Antonio Conte's spell as Tottenham manager is over, demonstrating just how quickly things can change in the Premier League.
After taking over from Nuno Espirito Santo less than halfway through the 2021-22 season, it was initially job done for the Italian as Spurs qualified for the Champions League on the final day of the season. A strong start followed this time around, and all appeared relatively rosy.
And yet, with three months remaining on the deal Conte signed back in 2021, he finds himself looking for a new job. Here, Mirror Football takes a closer look at how and why things went wrong for the former Chelsea and Inter Milan boss.
"We have 10 Premier League games remaining and we have a fight on our hands for a Champions League place," Spurs chairman Daniel Levy said in a statement on Sunday night. "We all need to pull together. Everyone has to step up to ensure the highest possible finish for our Club and amazing, loyal supporters."
On the face of things, Spurs' situation in the league hasn't changed. Twelve months ago today, they sat three points adrift of fourth-placed Arsenal having played a game more, while this time around they are the ones being chased for Champions League football by Newcastle and Liverpool.
On-field results have been far from the only concern this season, though. Conte had long looked likely to leave when his contract was up, but there are reasons why the decision was made to act even sooner.
Record start
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Back in the 2011-12 season, Spurs set a new high bar under Harry Redknapp with 22 points from their opening 10 fixtures. That record stood for more than a decade - Jose Mourinho got 21 at the start of the 2020-21 campaign - until Conte led his team to 23 points from 10 games this season.
It was already a huge improvement on the return of 15 which saw Nuno sacked last term. Arsenal were the only opponents to beat Conte's men, while Chelsea and West Ham each took a point from their derbies, and five home games brought five straight victories including a 4-1 win against Southampton and a 6-2 demolition of Leicester.
Things can quickly change, though. Had Spurs kept up their early-season form, they would currently sit second in the table with 64 points, but an average of just 1.44 points per game across their following 18 fixtures means that top four spot is under threat.
Players lose patience
According to The Athletic, it didn't take long for players to tire of Conte's approach. This may help explain why, after a strong end to last season and some impressive-looking recruitment, the mood soon soured.
By the end, the mood was said to be worse than at the end of Mourinho's tenure. Considering how quickly things turned sour under the Portuguese, this is no mean feat.
Those summer signings, too, looked better in theory than in practice. Ivan Perisic has flattered to deceive, Yves Bissouma has been solid if not spectacular, and Djed Spence has essentially been MIA.
As for Richarlison, the Brazil international - signed at great cost from Everton - has yet to score a league goal during an injury-hit season which reached boiling point after Spurs' Champions League exit. The forward was a substitute in both legs against the Rossoneri, and sparked a war of words with Conte which the player may feel he has won by outlasting the manager.
Painful losses
In mitigation, Conte has been forced to deal with a lot in a short time. There was the loss of Gian Piero Ventrone, the popular fitness coach and close friend of Conte's who died in October, followed by the death of Sinisa Mihajlovic of cancer in December.
The manager lost another friend when former Italy striker Gianluca Vialli passed away in January. Conte sat out press duties after Vialli's death at the age of 58, and was said to be deeply affected after losing a number of friends in quick succession.
"I told you and wrote that you have always been an inspiration to me as my Captain and for how you were proving to be Strong, Proud and Brave, fighting like a lion against this disease," Conte wrote in tribute to Vialli. "Always in my heart my friend. Ciao Gianluca."
Conte has also been forced to deal with his own health issues over the course of the season. It was only recently that he returned from gallbladder surgery, making efforts to resume his managerial duties as soon as he could, and it remains to be seen what the Italian does next.
January issues
Spurs returned to the negotiating table in January despite Conte's future being uncertain. There were talks over an extension before the World Cup, and further discussions in December, but by January it appeared he had no plans to remain for the long haul.
Not that this can have come as a huge surprise after his public reluctance to pledge himself to Spurs beyond that initial deal. Still, despite the manager not committing his future to the club beyond the summer, he was still backed in the transfer market.
The addition of Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski in January 2022 played a big part in Spurs chasing down Arsenal to claim fourth, so there was some logic in backing the boss to repeat the trick. However, Pedro Porro will be forced to show his worth under a different manager, while Arnaut Danjuma may well decide to try his luck elsewhere when his loan ends, having played a mere 47 minutes under Conte.
What's more, Bentancur and Kulusevski - so crucial last season - have both missed matches. Spurs' back-to-back defeats against Man Utd and Newcastle in October came with Kulusevski out thanks to a thigh issue, while Bentancur has been ruled out for the season with an ACL injury suffered in February.
Arsenal comparisons
While Spurs could end up recording a comparable finish to Conte's first season, and even a comparable points tally, there is a big difference. Last season's run to fourth came at the expense of Arsenal, and via a late-season win in the North London derby, but this time around the neighbours are out in front.
The summer window offered a chance for both teams to strengthen, and both spent considerable sums. However, while the Gunners have seen the benefit of summer signings including Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus - not to mention January arrivals Leandro Trossard and Jorginho - few members of Spurs squad (including those already there) have consistently impressed.
"This season, excuse the word, it's been s***, because I don't have minutes, I suffered a little with the injury." £60m man Richarlison said after Spurs' European exit. "Let's see what he [Conte] will say tomorrow, but there are no fools here either, I'm a professional, I work every day and I want to play. There are minutes left, time left."
Conte's reaction was to hit back at the Brazilian. "When you speak of 'I' and not 'us', you are being selfish," he said.
"I say to my players, 'if we want to build something important and win a trophy, we have to speak with 'we' not with 'I'', because otherwise you're thinking of yourself."
Compare this to the situation on the other side of North London, where manager Mikel Arteta has delivered squad unity to help his team push for glory. While the league position certainly helped mask wider issues, this might not have been felt so keenly had Arsenal not been enjoying the season some Spurs fans hoped they were capable of.
The final act
Conte's final game in charge came against Southampton, and he certainly went out with a bang. Spurs switched off to let Ruben Selles' strugglers claim a late point at St Mary's, and followed the result with an explosive press conference laying bare the widespread issues he saw at the club.
“We are 11 players that go into the pitch," Conte said in his post-match comments. "I see selfish players, I see players that don't want to help each other and don't put their heart.
"Being a team, it is the most important thing. To understand that we play for the badge. We have to play to make our fans proud of us. We have to pay to show desire. The fire in your eyes to win. If you have this , for sure, you don't go out in FA Cup. Today you win.
“Here we're used to it for a long time. The club has the responsibility for the transfer market, every coach that stayed here has the responsibility. And the players? The players? Where are the players?
"In my experience, I can tell you that if you want to be competitive, if you want to fight, you have to improve this aspect. And this aspect, I can tell you, in this moment is really, really low. And I see only 11 players that play for themselves."
What comes next
Spurs are not rushing into their next appointment. Cristian Stellini, who took charge during Conte's surgery-enforced absence, will manage the team for the remainder of the season with Ryan Mason as his number two.
Some, of course, will point out that this is also what Spurs did with Mourinho, only to pick the wrong successor in the form of Nuno. Getting it wrong again this time could be even more costly.
There are a number of candidates being mentioned in connection with the post. These range from those with experience at top clubs - including former Barcelona boss Luis Enrique and ex-Bayern Munich man Julian Nagelsmann - to those like Roberto De Zerbi who have impressed in the Premier League.
One other option, of course, is a return for Mauricio Pochettino, still a popular figure despite the on-field slump which saw his first Spurs spell end in 2019. He ultimately might not be the right fit for where Spurs are right now, but it would certainly be a change after how things ended under Conte.
