Daniel Levy will have been sent a clear transfer message after Tottenham's disappointing defeat to Middlesbrough on Tuesday, knocking them out of the FA Cup in the fifth round.
It was a 1-0 victory for Chris Wilder's side in a game that Spurs were expected to win and Antonio Conte would've hoped his side could get a positive result from, after their 4-0 victory over Leeds.
The defeat knocked the Lilywhites out of the cup competition and now means they will have to endure another season without a trophy.
After the game, Conte gave his assessment of the result.
"I feel that we lost a good chance to go through to the next round and to play the quarter-final in an important competition like the FA Cup. I think this," he admitted. "There is for sure disappointment for the final result.
"I think we have had the chances to score but we didn't take it and then you give confidence to your opponent, then you risk.
"At the end Middlesbrough won the game and they deserve to go to the next round," the Italian added.
Spurs had 49% possession and 15 shots, of which six were on target, but they didn't take advantage of the chances they did have and the game was decided by a 107th-minute winning goal.
Conte had the opportunity to give some players a rest for the trip to the Riverside Stadium but decided to stick with the strong team he started in the victory over Leeds.
The Lilywhites have five full days of rest before their next match, a home tie against Everton and needed to progress in the FA Cup competition to give them every chance of getting some much needed silverware.
Therefore, the Italian's team selection was understandable, but his side couldn't get the result in the 120 minutes played and it highlighted even more areas of improvement for Tottenham.
For a number of years, Harry Kane and Son Heung-min have been key players in the Spurs squad and this season has been no different.
The duo broke the Premier League goal-scoring record at Elland Road, for the most combination goals scored, reaching a total of 37.
During this campaign, the England captain has been seen playing in a deeper role in spells of matches, which allows him to thread balls through to the South Korean and slot them into the back of the net.
In the league alone, the duo have made 27 goal contributions this season and they are always the two that are relied on to help Spurs win games.
However, this season has also seen them both have a drop in form in some games, with Kane having a slow start to the season and Son not making his usual impact in recent matches.
This was no different for the game against Middlesbrough and it was a quiet game for both players, with Son having four shots on target and Kane having none.
The England captain had just 65.2 per cent passing accuracy and Son lost the ball on a number of occasions.
Neither had the impact they usually do, or the impact that has become expected of them, which is also where the problem lies.
You can't rely on your best players to be in their best form every single week and do all of the hard work and have their teammates only sometimes help with creativity and goal contributions.
If your best one or two players are having an off day, it would be a wise decision to replace them with someone on the bench who has the potential to come on and change the game.
Steven Bergwijn did just this when he came on in the 78th minute in the thrilling 3-2 victory over Leicester and did try and make an impact when he came on just after the 80th minute at the Riverside Stadium.
However, the other options on the bench reiterated the lack of depth in the squad that Spurs have.
This won't have been helped by the four first team departures during the summer and the injuries that Conte is currently dealing with.
However, of the players that are available, the Italian should have confidence that they can produce a positive performance and result against a side the Lilywhites are expected to beat and in a competition they could have very much done with winning.
If it hadn't already, Tuesday's performance should send Daniel Levy and Fabio Paratici a clear message in regards to what needs to happen in the summer transfer window.
Tottenham can't go on continuing to just rely on one or two players to do everything for them and carry the team in certain games.
This not only doesn't help Spurs but it is likely to also dampen the mood of the duo and make them question their futures in N17.
Spurs need to have the ambition to go out in the next transfer window and get some top quality players to not only improve the current squad but also ensure the likes of Kane and Son have a reason to stay at the north London club.
