Tottenham's problems were laid bare by their meek Champions League exit against AC Milan but the difficulties at the club are not confined to the pitch alone.
Spurs will end yet another season without a trophy – their last major prize was the League Cup in 2008 – and with coach Antonio Conte looking increasingly likely to leave the club when his contract expires at the end of the campaign.
Conte remains a world-class operator and there will be plenty of interest from his native Italy if – as expected – his time in north London comes to an end in May. At least two of Italy's big three – AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus – may change coaches at the end of the season while Jose Mourinho's time at Roma also seems to be approaching the end.
'This is not the right day to speak about my future,' said Conte after Spurs were eliminated. 'I have a contract with Tottenham and Tottenham know very well my thoughts. At the end of the season we meet and then make a decision.
'The situation is really clear. It's one year and two months since I started, I always say the same thing, we need time and patience. At this moment we don't have a solid foundation to be competitive and win.
'I have a great relationship with the chairman. I have a contract until June, I'm ready to work at Tottenham. At the end there will be a decision.'
Yet the Italian's style of management is not always to everybody's liking and it is fair to say that if he departs, he will not be universally missed at Tottenham.
Sportsmail understands that life under Conte has been difficult in recent times, with certain members of staff feeling demotivated and disillusioned.
It is believed one particular area of concern is the training schedules, which are often not confirmed until a relatively short time before the session begins. That has left some staff feeling in constant limbo and unable to organise other areas of their lives. At other clubs, the training plan will be confirmed a week in advance.
Under previous Spurs managers, homegrown players have regularly been brought into the first team. Harry Kane is the poster boy but far from the only name, with Andros Townsend backed by Andre Villas-Boas, Kane by Tim Sherwood and others – including Ryan Mason and Harry Winks – by Mauricio Pochettino, who helped turn Kane into the global star he is today.
Even Jose Mourinho, not known for his trust in youth, gave Japhet Tanganga a chance in the Premier League, while Nuno Espirito Santo made Oliver Skipp a Premier League regular.
Some members of today's academy staff feel, however, that there is little chance for their players to progress to the senior squad under the current regime.
With Spurs finishing in the top four last season and firmly in the race again this, Conte could legitimately argue he has fulfilled his brief. The priority for the north Londoners has always been to become Champions League regulars, ever since Harry Redknapp delivered a top-four finish in 2010 and Pochettino returned four in a row from 2016-19.
When Conte took control, Spurs were drifting badly under Nuno and the former Juventus and Inter Milan boss did incredibly well to get the ship back on course.
Yet the uncertainty over Conte's future is believed to have had an unsettling effect, with players and staff unsure of what the club will look like this summer.
Meanwhile, managing director of football Fabio Paratici has appealed against a 30-month ban from working in Italian football, with the outcome expected next month.