Tottenham are rooted to the foot of the Premier League table after the opening five matches as external criticism mounts on boss Roberto De Zerbi
Here we go again. Just when you thought Tottenham had finally turned the corner to embark on a new exciting chapter, the team plunges to new depths of despair.
They are bottom of the pile after five matches despite being the Premier League's biggest spenders following an ambitious £334million spend, though they raised £158m through sales (£176m net spend).
Things were never going to click immediately and as new signing Andy Robertson alluded to on The Overlap podcast, the current dressing room is still carrying battle scars and mental damage from last season's relegation scrap.
Still, there have been a number of decisions from boss Roberto De Zerbi that have proven hindering for the group even if the team has displayed signs of finally coming good.
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Vuskovic sale
Luka Vuskovic wanted minutes this season, which is why Tottenham reluctantly agreed to move him on. De Zerbi couldn't offer the young Croat defender assurances of playing time and evidently, there was a feeling he still needed to make key steps in his development before he was ready to start for Spurs.
That already looks quite daft. Last Saturday, Vuskovic started against Arsenal and looked right at home as he marshalled the Seagulls to a clean sheet in the 3-0 demolition of the Premier League champions.
He also recently scored against Leeds and has already become a mainstay at the heart of Brighton's backline. They rarely spend big money on new signings, so when they do, it's clear that particular player is rated incredibly highly.
Spurs sold Vuskovic for £46m plus up to £4m in bonuses (taking the total package to £50m). There is also a 20 per cent sell-on clause and matching rights and while that may all be great from an accounting perspective, a sale still feels like a mistake.
If Vuskovic left Tottenham red-faced a few years down the line, perhaps they would have accepted it. He's a player with huge potential and the club knew that.
But having brought in Jan Paul van Hecke for £52m - he had just one year left on his Brighton deal by the way - you'd have expected the Dutchman to outperform Vuskovic this season, at least in the first five games. Sadly, that just hasn't been the case. Brighton's new centre-back, the man they replaced Van Hecke with, looks destined for the very top.
Saying team 'were not ready' for season
Flying to New Zealand and Australia on the back of a World Cup was never going to end well for Spurs. Pre-season tours are finalised long in advance and you can't account for the fact new signings would have to travel across the globe on the back of featuring for their countries.
But it's been tough on those players and many, plus the head coach, have already made it clear those preparations for the new campaign were far from ideal for the club.
However, it sets a dangerous precedent for De Zerbi to come out and say after the opening day defeat at Brentford that he knew his team would not be ready to compete.
At the end of last season, when he came to save a sinking ship, he did not want to hear any excuses. While his point is very much valid, it's his job to ensure the team is ready. All other 19 Premier League sides started their campaigns over the course of a few days. The playing field is very much level.
Big-money buys
It's De Zerbi's job to get the best from the signings that he wanted so badly. Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes were not responsible for their transfer fees (£100m and £85m, respectively) but they are weighing heavily on their shoulders.
It's still too early to draw major conclusions but equally, it's fair to reflect that neither player has been at the races so far this term. For Fernandes, that's a tad more understandable as he's a young player that has been relegated in each of the past two seasons.
For Tonali, he was a plug-and-play signing, so naturally you expect more. Both have had niggles to contend with in the opening stages of the campaign and it's unlikely we'll see the best from either star until the rest of the team is functioning well.
However, when you spend £185m on two midfielders, you expect them to be the beating heart of your side. That just hasn't happened yet and De Zerbi still seemingly does not know how to utilise Fernandes. It's a worry.
Avoidable Richarlison ordeal
The Richarlison situation got really out of hand. It didn't need to rumble on like this. Admittedly, it's clear Richarlison was rather indecisive this summer when it came to his future.
De Zerbi noted one minute the Brazilian was in, then he was out. Then once the European and Turkish transfer windows passed, he had the chance to go to Vasco da Gama but he couldn't agree personal terms with the South American outfit.
But to have the centre-forward effectively rotting away without being able to kick a ball when the team is currently short of an attacking threat, it feels ridiculously messy.
Richarlison earns good money for starters and it's no use to anyone paying him when he's not available due to the coach's decision. Why couldn't have things been resolved earlier in the summer? The communication definitely could have been clearer.
It's a sad way for Richarlison's Spurs career to end and the club could quite easily have got a decent fee for him had they clearly made him available through the right channels, sooner.
Djed Spence sale
This was one that many saw coming. Unsurprisingly, on the back of a World Cup where he not only won but starred, Pedro Porro has picked up a muscle injury. It was obvious there would be some sort of knock-on effect at some point, maybe just not this soon.
Meanwhile, Djed Spence was sold to Inter Milan for around £25.6m and Tottenham are using Archie Gray as a back-up. As a side note, Gray has also captained the side this season, which feels like a sweetener to compensate for the fact De Zerbi is not giving him the minutes he craves.
Anyway, Gray is not a right-back. Spence, on the back of the World Cup, could have had a really important part to play this term, too. His value has never been higher and while it's true he wanted to explore his options and play regular football, Spurs should have fought to keep him.
He can also play at left-back and even on the wing if required plus he's homegrown. Now Porro is injured, he'd have been a nailed-on starter at right-back, also.
Tottenham had to make some sales to remain compliant with financial regulations also but Spence was one of few Spurs players that fans could get behind due to his all-action style. It seems wrong that De Zerbi would rather have sold him than see him as a player that could elevate the level of the side.
Goalkeeper debacle
De Zerbi has placed his faith in Antonin Kinsky as his new No.1 on the back of an impressive end to last season. However, last weekend exposed the importance of having a top goalkeeper.
He flapped at Nicolas Jackson's goal while up the other end Zion Suzuki was excellent between the sticks for Aston Villa. There's nothing wrong with De Zerbi backing Kinsky but given the club spent huge money in the summer, it feels like quite a big gamble.
A goalkeeper, alongside centre-backs and striker, is arguably the most-important position on the pitch. Unlike other positions, a mistake will often be punished.
Kinsky is more of a project signing and long-term investment but given the problems Spurs had with Guglielmo Vicario, it's really important they patch things up in the goalkeeping department. There are still question marks unfortunately, even if the Czech has a bright future.