It is difficult to put Tottenham Hotspur's slump into words, but what is clear is that this side are in grave danger of being relegated from the Premier League after being thrashed at home by Nottingham Forest.
'Six-pointer' is a term that gets too easily bandied about when two sides with similar objectives meet toward the business end of a campaign, but there's no denying that Igor Tudor's side were playing a game of immense importance.
There was hope that a corner had been turned last week, a deserved draw at Anfield curbing a five-game losing run in the Premier League. The following win over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League only reinforced the sense that the Londoners had finally found some confidence and coherence.
But Spurs' confidence is a brittle thing, and now the alarm bells are blaring.
How Spurs were defeated by Forest
Tottenham are in a bad way, but there is still time to stave off the ominous threat of relegation. After all, Spurs are still one point ahead of the dreaded dotted line, West Ham United having lost to Aston Villa on Sunday.
However, the forthcoming run of Premier League fixtures are rather daunting, and something needs to change.
Tudor has left a lot to be desired since replacing Thomas Frank in February, and while there is uncertainty regarding his future following a personal matter, ENIC Group are sure to be considering their options, having reached this critical and unsavoury juncture.
So many flattered to deceive. Tottenham supporters turned up in droves and in voice, but the players failed to respond to the seismic task in front of them.
Archie Gray was a shining light once again, but the 20-year-old can only do so much and he was let down by those around him, failing to match his energy and enthusiasm.
We've reached a desperate point, and so desperate measures must be taken. Tottenham need to make some changes, with one outfield player in particular failing to pull his weight. He has to be dropped.
Spurs star must never start again
It's staggering to see the decline of these Tottenham players, and Pedro Porro encapsulates the mess the north Londoners find themselves in, with podcaster Seb Martin saying he's "having a disaster of a season" for the Lilywhites.
This is one of the most experienced stars at the club, but he hasn't looked like it this year, embarrassed by his younger peer in Gray. Indeed, against Nottingham Forest, his creativity was lacking and his defending was wanting as usual, at fault for Morgan Gibbs White's strike to make it 2-0.
Having started the match as a wing-back before dropping into a standard right-back berth, Tudor, should he keep his job, should drop him and place his trust in Djed Spence over the next couple of months.
Porro did create three chances throughout the afternoon, but he lost possession 20 times and failed with eight of his 11 crosses. Moreover, the Spain international lost seven duels.
Spence isn't perfect, but he's more defensively sound than his Spanish teammate and is endowed with pace and athleticism. There's a case to be made that he should play in a wing-back role over the final weeks of the campaign, allowing Xavi Simons back into the starting line-up and Richarlison to attack the box with a bit more dynamism.
Injuries to Destiny Udogie throughout the campaign have meant Spence has had to perform out on the left with regularity, but Porro is proving himself to be a liability at this stage of the season, and Tottenham cannot afford any lapses as they fight tooth and nail to secure a precious Premier League win.
Who knows what the future holds, but it's clear there's going to be something of an exodus at Spurs this summer, no matter their final league position. The error-prone and unconvincing Porro must be among the senior stars cut loose.
There is so much on the line over the next two months, and Porro has done very little to show that he deserves to play a starring role. In fact, he has offered so little this term that he must be dropped. That illustrates the scale of the crisis that Tottenham have been unable to overcome throughout the campaign.