Antonio Conte has mentioned commitment in a number of his press conferences, but Daniel Levy's help will be needed to help Tottenham make the much needed step up in quality.
Spurs produced an energetic and improved performance in their fourth round FA Cup tie against Brighton but in their most recent fixture against Southampton, they failed to keep that up, ending in a 3-2 defeat.
Against Graham Potter's side, the Lilywhites had 12 shots with seven on target to Brighton's 13 with five on target.
However, against the Saints, Tottenham had just eight shots to Southampton's 23 and struggled against a constant press that Ralph Hassenhuttl's side produced.
In Spurs' two most recent matches their two January arrivals, Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur have come on to try and make an impact in the game and the latter has already shown impressive moments.
During the winter window, the Lilywhites did most of their business on deadline day, sending out four first team players and welcoming the Juventus duo.
There have been improvements made to a number of individuals since the arrival of the Italian but there are still a number of mistakes in performances which are preventing Tottenham getting maximum points from games.
Sloppy passing and a lack of consistency and creativity are all still prominent in large spells during matches and if that continues, the struggles the Lilywhites are currently facing, may continue.
After the defeat to Southampton on Wednesday, Conte praised his players for the commitment they showed throughout the game, something he has mentioned on a number of occasions previously.
"We have to struggle and give 120 per cent, and I repeat the effort today [Wednesday] was the maximum," he admitted in his post match press conference. "I can’t tell you that my players the effort was not good, the commitment was not good - no.
"I have to tell thanks to my players because the commitments was top. But then you know you have to improve in many, many aspects - and we have a long, long road in front of us."
However, as the Italian maybe alludes to with his acknowledgment of improvement, commitment will only get you so far in a game of football.
During the January window, Conte wanted a right wing-back, a striker and central midfielder but only got the latter.
There were various players from all over the world who were linked with a move to north London and Spurs failed to secure the deals of the likes of Luis Diaz and Adama Traore.
The Lilywhites have a habit of leaving their transfer window business until the final days, but securing more deals earlier in the window would give the north London side the potential to get more deals done in the transfer window.
Tottenham are now four points off the top four but have three games in hand over fourth place West Ham, meaning the battle for a Champions League spot is still on.
From the beginning of his chapter at Spurs, Conte has emphasised having players he can count on and praising his side for commitment.
However, to bridge the gap in quality between Tottenham and the top three sides, this won't be enough to get the Lilywhites maximum points from games week in, week out.
With the four January outgoings, it indicates that the Italian isn't afraid to move the players on who don't fit in his plans.
Only time will tell how much the Italian can improve individual players but as the final few months of the season commence, it will become clear who is thriving in a Conte set-up and which positions still require reinforcement.
The commitment from the players needs to be kept up, especially with the inevitable tiredness which will be required with a busy fixture schedule.
However if the Spurs don't have the overall quality to salvage results and get Tottenham into the top four, Fabio Paratici may struggle to attract the top quality signings in the summer.
If Conte still requires this improvement by the end of the campaign, he will need the financial backing of Daniel Levy to fulfil his wishes with potentially more incomings.
Therefore, the Lilywhites need to focus on improving areas of their game that are lacking, win as many games as possible and then focus on the required upgrades when the next transfer window opens.
