Tottenham Hotspur signed off their season with a flourish, but Sunday's 4-1 thrashing of Leeds United was a case of too little, too late for the North London club.
A season that promised so much ended with Spurs not only missing out on Champions League qualification but European football altogether as they finished eighth on 60 points.
Ryan Mason saw the season out after two managers were sacked while fans turned on chairman Daniel Levy demanding his resignation.
There is also the more pressing matter of Harry Kane's future, with Spurs' record scorer almost certain to leave the club this summer.
Transfer policy will also have to be addressed after too few recruits lived up to expectations.
Spurs splashed upwards of £50 million to sign Richarlison from Everton but fans' misgivings about him proved well-founded as the Brazil striker struggled for goals and a regular starting place.
Others underperformed, a sentiment Antonio Conte was only too willing to point out in public, most notably after Spurs threw away a two-goal lead to draw 3-3 with Southampton in March.
The Italian labelled his players "selfish" and accused them of not wanting to play under pressure. As is his wont, Conte also took aim at the board for the team's struggles.
His reluctance for any introspection created a chasm at the club and he was sacked on March 26 after Tottenham suffered exits from the Champions League and FA Cup.
The appointment of Conte's assistant, Cristian Stellini, to help steady the ship with the club still, then at least, well placed for a top-four finish, proved a disaster.
Stellini suffered the same fate as his compatriot a day after Spurs suffered a humiliating 6-1 defeat at Newcastle United on April 23 that ended any lingering hopes of a top-four finish and Champions League football.
That game, in which Tottenham found themselves 3-0 down in nine minutes and 5-0 down at half time, almost certainly signalled the end of captain Hugo Lloris' 11-year stay.
The French goalkeeper was replaced at half time at St James' Park following an error-strewn display. It wasn't the first time in 2022/23 Lloris was badly at fault but is likely to be the last with Fraser Forster instilled as first choice for the remaining matches.
The one bright spot in a bleak campaign was undoubtedly the goalscoring exploits of Kane.
His typically predatory strike in Tottenham's 1-0 win against Manchester City took him past Jimmy Greaves to a record 267 goals for the North London club.
Kane's strike against City also moved him on to 200 Premier League goals, making him only the third player to do so. His 30 league goals this campaign came against 25 teams – a record for a 38-game season.
But the England striker's double against Leeds on Sunday – which took his tally to 280 goals for the club – could well be his last in Tottenham colours.
The 29-year-old's current deal ends next summer and the club must decide whether to hold him to the final year of his contract and risk losing him for nothing or to cash in on their prized asset.
With no European football as a distraction next season, Spurs, with the right manager and the right squad, will fancy themselves to challenge for a top-four finish in 2023/24.
Whether Kane is part of that remains to be seen.
