Towards the end of January, Antonio Conte gathered his Tottenham players at the club's Enfield HQ for a heart-to-heart.
The Italian wanted to get to the bottom of the team's run of one Premier League win in five, including three damaging defeats.
As the final player arrived, Conte walked out - telling his players he wanted them to find the solution to their wretched form.
Among the squad, there was a sense that performances and results had been hampered by Conte's rigid and defensive tactics. When senior players reported back to Conte after the crisis talks, they pleaded with him to release the shackles and be more expansive in their attacking play.