11th in the Premier League table and still without a top defender, Ange Postecoglou is not relishing life in north London.
Tottenham certainly entertained, and they did so once again in a 6-3 defeat of league leaders Liverpool, but Postecoglou's idealism in the absence of an optimal formation is starting to see the Lilywhites appear a travesty.
They may be incredible to watch on a tear and admirable performers against the division's best, but how far can Postecoglou take this Tottenham the team? Cup performances will be crucial for the Australian this season.
Festive cheer is in short supply in the white half of north London and Spurs could be in for a tough Boxing Day as they travel to the hot zone Nottingham Forest. Here's how visitors can line up at the City Ground.
GK: Fraser Forster – Forster had performed well since Guglielmo Vicario broke his leg at the Etihad, but he has had a nightmare few days at home. Perhaps he will be better away from N17 on Boxing Day.
RB: Djed Spence – Pedro Porro's Instagram deactivation failed to produce the desired results on the pitch, with the Spaniard continuing to struggle. Spence has been excellent since his integration and he could get the nod over Porro at right back.
CB: Radu Dragusin – An impressive box defender who performs poorly in possession, Dragusin may have excelled under previous regimes in north London. The Romanian remains Spurs' only senior centre-back available.
CB: Archie Gray – The teenager has played everywhere but his preferred position since joining the club, but Gray has shown in recent outings that he is undoubtedly an exciting building block for the future.
LB: Destiny Udogie – The Italian international was back among the substitutes at the weekend after picking up a knock Southampton. Postecoglou will have to rotate on Thursday and Udogie could return to the side.
CM: Rodrigo Bentancur – Yves Bissouma has been forced to play a lot over the past month, but Bentancur has returned from a seven-match ban. There may be a bit of rust, but the boss may be tempted to offer the Mountaineer some rest.
CM: Pape Sarr – The relentless Senegalese star is a key cog in Postecoglou's engine room, with his withdrawal as the game faded away on Sunday suggesting retention for the trip to the City Ground.
CM: Dejan Kulusevski – The Swede has shown he can still be effective when operating out wide, but Postecoglou is likely to switch Kulusevski to the middle of the park. Much of his good work has come from a central position this season.
RW: Brennan Johnson – Johnson has appeared more sporadically recently and has seen a dip in production. The Welshman has 13 assists this season but has not scored in his previous six games. However, the rotation should see the winger back in the team for his first start since the 4-3 defeat to Chelsea.
ST: Dominic Solanke – Solanke is pulling his weight, no doubt about it. The big-money summer arrival has contributed four goals in his previous two games, and while he may fear overuse, the boss has little choice but to start Solanke again on Boxing Day.
LW: Son Heung-min – The Spurs captain is struggling with his workload and was weak at the weekend. He could do with a breather here, but Timo Werner has fallen so drastically down the pecking order that Postecoglou is likely to stick with the fading South Korean superstar.