Ange Postecoglou wore the all too familiar expression of a man who has fully suffered the Tottenham experience.
Nobody seems to do an injury crisis quite like Spurs. When Archie Gray limped off late on against Fulham with a dead leg, the 18-year-old became the ninth player unavailable to Postecoglou.
It bookended a match in which the head coach lost Dominic Solanke to illness after he had arrived at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Australian and his coaching staff deeming the England international to be in no fit state to play despite turning up for duty.
It had been a shock to Postecoglou because the striker had trained the day before without any issues. Something had changed overnight and he turned up at the ground looking like a man struggling but trying to put on a brave face. It was quickly decided to send him home even if it meant a major rejig of what Spurs had been planning.
Postecoglou can't afford an illness to sweep through the camp. He is already without his first choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, his first choice centre-backs Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, his first choice number six this season in the suspended Rodrigo Bentancur and further important attacking options in Richarlison, Wilson Odobert and talented youngster Mikey Moore.
Gray hobbled off to make it a grand total of nine unavailable players for Postecoglou and it's not just the lack of options for him to turn to on his bench. It's also overplaying his other players who are starting to look tired and mentally fatigued in their decision-making.
Sunday's encounter looked like exactly what it was - a match between one fresh team with eight days between their matches and one who mostly were being wheeled out again just two-and-a-half days after their previous clash. It showed as Bournemouth had 14 shots at goal to Spurs' eight, Fraser Forster having to make five saves to Bernd Leno's two.
Postecoglou's post-match interviews had been as tired and flat as his team's performance and it was only when he started to get irked by references to the 4-0 win at Manchester City that he came alive in his press conference.
"We are playing a tough opposition and it is not always going to go smoothly for you," he said. "I know people are going to keep using City as a reference point but against City I was able to put on Timo Werner and Brennan Johnson. We had Vicario in goal.
"I guess people are looking for easy targets but if people don’t understand what we are dealing with at the moment and how the players are coping with it, I think it’s fairly self evident. We are going to have days like today where things are not running smoothly. All you can ask is for the players to give everything and I think they did that and more today."
Later on he added: "I've had already probably three questions on the Man City game and why can't we repeat that?
"And like I said, I think if you can't see that even in seven days, we've copped a couple of significant blows since then I think, you know, it's too easy to say, well, let's just play like we did against Man City every game. And it somehow again, seems with this club that whatever it is that we do well is then used as a millstone to bring us down at every other opportunity.
"I guess from my perspective, as I keep saying, it's really important that we don't react to any of that and just stay focused, because I just sometimes feel like, especially the players we've got at the moment, they're just really working really hard for this football club to try and progress to where we want to be.
"We're in good shape, we're still in good shape, we're still in a decent position in the league. We're still in the Carabao Cup, we're in a decent position in Europe, so it's about us maintaining our focus on continuing to develop."
It's a strange Premier League this season. If you want an example of that, had Spurs kept out Tom Cairney's goal on Sunday they would not only be three points off second place, they would also have been the top scorers and only one team in the division would have conceded fewer goals than them, which of course does not fit the open football narrative.
As it is, Sunday's draw means they are three points off fourth place instead, still the top scorers and only three teams have conceded fewer goals than them in the Premier League. That shows that other than Liverpool, nobody is finding any real consistent form this season.
Postecoglou's problem right now is that he looked at his bench against Fulham and seven of the nine players on there have never started a Premier League game. One of the two who had is Sergio Reguilon, and the Spaniard would need Thanos to click his fingers and make half of the squad dissolve into dust before he's going to step on to that pitch.
That's not to excuse Postecoglou entirely. If you've got talented young players and you've made a big deal about signing them and it being your decision to do so, then you need to give them the chance to start that first Premier League game.
The most obvious example wasn't even an inexperienced youngster. Pedro Porro looked tired from the second half onwards and as the period wore on he was clearly running on empty, unable to track back when he did make runs up the pitch.
On one occasion James Maddison could be seen trying to wave him up the pitch but the Spaniard had little left in the tank.
Porro had struggled with Alex Iwobi and wasn't helped by an awkward slip in the first half in the Fulham box which seemed to jar his hip.
Yet Djed Spence never came on. He was finally set to do so when Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray were sent on 84 minutes in, but the red card changed that decision.
Spence is only a year younger than Porro and had been earning praise from Postecoglou as well as a new contract from the club. Yet his first start for Tottenham has not arrived. Porro is presumably going to be tired again on Thursday night at Bournemouth after putting in another 97 minute stint.
Surely giving Spence an hour or so in a home game was more logical than doing so at the Vitality Stadium in midweek. That's presumably why Dejan Kulusevski was rested from the Fulham game rather than against the Cherries as it was a less difficult game to cover him in.
Spence's pace and direct play would have forced Fulham back and he could have raced back to help counter their breaks.
Gray would eventually come off injured and pick up a dead leg but there was also a case for finally letting a £40million player play in his natural midfield position far earlier in the game, or even in place of Porro to bring more energy down the right flank.
While he is inexperienced, Postecoglou did have a natural target man striker in Will Lankshear but only handed the teenager his Premier League debut when Gray had to come off with two minutes of added time remaining.
Postecoglou is going to have to give these young players chances because running the senior players into the ground is going to turn inconsistency into simply constant bad results.
It also makes a mockery of splashing more than £80million on various teenagers alone without also signing more senior players than Solanke, if the youngsters are still not ready to start Premier League matches as the halfway point of the season nears.
Having nine players out is freakish - even if Postecoglou's intense training sessions will play their part - but the Australian is going to have to find a way through because it is only results that make the record books, not mitigating factors and the Manchester City performance is a better reference point for him in that respect than the more dismal displays that have followed or preceded the exciting victories.
The Tottenham trinity
Tottenham's main positives from Sunday's draw came from the defensive triangle of Fraser Forster, Radu Dragusin and Ben Davies.
Davies, sporting a black eye before the game began, is once again showing that if you give him a run of games then the Wales veteran is a very useful defender. The Welshman made an early important sliding tackle in the Spurs box and that set the tone for his performance.
There's a strange quirk to Davies that despite his experience and long tenure at Tottenham - more than a decade now - he's never been involved in any leadership group under any of his managers despite them all loving him and his reliability.
Yet when you watch the 31-year-old in the backline, he does point and coordinate and tell players what to do. It could be that finally as the Wales captain for most of their games, he's finding his voice. He's even been elected on to the PFA's new Players' Board.
It's not like the previous leaders have worked out swimmingly without him among their numbers. Spurs have been in three finals during Davies' decade at the club and they've lost every one of them. How many minutes has the Welshman played in those big games? Not a single one so that's on others.
On Sunday, the only sign of his limitation - his pace - was shown with a late Fulham break when Destiny Udogie slipped high up the pitch and Davies could only keep pace with Harry Wilson on the counter attack rather than get in front of him.
That was a rare struggle for the converted centre-back on the day as he dealt with most other things well and his presence has been a big factor in Radu Dragusin looking more and more settled in the team, not least allowing the Romania to play on the right rather than awkwardly on the left.
The 22-year-old got better and better as the game wore on, breaking up attacks with his strength and proving a threat at the other end. One towering header was tipped over the bar acrobatically by Bernd Leno and another sailed just wide.
Late on, from that Wilson break that Davies couldn't stop, it was Dragusin who made an inch-perfect sliding interception to stop his low cross getting to Rodrigo Muniz. It was one of those moments for a defender in their own six-yard box which could easily divert the ball into their own goal if executed ever so slightly wrong, but Dragusin sent the ball flying back out for a corner.
The big centre-back was unlucky that he could only get the faintest of touches of his top-knot to Tom Cairney's powerful shot otherwise he would have sent that beyond the right-hand post as well rather than inside it.
The duo's stats said it all. Dragusin made three tackles, one interception and five clearances, along with winning a whopping six aerial duels. Davies made four interceptions, a huge seven clearances, blocked three shots and won two aerial duels. Both attempted to keep the ball moving quickly from the back but it was the midfield that slowed it down, not helped by poor movement from the Spurs attackers ahead of them.
"Fulham ask you a lot of questions. They've got some pretty aggressive full-backs and wide players and I think they're number one in the league for crosses in the box. We had to deal with that today," said Postecoglou.
"Benny and Radu have been outstanding throughout this spell, I mean there aren't too many teams in the league who have both their centre-backs out. I've seen so much violin playing over one centre-back out, but we're just supposed to get on with it.
"And the beauty of it is these boys are, and I love that. I love the character they're showing. I love the fact that they're not seeking excuses or wanting me to make sort of allowances for it. But at some point, I need to also acknowledge the massive effort that all these guys are putting in. Radu and Ben were outstanding again today."
There will be a big decision for Postecoglou to make when Cristian Romero returns as he will have to decide which of the in-form centre-backs makes way for the vice-captain. Davies will provide the better balance, Dragusin the power and aerial ability. Some might argue that Romero's form before his injury hasn't exactly made him a certain starter.
Forster had plenty of praise for the duo in front of him after the game.
"I think it's hard when you come in for a game and then you're out. You know, if you get that run of games, you develop those relationships with the players you play with, but they've been brilliant," he said in his club interview.
"The last few games especially, they've defended really well, strong, been really good on the ball, and just keep growing and growing.
"Obviously, Ben's been here a long time and he's a top, top player. You wouldn't be at a club like this if you weren't and it's nice for Radu to get a run and get settled in the team. So they've been brilliant, just a little unlucky on the goal. I think it takes a little nick off Radu maybe, but they've been brilliant and I think we saw the same on Thursday night."
In an inconsistent team, Postecoglou has been fortunate to find two centre-backs who have been more consistent than most.
Fantastic Forster
Fraser Forster has so far made light of fears over the absence of Guglielmo Vicario, who was at Sunday's game hobbling around on crutches.
This might well have been Forster's best performance yet in a Spurs shirt as he maintained a high level throughout, with one errant pass in the first half the only blot on a copybook that included a string of good saves.
It was the 36-year-old's first Premier League appearance in 18 months and it goes to show just how important it has been for him to get game time in the cup competitions this season so he was not coming in cold.
When he last played in the Premier League, it came after a spell of games in deputising for the injured Hugo Lloris that included a recall to the England squad for his form.
Forster's reflexes do not seem to have dulled since then. He denied Raul Jimenez in the first half with a smart stop and then made an even better full length reaction save from the same player 35 minutes into the game after the former Wolves striker was left unmarked on the edge of the six-yard box.
The keeper then pushed an Iwobi shot on to the crossbar with his fingertips, before a save with his knee from Issa Diop early in the second half and then another strong hand to stop Iwobi's shot on the turn.
There was nothing Forster could do about Cairney's powerful shot inside the right-hand post and he was positive and confident from set pieces and in his passing out, that one errant effort to Yves Bissouma aside.
Forster's form has been one less problem for Postecoglou to worry about within a mountain of problems.
"He was good," said the Spurs boss. "We needed him in some big moments today, and I think when you lose your goalkeeper and somebody as significant as Vic for us, I think the key to that is to have somebody experienced who's not going to be overawed by filling those shoes.
"Fraser, certainly, he's done it for a number of years. We see him every day. What you saw out there, we see every day in training and he still has a really strong work ethic and he had a couple of big moments today which were important for us and again, he will be important moving forward."
The keeper has had to overcome some struggles in the past year, not least the fractured foot that kept him out for longer than expected. Now he is getting the rewards for his efforts.
"I feel good. Obviously it makes a difference when you play a few games in a row as opposed to one game in and then you wait a couple of weeks. It's hard to get up momentum, but I feel really good," he said.
"I look after myself physically. I was able to make a few saves but it was just obviously frustrating that we couldn't get the win."
He added: "[The cup appearances have been] huge. I think if I look back at the last year and a bit, I've missed both pre-seasons through different issues. I was obviously out for the best part of six months with a broken foot.
"It's always hard when you miss pre-season, so to get whatever games you can is important. It's always hard if you come in for one game and then you wait a few weeks. So if you can put a run of games together, whether it's goalkeeper or whatever position, I think you just grow and grow in that position. So that's been crucial for me."
The veteran keeper is a positive character inside the club, a calm head when needed and a joker when that's required to lighten the mood.
Forster gave an insight in his club interview after the game into what he tries to bring to the squad when he's playing second fiddle to Vicario.
"It's not an easy role because we all want to play every game, but when I know Vic's fit and Vic's playing, then you've got to think what you can bring to the squad and what you can bring to the dressing room as well," he said.
"I think for me being a slightly older player, you've got that experience. You've got things you can help the younger guys with. You can keep your energy high, make sure everyone's coming in and working hard but enjoying being at the club as well.
"So I think it's very important for the lads who aren't necessarily playing. It's easy to get frustrated, but I think you've got to bring whatever you can to the dressing room and help the lads who are, and ultimately as well work hard and be ready when you have to play."
Right now, Forster is getting his chance between the sticks and he's swatting away any worries there might have been.
Attacking reinforcements needed
It's a testament to how well Dominic Solanke knits this Tottenham team together with his playing style that they missed him so much on Sunday.
The sudden loss from the line-up of the 27-year-old not long after he walked through the doors of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium would have been the last thing Postecoglou wanted.
For Solanke, with his hard work, movement and strength, has no natural replacement with the unfortunate Richarlison out until the new year on his latest injury sojourn.
When Solanke plays, the team know they can pass the ball to him and it will stick up top, allowing them to surge around him and fan out to overwhelm the opposition.
Postecoglou had to refer to Plan C when it comes to the centre forward role and that's switch the skipper Son Heung-min across from the left wing.
It's a positional shift that has worked on plenty of occasions in the past under various managers and Son scored most of his goals last season in the role. However, it relies on those around him to adapt rather than try to play as they would with Solanke up front.
It was done to devastating effect against Everton earlier in the season when Son's strengths as a centre forward were played to. For he won't hold the ball up most of the time and he won't win it in the air, but he will provide a willing, skilful runner if the passes are good. On Sunday, they weren't.
The other issue for Son right now is a dip in confidence. The 32-year-old has always been at his best when he's playing instinctively, not thinking about what he's about to do.
Against Fulham, he had a couple of early chances and both were dealt with by Leno. In a couple of other moments, the Spurs captain just took too long to decide what he was going to do next and the ball was lost.
It was one of his quietest displays in a Tottenham shirt for a while. Normally even when it seems like the South Korean star isn't contributing, he usually is with key passes galore. On Sunday, he managed one shot, one key pass, one tackle and was dispossessed twice. That was pretty much it.
When it was put to Postecoglou that Son was struggling in front of goal with just four to his name this season, which have come in just three of his 14 games, the Australian said: "You could say that about a number of our players. The key to it is is to stay focused and Sonny will.
"It’s not like he dwells on these things. That’s what the best goalscorers do, they don’t dwell on it for too long and I don’t sense in him that he is worried about it because you know he has proven himself for year after year at this level.
"We have had different players go through those spells at different times. The key for it is to maintain focus and not dwell too much on what has happened before. I’m sure the goals will flow again for Sonny soon."
Son wasn't helped by his vice-captain James Maddison being equally ineffective in the playmaker role, other than a low free-kick that deflected against the foot of the left-hand post. The midfielder was dispossessed three times and also contributed only one key pass.
The 28-year-old was left shaking his head on the bench after being taken off in the 84th minute, but for all of his claims after his great display at City that Spurs are better when he is in the team, it wasn't in evidence on Sunday.
Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr were as inconsistent as their team is, both providing a good moment before following it up with something sloppy.
Spurs' most dangerous attacker on the day was probably Timo Werner, who made it back-to-back assists in Premier League games and again it was Brennan Johnson that he set up, with a delightful chipped cross that the right winger volleyed powerfully home.
Werner made two key passes on the day, won a couple of fouls in dangerous positions and was generally a threat even if it still doesn't look like he's moving completely freely following weeks spent carrying a groin injury.
Johnson's terrific finish glossed over what would otherwise have been a forgettable performance as he struggled to get into good positions. It was his only shot of the game and like Son, all three of his crosses went to Fulham players.
There's no doubting his ability to turn up in big moments for Spurs though and his volley made it goals in three consecutive matches for club and country and 10 in all for the north London club this season, doubling his total last season.
Johnson has contributed a goal in half of his matches for Spurs this season and that in itself has been hugely important, but he's got the ability to have an even better all round game and that's what Postecoglou is continuing to work on with the 23-year-old.
Kulusevski's rest was interrupted in the 67th minute, but coming on as the number nine he touched the ball only 13 times and was unable to influence affairs, other than receiving the painful challenge from Cairney that saw him sent off after a VAR review with the referee sent over to his pitchside monitor.
Forster felt that the performance fell flat in the final third, with Spurs once again unable to build on the advantage they had carved out from Johnson's goal, similar to Thursday night.
"I don't know. I thought to be fair that we were good. I thought we moved the ball, showed real grit and determination in times where we had to defend," he said. "I thought we defended really well as a unit, and then maybe just lacking that final pass, final action, just to get a second goal.
"But, you know, I think the lads worked incredibly hard. I think you've got to give credit to Fulham as well. I think they defended really well, very compact as a block and we just couldn't find that final pass or final action just to get the second."
Postecoglou hinted in his pre-match press conference that he's held meetings with Johan Lange and January transfers could be on the table if it's decided the squad requires them. It certainly does at the moment.
He's in need of another winger, another left-back and another 18-year-old in Yang Min-hyeok will also be able to play, although Spurs plan to take it slowly with the Korean teenager as he adapts to the country from later this month. On a day like Sunday, he definitely would have been part of the matchday plans had he signed yet.
There's a growing case for another striker to be brought in. Can Postecoglou truly put his trust in Richarlison any more with the Brazilian's dreadful injury record since arriving at Tottenham for £60million from Everton in 2022? He's made an impact when fit but those moments have been too few and far between.
Will Lankshear has plenty of promise and will have been delighted to make his Premier League debut on Sunday, but he's very raw and a loan move might just be the making of him as it has for older players like Dane Scarlett this season and Troy Parrott last time out.
A new striker who can also play as a winger, similar to Richarlison, would provide versatile cover and be someone who can adapt to various roles as others like Wilson Odobert return in the months ahead.
Postecoglou needs a bigger squad. The fixture schedule and his brand of football requires it. Those nine unavailable players will return but others will likely replace them in the treatment room. The changing nature of the game demands larger squads.
First they must get through a December that has brought with it nine matches in 29 days.
"I think it's going be a real squad effort over the next month," said Forster. "It's an incredible schedule of games, and obviously it's tough when Dom's ill today, one you're not really expecting, but you've got to deal with and it gives an opportunity to someone else.
"It's going to be a real squad game. You're going to have to grind out results and it's going to be a big ask for everyone. But ultimately, we all love playing football, playing games. So just embrace the challenge. There's a huge game every three or four days. You've just got to go again and try and win that one."
Solanke could be fit to face his old side, depending on how quickly he shakes off this illness. Romero and Micky van de Ven are yet to return to training with the team but the Argentine is a possibility for the game at the Vitality Stadium if this week brings progress.
That game arrives just under three days before the visit of in-form Chelsea for a huge derby at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Blues getting an extra day to recover.
For now Postecoglou must find solutions from within and a way of juggling his resources. It may involve giving players opportunities earlier than expected but whatever he does, he has to find a way.
For while the table is currently tightly packed and helping Tottenham as others struggle for consistency as well as them, it will soon begin to find its natural order and Spurs cannot afford to get left behind.
