Igor Tudor delivered a message of defiance amid Tottenham Hotspur's deepening crisis when he told his players before their visit to Liverpool: "You can stay and cry or you can fight".
The smart money was on more tears after four straight losses under the Croatian saw an alarming drop towards relegation, along with a loss at Atletico Madrid in the Champions League last 16 first leg that was nothing short of a fiasco.
Tudor came under heavy criticism, not just for replacing Antonin Kinsky after only 17 minutes following two mistakes in the 5-2 defeat, but for blanking the young keeper as he walked off.