As jinxes in football go, it's up there with some of the more unusual.
Since Mauricio Pochettino released his autobiography Brave New World, his team Tottenham's Premier League form seems to have fallen off a cliff.
They have taken only four points from a possible 15 since Pochettino's tome hit the shelves back on October 26.
Tuesday night's 2-1 defeat at Leicester City was just the latest setback in a worrying slump that has seen them fall 13 points behind leaders Manchester City and within the sights of seventh-place Burnley.