"Every time I see light at the end of the tunnel, it's often an oncoming train". That infamous quip from former Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou rings true even more these days, following a season that has flitted from one disaster to another.
Having dismissed the Aussie last summer, the Lilywhites have plummeted to even lower depths under both Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor since then, last recording a Premier League win back in late December.
New boss Roberto De Zerbi is now tasked with putting things right, although the Italian will almost be working with one hand tied behind his back, considering the string of injury absentees at N17.
Even potential positive news on the injury front has been short-lived, with Mohammed Kudus notably suffering a setback in his recovery this week.
Spurs suffer hammer blow after Kudus injury latest
On the one hand, there is a sense that, slowly but surely, the list of absentees is being reduced in north London, with Mathys Tel and Lucas Bergvall likely to be in contention against Sunderland this weekend, while Rodrigo Bentancur is also edging his way back to fitness.
Equally too, both James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski are expected to play a part before the season is over, the pair having not featured at all under either Frank or Tudor.
That said, just when things are beginning to brighten up, De Zerbi and co have received yet another hammer blow, following the news that Kudus is set to miss the remainder of the campaign, after pulling up in training this week.
Sidelined since suffering a quad injury against the Black Cats back in January, the Ghanaian had been back in first-team training ahead of the upcoming clash with Regis Le Bris' side, although the expectation is that he will now require surgery, putting his World Cup participation in doubt.
That represents a real blow for a manager who had tried to sign the 25-year-old for Brighton and Hove Albion back in 2023, with Kudus having also enjoyed a strong first-half of the campaign at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with eight goals and assists in his first 19 league games.
At a time when Spurs are already short on options on the flanks, this setback for the ex-West Ham United man could force De Zerbi to have to look into the academy ranks instead.
Spurs may have already signed the new Mohammed Kudus
Anyone seen a winger? Yes, the lack of genuine options out wide remains a real issue for the Lilywhites, with Brennan Johnson having been sold in January, while Wilson Odobert has been absent since suffering an ACL injury earlier this year.
While Tel can be deployed off the left, it is on the right where Spurs are particularly light, not least with Kudus and Kulusevski both still out of action.
If De Zerbi is to find a solution, he could well look to the youth set-up over the coming weeks, with the north Londoners having already signed another West Ham starlet in the form of 18-year-old sensation, Elisha Sowunmi.
The teenager winger - who, like Kudus, is left-footed - was poached from the east London side back in January, with that deal considered something of a coup amid the youngster's fine work in the Hammers' youth ranks.
Comfortable operating on either flank or in a number ten role, as a similar profile to Kudus, Sowunmi has made seven appearances for Spurs' U21 side to date, albeit without notching a goal or assist.
That said, back at his former home, the promising wideman was in electric form at U18 level, netting 17 goals and providing seven assists in 47 games at that age group, as per Transfermarkt.
It is for that reason that Spurs were so keen to strike a deal during the winter window, with Sowunmi previously hailed as having "all the talent in the world" by West Ham academy boss Kenny Brown.
Such praise isn't without merit, with the teen boasting an impressive highlight reel at youth level thus far, showcasing a real knack for the spectacular when cutting in from his favoured right flank.
Whether he would be ready to immediately slot into De Zerbi's first-team squad is up for debate, yet if Kudus' injury is to prove a longer-term issue, then Sowunmi might well be his ready-made successor.
Indeed, it appears Kudus isn't the only future superstar that Spurs have managed to pluck from their London rivals this season.