There was a certain irony to the fact that it was the consistently unused Djed Spence who came over and put a consoling hand on Ange Postecoglou's shoulder as he turned away from his bruising encounter with Tottenham's furious travelling fans.
Just 12 days earlier and a jubilant Postecoglou had enjoyed a very different moment with those supporters after ending Manchester City's 52-game unbeaten run at the Etihad Stadium with a 4-0 win.
In contrast, on Thursday night, the Australian had watched as a line of his players had stood in front of the fans, first applauding and then standing and taking on the chin what the frustrated fans were shouting at them.
While some had come and gone, Pedro Porro, Yves Bissouma, Radu Dragusin, James Maddison, Brennan Johnson and 18-year-old Lucas Bergvall remained and took what was coming from a section of supporters that had made the long trip down to the south coast knowing there were no trains to take them home that night. They were certainly not rewarded for their efforts.
Postecoglou then went over and 'copped it' in his words from the supporters. Some of what was shouted at him was deeply unpleasant with comments about his weight and associated colourful language, and that was what triggered an initial fiery response, as he told some to calm down before pointing to himself and seeming to suggest its on him to fix Tottenham.
That's only partly true as the true cost of a period spent buying teenagers and only one ready-made player for his starting XI continues to throw a light on the club's ambition to actually want to succeed in the short term.
"They are disappointed, rightly so. They gave me some direct feedback which I guess is taken on board," said Postecoglou of his encounter with the fans.
"I've got no issue with it. I didn't like what was being said because I'm a human being but you've got to cop it. I've been around long enough to know that if things don't go well, you've got to understand the frustration and disappointment.
"They're rightly disappointed tonight because again we've let a game of football get away from us. That's ok, I'm ok with all of that."
When asked what was said to him, he simply responded: "Yeah probably not for here mate."
The major problem with Tottenham's transfer policy in spending approaching £100m on five teenagers who will arrive over the course of three windows, is that injuries will expose the lack of experience in the squad right now and it comprises yet another manager used to lifting trophies.
Postecoglou will always own what transfers come into his clubs, but he has swapped a lot of experienced players - albeit ones that he may not have felt suited his football - like Hojbjerg, Lo Celso, Dier, Emerson as well as Kane, Perisic and Lloris and other than Dominic Solanke, 18-year-olds and one now injured 19-year-old have filled the gaps.
So when the injuries come and they truly have - with Ben Davies' hamstring injury making it eight players currently unavailable to Postecoglou and most of them key figures - those young players are having to be thrown in or not used at all and the policy's long-term nature is being exposed.
On Thursday night, there was little leadership from the older players either to be seen in the performance. James Maddison wore the armband but was mostly anonymous. Son Heung-min came on in the second half and after a little flurry of activity got bogged down in it all, including having to play as number eight.
It was only 12 days ago when Maddison was enjoying the post-match plaudits after his excellent two-goal display at the Etihad Stadium, telling everyone how Tottenham's team is better when he is playing in it.
Whenever Spurs lose though, it's mostly a Dejan Kulusevski or a Ben Davies coming out to face the music or Son apologising to the fans and saying the team must do better.
Thursday's performance at Bournemouth showed a team lacking in numbers, energy and to use Postecoglou's term - solutions.
They started the game brightly and it took one switch off from a set piece 18 minutes in with Dean Huijsen left completely unmarked by Radu Dragusin to head home from a corner to change the whole vibe of the game.
There was no little irony that the matchwinner was a teenager, the young Dutchman planting a firm header past everyone and into the back of the net.
It knocked Spurs for six and all of their confidence in breaking through their hosts seemed to drain after that. Kepa in the Bournemouth goal had precious little to do, saving a Pedro Porro half-volley from outside the box probably the most he had to do all game, while Fraser Forster was called upon on various occasions as the home side found ways through on the break.
"Very disappointing. We started the game well. Started the game the way we wanted to and started controlling it but we give away a poor goal, a really poor goal. Again," he said. "That allows the opposition to, and it is a difficult place to come to anyways, sit back and play the football they want.
"To counter-attack and we have to open up. It is disappointing and not good enough. It is not something that is a one off. We have done that now three or four times and paid a price for it."
He added: "Football is a game where you try to control it and dictate it to play the way you want to but when you give goals away like we did tonight, and we have done that consistently not just with set-pieces but just in general this year, it just gives the opportunity then for the opposition, particularly a team like Bournemouth, to play on the counter which is what they want to do.
"We have to open up. They can sit back. Just really disappointing it has happened again. Something for me to mull over and do something about."
There were a handful of positives from the game. Forster again did little wrong while Destiny Udogie put in one his better performances of the season and Archie Gray adapted to everything thrown at him as the young midfielder started off as a right-back and then moved into central defence, where he had never played before joining Spurs.
That a £40m wonderkid has needed to do so again shines a light on the club's transfer priorities.
Gray made one sliding tackle when racing back in the first half that had to be perfect and it was and he deserves credit for how he took it all on shoulders. He's going to be some player for the long-term for Tottenham, but again it's about the long term.
Elsewhere the team spluttered and faltered, with Maddison and Johnson anonymous, Solanke toiling without service once again and even the in-form Kulusevski running into blind alleys and seeing no real movement around him.
It was a performance we've seen too many times this season now, against Crystal Palace, Ipswich, Fulham and that abysmal second half at Brighton.
With Postecoglou, the age-old Tottenham problems persist for his side, that teams who sit back with a low block often have a field day.
The highs under the Australian this season have given a glimpse of what his football can be with breath-taking big wins at City, United and at home against Aston Villa, but it's worth noting that Spurs were given the space to rip those teams apart on the counter, another common strength of Tottenham over the years.
This current malaise, amid the latest injury crisis, will provide a stern test of Tottenham's nerve at the very top.
Daniel Levy and the club's board decided to appoint Postecoglou, knowing his way was going to involve a major rebuild and with the Australian represented by CAA Base, it was going to provide an even closer alignment with the powerful agency that has many of Spurs' stars on their client list.
Then after a positive rebuilding first summer, the board and the newly-appointed recruitment team switched tack and decided to provide Postecoglou with five teenage signings, although he claims he was behind all of those transfers.
That policy, with just a single first team improvement made in Solanke, is one looking to the future rather than the now. Some more cynical might suggest they are enticing investments for future stakeholders or owners to look at as assets that will grow in value.
Regardless, the signings have been long-term project ones, so can a compromised Postecoglou truly be judged or have his fate decided by this period in which he's been hammered by injuries and the club's own transfer policy?
Everything about Tottenham always screams reactionary. It's like they listened to criticism that they weren't finding and signing the next big things as teams like Brighton do, so they went out and did so to the extreme, signing so many of them that they neglected what they needed now.
They have also been reactionary in their managerial appointments, lurching from one style to another, chasing whatever they think they should do rather than creating their own identity.
Postecoglou was their first real attempt to do that since Pochettino and to abandon his project as they have so many others' in the past, would only throw further light on the owners' failings in building a club on the field as they have off it.
There's only so many times you can blame the manager. Levy has gone through 13 permanent managers over the past couple of decades and there's only so many times you can point the finger and start again.
Tottenham have to stick to something and back it. The Postecoglou way has been as painful as it has enjoyable at times, but that was always likely to be the way.
Some will point out that he has won a similar amount of Premier League games as Jurgen Klopp and Mikel Arteta had done by this stage and it's all part of a process, others will point out that those two managers also reached finals with the latter winning the FA Cup.
A drained and frustrated Postecoglou spoke quietly after the game, practically whispering into the microphone as his press conference began, before growing in volume as it reached its conclusion.
He was asked if he had a message for those supporters that he has always previously stated should feel whatever they feel.
"Again that would be me trying to dictate how they feel," he said. "All I can say is I'm really disappointed with tonight and I'm determined to get it right and I'll keep fighting until we do."
Now Postecoglou needs a club that will fight with him.