When Thomas Frank was appointed Tottenham head coach back in the summer, replacing the much-maligned but ultimately trophy-winning Ange Postecoglou, many expected the north London giants to show signs of evolution.
Instead, however, Spurs are continuing to swoop to low after low - with the north London titans anchored to 14th in the Premier League table after Wednesday night's 3-2 defeat to Bournemouth.
It wasn't meant to be like this. Frank arrived on the back of a splendid volume of work at Brentford, where the Bees buzzed from the Championship to a consolidated Premier League side.
Yet it's now unescapeable that the doom and gloom mood around Tottenham is worsening, to such an extent that the board could be forced to act if results fail to improve.
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Such was Tottenham's faith in Frank, they decided to give the Dane a substantial salary fuelled by the belief that he would guide them into Europe.
He is believed to earn around £8-million-a-year in north London. Only Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola, of Arsenal and Manchester City respectively, earn more.
But that gives Spurs a substantial problem. Players are struggling to adapt to Frank's methods, fans are growing increasingly disillusioned and, with the New Year now upon us, Tottenham are closer to the bottom of the table than the top.
Thomas Frank cut a frustrated figure as Tottenham lost to Bournemouth on Wednesday night | GETTYFrank's deal is due to expire in 2028.
And that means Tottenham would have to pay around £20m to relieve the 52-year-old of his duties, a figure that those above would be understandably reluctant to cough up.
Their season had started with immense promise, with the north London side wowing supporters and pundits with their performance in August's UEFA Super Cup defeat to Luis Enrique's Paris Saint-Germain.
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Five things to know about Tottenham boss Thomas Frank | PAThey then proceeded to overcome Burnley and Manchester City, without scoring a goal.
Ever since a 1-0 defeat to Bournemouth at the end of August, however, they've struggled for consistency. Results, as well as performances, have fuelled plenty of anger among their loyal fanbase.
They are angry, and rightly so. Tottenham, just a few years ago, were reaching for the stars under Mauricio Pochettino. They had world-class players, especially Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, who helped them reach the Champions League final in 2019.
Ever since, however, Spurs have regressed. Each manager - from Jose Mourinho to Antonio Conte, Postecoglou to Frank - has been unable to create something special in the capital.
Supporters feel the board have allowed this to happen. After Wednesday's loss at the Vitality Stadium, Micky van de Ven clashed with fans. Club captain Cristian Romero then inflamed things further by appearing to criticise the hierarchy on social media, only to then delete his post.
Gone are the days of superstars, with Kane leaving in 2023 before Son departed in the summer. While there is some quality there, there's also too much deadwood. For example, no other elite side would be starting Djed Spence and Mathys Tel.
Tottenham defender Cristian Romero launched a scathing attack on the club's hierarchy through Instagram following their defeat at Bournemouth, accusing unnamed figures of spreading "lies" before later removing the inflammatory reference from his post | GETTYFrank was asked about the rising tension after the game. Understandably, he kept his cards close to his chest.
“I haven’t seen that situation, that’s one thing," he said.
"I think it’s fair to say everyone involved in Tottenham - players, staff, fans, everyone - this is a tough one to take today.
"I think hopefully everyone can see how hard it works to get everything in the right direction.”
Next up for Tottenham is a crunch FA Cup showdown with Aston Villa on Saturday (5.45pm).
Should they lose, the heat on Frank will only increase.