Igor Tudor looked like he'd cracked the code at Tottenham Hotspur, overseeing a creditable draw at Anfield prior to securing a first win in charge over Atletico Madrid. The doubters appeared to have been quietened.
And yet, the Croatian proceeded to leave out arguably his best player against Atleti, Xavi Simons, for the visit of Nottingham Forest, while hooking the likes of Micky van de Ven at the break as the Lilywhites slumped back to square one again.
Almost a week has gone by without any concrete update regarding the 47-year-old's future, albeit with Spurs in no immediate rush to make a decision, with Tudor in mourning after the sad passing of his father last weekend.
If a change in the dugout is to be made, be it by mutual consent or not, free agent Roberto De Zerbi appears to be the leading target, yet other contenders also remain on the table.
Spurs could hire another free agent if De Zerbi says no
Reports earlier this week indicated that De Zerbi was ready to get straight back into work after his dismissal from Marseille, with the Italian believing he can be the man to lift Spurs away from danger.
The suggestion was that the 46-year-old was keen to get his hands dirty, rather than wait until the end of the season, not least with a potential move to Manchester United looking increasingly unlikely.
That viewpoint has since been challenged, however, with The Telegraph reporting on Friday afternoon that the north London side may have to change tack, should De Zerbi continue to insist that he will only take charge this summer.
The suggestion is that the former Brighton and Hove Albion boss would rather wait to see if Spurs are able to avoid relegation, before committing himself to the long-term project.
In the case of De Zerbi's continued refusal, the report outlined that the club hierarchy may then turn instead to fellow out-of-work coach, Sean Dyche, with the Englishman having parted ways with Nottingham Forest last month.
The only obstacle in that scenario is the fact of whether the 54-year-old would agree to taking over on a purely interim basis, with it said to be 'unlikely' that he pens a deal for just seven games.
Why "old-school" Spurs target could be the perfect Tudor upgrade
Nuno Espirito Santo, formerly of Spurs, is now battling the north Londoners in the relegation dogfight at West Ham United, having been dismissed from his post at the City Ground earlier in the campaign.
The Portuguese coach had been succeeded in Nottingham by another ex-Tottenham boss, Ange Postecoglou, albeit with the Aussie then himself replaced just 39 days later.
His successor, Dyche, could now be the man to lead Spurs to safety at the expense of either West Ham or former club Forest. All makes sense, right?
Such a managerial merry-go-round may well have appeared unthinkable when Thomas Frank was named as Postecoglou's successor last summer, yet here we are, with desperate times calling for desperate measures as far as Tottenham are concerned.
Dyche, it must be said, is not the glamour name of De Zerbi, having even referred to himself as the "most old-school manager in the world" during his Burnley pomp.
And yet, if it is a firefighter Spurs are in need of, then he may well be the go-to man, representing a clear upgrade on Tudor, considering his prior Premier League experience.
Even in his most recent post at Forest, Dyche didn't disgrace himself, it must be said, somewhat harshly dismissed after racking up 22 points from 18 league games, after inheriting the mess that had been made by Postecoglou before him.
Whether it is at Burnley or Everton, the veteran coach has been in this position time and again, notably guiding the Toffees to safety back in 2022/23, with the Merseysiders having been in the relegation zone when he replaced Frank Lampard in the January.
Repeating that feat in the space of just seven games appears a little more taxing, although he knows how to steady the ship, having beaten Leeds United and Liverpool, while drawing with Manchester United, in three of his first four league games in charge in Nottingham.
Also unbeaten in his three career meetings with rival candidate, De Zerbi, Dyche is the kind of short-term solution Spurs are craving, having taken such a step backwards with Tudor in charge.
The latter man's lack of Premier League experience may well have been his undoing, yet with 350 top-flight games under his belt, Dyche represents a significant upgrade.