Tottenham's season is in crisis and the pressure on Ange Postecoglou is increasing.
The 3-2 defeat to Everton leaves Spurs in fifteenth place in the Premier League, closer to the relegation zone than the European places.
The defeat, which saw Postecoglou's side trail 3-0 at half-time to a team that had previously scored 15 goals in 20 games, was Spurs' twelfth defeat of the season and continues a dismal one-win run against basement club Southampton. – in their last 10 games.
Spurs' 12 defeats this season are the most they have suffered in 22 league games in more than a quarter of a century – while they have recorded just nine Premier League wins in the last nine months – losing 24 of their last 50 games.
So what's next for Postecoglou and Tottenham ahead of a busy end to January, both on and off the pitch? Sky Sports News' Michael Bridge explains everything…
Is Postecoglou under heavy pressure?
I understand he is not under heavy pressure. I think there is pressure because they are 15th in the league. For them it is unacceptable.
But Postecoglou said that himself. He also said, and he is right, that they are still in three cup competitions, but the league position is not acceptable.
So there is pressure. But as far as his job security is concerned, I believe he still has the full support of the board.
But the next three or four weeks will define Tottenham's season. If players like Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero return in the coming weeks, they could qualify for the last 16 of the Europa League, reach the Carabao Cup final and beat Aston Villa in the FA Cup.
Then you turn around and say, this could actually still be a good season.
However, they could lose to Hoffenheim in Europe on Thursday, be knocked out of the top eight and then have two more games to reach the final stages of the Europa League. They could lose at Anfield in the second leg of the Carabao Cup and they could go out to Villa.
If that were to happen, it could be a tough few months until May.
Why is the board giving him this time?
I think there is acceptance that these injuries seriously derailed the side. These are not just strange injuries, they are serious injuries.
People can blame him for the playing style that led to hamstring injuries. You can't blame Postecoglou when Dominic Solanke kicked a ball during training and his knee gave out.
Postecoglou has been saying to me and colleagues over the past two to three weeks: Dom needs help. And now Dom is hurt.
It's January 20 and no outfield signing has arrived yet. Yes, January is hard, but he really needs help right now.
Will Postecoglou get that support in the January transfer market?
I believe so. They need to bring in players. January is not easy, but it is feasible. Spurs have had some good Januarys.
For example, Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur were the January signings and now they are Tottenham's two best players. So it can happen.
But European clubs are not so keen to give away their players in January. We now have European football in January, which has never happened before.
But I still believe that Spurs will sign at least one player, but it has to happen quickly.
Where are the Spurs fans at Postecoglou?
Mixed is probably a fair assessment at the moment after the defeat to Everton.
When he joined, I have never known such love. Postecoglou said it himself: the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was like being in a nightclub. Even Robbie Williams started singing songs about him.
And then they had a bad run when they played that game against Chelsea, that 4-1 loss on Monday Night Football. The season just went off the rails after that and Postecoglou didn't really get that back.
Many fans just think it's not his fault and that he doesn't get any support. They think the team is not good enough, it needs money, they need better recruitment.
While some fans are angry because he only has one way to play. Some think the injuries are his fault, and they are not happy with the high line and open midfield.
Some think he's stubborn and some think it's time for a change, but who do you bring in? We have seen that Ruben Amorim was so insecure to join a club mid-season where there is so much work to do.
Daniel Levy has previously sacked Spurs managers mid-season, what would that look like?
I don't know if the fans would accept an interim like Ryan Mason as they have the last two times. From the muttering I hear, I don't think they would accept that.
Postecoglou still maintains a good relationship with the Spurs hierarchy. The head of football operations is Scott Munn, an Australian and a supporter of Ange.
Postecoglou works very well with Johan Lange, Tottenham's technical director. But the next three to four weeks are crucial for Tottenham's season.
If Postecoglou were to be sacked soon, where would this leave Daniel Levy among the Spurs fans?
I don't think Daniel Levy would personally be in a hurry to fire another manager.
But if he did, the atmosphere in the final months of the season would be very exciting at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Spurs are currently struggling with injuries. Is there an explanation why?
There is no doubt that, given Tottenham's style of play, there is that risk.
I also think that poor recruitment has caught up with the club. When I look at the team, I don't consider it a top six team at the moment.
I honestly think to Postecoglou he probably didn't give himself enough credit for finishing fifth in the first season without Harry Kane.
Spurs played poorly for a few seasons, winning 1-0 with a thunderbolt from Kane. They used to rely on him too much. They didn't have him last season and still had a pretty good season.
This season you have seen a number of injuries and poor performances, and then players like Heung-Min Son, who has had a tough season, is a year older.
And one of the most disappointing facts is that I think that, and this is perhaps a collective responsibility, they didn't really plan for the extra European games.
Spurs were not in Europe last season. They were knocked out of the FA Cup. They were eliminated from the Carabao Cup in the second round. So they essentially only had about 42 games.
This year they have already played their 34th match. They have two more European matches this month. They have a second leg in the Carabao Cup. They have the FA Cup.
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