The Tottenham Hotspur rebuild starts now. Roberto De Zerbi made it very clear that the north London club must immediately begin the process that ensures they never suffer a season like this again.
At least Spurs averted complete disaster. It did not seem like it would be that way at Molineux with eight minutes to go last month with the club about to fall four points behind West Ham. Then up popped Joao Palhinha that day to score a crucial goal and there was the Portuguese midfielder again on Sunday as the difference maker, firing a shot just over the line after his own header bounced back to him off the right-hand post.
The main emotion of the Spurs players at the final whistle was relief and exhaustion. Some collapsed to the floor, others fell into each other's arms in deep hugs, those who started the game having given their last drops of sweat to the cause. They all knew that it should never have got to this situation where a final day point or three was required to keep them in the Premier League.
"It is unacceptable that the last game we played this season we play for relegation," admitted Micky van de Ven. "This club has some unbelievable players. It was embarrassing to let it come to the final day but we did it and that is what is important."
The players will take their share of the blame, but they will also feel let down by the decisions made above them, whether through the shambolic appointment of four different head coaches in the past 11 months or the transfer window struggles that led to a squad unfit for purpose.
CEO Vinai Venkatesham and sporting director Johan Lange watched on at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, no doubt with plenty of anxiety alongside non-executive chairman Peter Charrington and the driving members of the Lewis family - Vivienne and her son-in-law Nick Beucher.
For the first time in almost a quarter of a century, nobody at the top of the club addressed the Spurs fans in the home finale. Although former chairman Daniel Levy was a divisive character, he would at least always include a chairman's message in the final home programme of each season to explain what had gone wrong or right about the campaign.
In his absence, nobody took on that task. It may be that they decided it was not the right moment with so much yet to be decided before the end of the day and that Venkatesham's address will come in the coming days.
It was not a great look though, as if nobody was taking accountability for the mess that led to this point.
The only leadership on show came from De Zerbi and the powers-that-be owe the Italian a huge debt. A healthy bonus is surely on its way after the 46-year-old dragged Spurs away from the precipice with 11 points from his seven matches. There were only two narrow 1-0 defeats among that for a team that looked like it had lost all confidence before he walked through the door.
Any De Zerbi bonus will be a drop in the ocean compared to the £250million or so that he has saved Spurs in lost revenue by grabbing the wheel and yanking them clear of the plummet into the Championship.
FOLLOW OUR TOTTENHAM FB PAGE! Latest Spurs news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page
The inquests into what went wrong at Tottenham will be undertaken across this summer, including further medical department changes, and all eyes will be on who makes it through to the other side of the new Spurs, both on and off the pitch.
Venkatesham has endured a bruising first season at the helm, but there is understood to be a feeling among the Lewis family that anybody would have found it difficult to pick up the pieces left scattered by so many changes.
That included the void left by Levy's departure after 24 years, with so many aspects of the club revolving around the hands-on former chairman before suddenly those strings were cut by the owners, requiring new department heads across the club to figure out what went where.
Venkatesham has a reputation for surrounding himself with football minds and in that Lange has not shone, far from it. If someone must be made an example of then that is likely to place the sporting director at risk this summer of at best being marginalised by the arrival of a newcomer, with former Dortmund man Sebastian Kehl among those considered, or at worst finding his rolling contract no longer rolls.
For Lange played his part with Venkatesham and Levy in deciding Thomas Frank was the right choice to replace Ange Postecoglou last summer. That proved to be a major mistake as did the length of time the duo stuck with Lange's compatriot despite the complete breakdown of his relationship with the fans.
They compounded that by parachuting Igor Tudor in to replace him and the Croatian never really made any impact during his brief winless spell at the helm.
Eventually they turned to De Zerbi and finally pressed the right button after hitting everything on the display panel.
The surge behind the scenes under the Italian has been palpable and the 46-year-old has not tolerated negativity within the Hotspur Way training complex.
Even at his post-match press conference on Sunday the head coach came through the door looking for one reporter who he felt had been too pessimistic about Spurs' chances of survival.
"Where is he? The one who is always there at the Tottenham training ground, he was negative and I'm positive. But I want to hug him. Not to fight. I have no energy to fight anymore," he quipped.
The journalist was called away from interviewing players outside the dressing room to get his De Zerbi cuddle, with the Italian's face lighting up when he saw him walk through the door.
"Are you happy?" said the Spurs boss, with the reply coming: "Yes, well done. Congratulations. Well played."
That has been the De Zerbi way from the start inside Tottenham. He had no time for those who did not believe in the way forward and that will also apply to those above him as he looks to get what he wants this summer.
The Italian is in a great position to get exactly that this summer after saving the club's bacon. For if he can do what he did with a fragile, battered and injury-ravaged squad, he can say 'just think what I can do with top players and one game a week next season'.
That's pretty much what he did say after the win against Everton as he chopped his squad in half in terms of who he wanted to keep going forward.
"From tonight we have to start to organise and build a new team. I don't think we have now to change too many players. We have 10, 11, 12 players good enough to stay. Good enough. Like players, especially like people, and then we have to complete the squad with the first level of players," he said.
"First level of players because we suffered too much. I suffered a lot but I think the fans, the club, the board, the players. They suffered too much. We are Tottenham and we can't suffer like this until the last second of the last game to stay up.
"And I will be stronger. I don't want to decide alone because football is a group - sporting director, scouting, CEO - but my target now is finished to stay up. My target is to start the pre-season with the team I have in my dream."
It was once about Ossie's dream, now it's about Roberto's dream and he wants to get going straight away as his pre-season start comment suggested. That will be the next test of the post-Levy era as new signings before early July were rare.
"We are looking forward to start to rebuild a team from this night, from tomorrow. Not from 10 days, we have no time to go on holiday," De Zerbi declared.
Tottenham's powerbrokers know the club can never get itself into this position again and that they must back up all the promises about investing in the team and that increased wage bill.
While a team that has finished 17th in consecutive seasons would not be an attractive proposition, De Zerbi is. The Italian is the best Tottenham estate agent they could hope for.
Free transfers if now pushed through for Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi will inject quality, experience and leadership into the group and the backline, but the owners must bankroll a string of 'first level' signings to help De Zerbi sweep the club up the table.
Tottenham must start acting like a big club if they want to be one. They are keen to not veer into financial fair play problems after years of losses, but those who will leave this summer should help in that regard.
It feels like a parting of the ways with Cristian Romero may finally come in the transfer window, simply because there is the cover to do so.
Van de Ven, who must be in line for a new contract, and Senesi are both left-sided centre-backs while Tottenham must find a way to bring the gifted Luka Vuskovic into their ranks.
The 19-year-old's technical ability would suit De Zerbi to a tee, while Kevin Danso is an excellent option in the backline and was magnificent against Everton along with Pedro Porro and Van de Ven in particular.
Radu Dragusin, who had an important late cameo, was namechecked by De Zerbi after the game when the Italian was asked which players have been crucial to him. He named those who had shown character when out of the team.
"Dragusin was top because he didn't play, but he was always positive inside the dressing room," he said. "Inside the pitch - Bentancur, because Bentancur when he came back from the injury, he wanted to play. He came to me to say, 'hey, I want to play. I'm ready to play'.
"Joao Palhinha, because at the beginning of my time, he didn't play in Sunderland, here with Brighton and Wolverhampton. Ben Davies. Yesterday, he came to the Lodge with us.
"Djed Spence. Before the Chelsea game he came in my office. Another one to say 'I want to play'. He said 'You always speak about the personality, the courage. I'm here, if you want to play with one player' and he was fantastic, I love it.
"Micky van de Ven. Great guy, sensitive guy. I spent a lot of time with him, because I consider him the best left-centre-back in the Premier League, with Levi Colwill, because he was my former player and I can't forget him. But a lot of other players. Richarlison, Archie Gray, I can't say just one."
Dragusin will want to move for first team football and Guglielmo Vicario, after almost putting De Zerbi into a sleeper hold following Palhinha's goal, has been heavily tipped for a summer move back to Italy.
A new goalkeeper would be sought but the remarkable turnaround from Antonin Kinsky will also help any Vicario decision with the Czech keeping his spot for the final game and producing another stunning save, with his 99th minute full length tipping over of Tyrique George's shot.
"About Kinsky, I want to say a secret. Before my first game in Sunderland I thought to give, when I was in Italy, for the Sunderland game, just for one game to make Kinsky the captain," said De Zerbi.
"To show just one thing, very important in football but in life. If we are a team, we are like a family. If one of us is going through a difficult period, we have to stay with him.
"Showing love, showing everything he needs, but he didn't need it because he has a strong character, strong personality. He's a great goalkeeper.
"And I want to say also something for Vicario because with me he was fantastic. As a guy, staying at the side with his passion today on the bench. He accepted my decision with a smile."
A decision must be made on Porro with two years left on his contract. The Spaniard was arguably Spurs' player of the match on Sunday and the most emotional on the pitch after the game.
Porro has shone under De Zerbi and his Instagram post after the game pointed towards next season with the club.
"Got the job done. Not the season we expected or wanted, nor the season you deserved to watch as fans, but your support pushed us to victory today. Thank you for sticking with us through it all, see you next season," he said.
Ben Davies and Yves Bissouma's contracts are coming to a close this summer, although there have been reports the latter's could be extended to ensure Spurs get a fee for him. De Zerbi has taken a shine to Davies but it's difficult to see the Welshman getting game time next season.
Randal Kolo Muani, who did well when he came on late in the game, will head back to PSG while De Zerbi maintains he wants to keep Palhinha but warned his players that space will be tight in his squad next season with the changes he has in mind.
"I would like to keep him 100%. We have to start from these people, before to speak about the players, we have to speak about the people," he said.
"And we have to start. Then, I can't give the place for everyone in the first XI, because I want to build two players in each position. But for sure, I would like him to stay with me. Like Conor Gallagher and Bentancur, the same."
There are also the youngsters like the fans' player of the season Archie Gray, last year's player of the season Lucas Bergvall and Pape Matar Sarr as well as Brazilian left-back Souza. Without European football there is not going to be as much game time to go around for everyone.
Up top, Richarlison could finally get the move he's been tipped to make in recent summers, with the Brazilian constantly linked with a transfer back home.
De Zerbi is a fan of Dominic Solanke and the England international made a pledge to the Tottenham supporters after his nightmare season.
"And breathe.. not the sort of occasion this club should be celebrating.. but we did what we needed to," he said on Instagram. "Thank you so much for your support throughout the whole season. We truly appreciate it from the bottom of our hearts. Everyone at the club will make sure you guys never have to go through something like this again..
"Hands down the most stressful season of my career. Missing the majority through injury is something I’ve never experienced before and hopefully the worst is now behind me. Time to rest and prepare for a big year next year."
Mathys Tel will continue to improve and De Zerbi will run the rule over Mikey Moore this summer, after the 18-year-old won the Scottish Premiership Young Player of the Year award after a big season at Rangers.
De Zerbi will want new attackers though in the transfer window and then there are the string of talented players that De Zerbi has either barely worked with or is yet to, like Mohammed Kudus and Dejan Kulusevski, who were both in attendance on Sunday, Xavi Simons and Wilson Odobert as well as James Maddison.
"Our support is the best out there and I truly believe that," said the latter after the game on social media. "We wouldn't have avoided disaster without your spirit and fight in the stadium today.
"A season of recovering from big surgery for me but even in these last few games I feel pure pride and joy every time I get the opportunity to wear this spurs shirt. Love you all Tottenham Hotspur. See you next season. Coysssss"
The fans were magnificent on Sunday from the moments when they waited for the team coach to turn out of White Hart Lane into the High Road to their constant singing and support through a nervy game in which they could have dropped off in noise as worry took over.
That's the thing about the supporters. Players, managers and board members come and go but the fans will always be there through thick and thin. Had the worst happened and Spurs went down, the supporters would have sung as loudly in the Championship as in the Premier League.
Thankfully they will remain in the top flight and they and, as importantly, the club should come out the other side stronger for this chastening experience. Tottenham need to come out the other end wiser for it all and they must rectify the mistakes of recent seasons.
There has been a lot of finger pointing behind the scenes at the past during this campaign but the present has not been any better. The key now is to ensure the future is something to behold and ensure the handful of protesting banners towards the hierarchy around the ground at the end of the game are no longer required.
From near disaster, something new can be born. Spurs have not even seen real De Zerbi football yet. That will come next season and it will benefit from mostly one game a week for players to be at their freshest.
If the Italian gets the team he dreams of then something can be created for everyone to connect with again. This season must never, ever be repeated. After always promising to dare and do, Spurs finally 'did' just in time and now they must dare to be something much, much better.
