, much less earn a full-time job in the dugout of this sinking ship.
Tottenham may be in trouble right now, but if they can salvage something from this season, the knock-on effect might just lead to someone like Howe taking over and turning things around.