Tottenham Hotspur avoided the unthinkable, but now the inquest must begin.
Sunday's 1-0 win over Everton on the final day of the season ensured Spurs avoided the most embarrassing relegation in Premier League history, but the toughest question of all must now be answered: how on Earth did they get here?
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Shortly after taking up his role as Tottenham's non-executive chairman last September, Peter Charrington continued a tradition of gathering Spurs legends together for dinner.
Former chairman Daniel Levy used to host these evenings, designed to maintain a link between past and present while providing a chance for the club to share their long-term strategy to a receptive audience who could spread the word informally among supporters.
But this time it was different. After introducing himself, Charrington produced a notebook. And instead of explaining the club's strategy, the man who spent 26 years in the financial sector running Citibank's Global Private Banking business invited those in attendance to provide ideas on how to take the club forward.
Perhaps this was a useful exercise in canvassing opinion from a man who, as non-executive chairman, was not running the club on a day-to-day basis as Levy had done so assiduously for almost a quarter of a century. But multiple sources have told ESPN that this was viewed as a sign of Spurs lacking sufficient direction; a new leadership bereft of a blueprint to take the club forward. ESPN has spoken to several staff members who have described Tottenham as "rudderless" and "lacking soul."
Tottenham Hotspur coach Roberto De Zerbi helped the team escape relegation on the final day of the season. How did it come to this for one of the Premier League's so-called 'Big Six'? Richard Heathcote/Getty Images Spurs coach Roberto De Zerbi -- hired less than two months ago -- has managed to paper over the cracks. His euphoric celebration at full-time against Everton was a reflection of the pressure he has been under, but also must serve as a reminder that a club as big as Tottenham cannot ever be put in this position again.
The recent drift almost sent the world's ninth-richest soccer club into the oblivion that is the Championship. A clear vision to take Spurs forward is required.