Newcastle United players and support staff have all noticed how Eddie Howe does not tend to get too high after a win or too low after a defeat and that was certainly the case following Sunday's 5-1 hammering at Spurs. As disappointed as Howe was, the Newcastle head coach hoped the mauling could yet be looked back on as a turning point of sorts in 'bringing us back down to the basics that got us success'.
Defensive solidity, after all, had been the cornerstone of Newcastle's recent nine-game unbeaten run in the Premier League, when the black-and-whites struck a delicate balance between trying to win games and keeping the opposition at bay. Indeed, it had been a long time since a match had previously got away from Howe's side after countless hours were spent on the training pitches working on game management and being more streetwise.
Howe was, therefore, keen to try and keep a sense of perspective following a timely wake-up call on Sunday evening. Newcastle remain nine points clear of danger - a position even Howe did not expect to be in at this stage - and it is easy to forget that the black-and-whites were languishing in 19th place in mid-January.
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Perhaps, unsurprisingly, then, Howe did not feel the need 'go hard or negative in any direction' in the dressing room after the Spurs game as the 44-year-old instead called on his side to respond when Newcastle return to St James' Park to face high-flying Wolves on Friday night.
"I think you've got to be very careful because everyone's very emotional and things can be said that maybe aren't helpful," he told reporters after the game.
"I spoke. I think that's the way it should be. I'll always encourage the players if they want to speak to each other. The minute I leave the dressing room, that can happen. I think it's important my message got through."
That is not to say this defeat will be viewed as a 'free hit' by any stretch of the imagination, however. Changes will surely be made on Friday night and it would be a shock if the influential Bruno Guimaraes did not make his first home start at St James' Park.
Yes, Newcastle have previously suffered heavy defeats against sides in the top six, but the manner of this loss was all the more jolting given the recent standards the Magpies have set. Plus, Newcastle actually took the lead at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
While Spurs had dominated possession and territory in the opening stages, Martin Dubravka had little to do before Fabian Schar stepped up and landed a sucker punch in the 39th minute with a curling free-kick. However, Newcastle were only ahead for a few minutes and Ben Davies' equaliser set the tone for what was to come.
Newcastle failed to deal with Son Heung-min's corner kick and the ball eventually came back out to the forward on the left wing. Son's cross was not blocked and Davies easily got ahead of Matt Targett to head Spurs level.
There was still so much time left but, perhaps, Spurs' second goal in the 48th minute was the real game changer. Schar's careless crossfield ball was seized upon by Dejan Kulusevski and, this time, Harry Kane found it too easy to peel away and cross the ball into the box unchallenged. Kane's delivery sailed past three Newcastle defenders and there was Matt Doherty ghosting in at the back post ahead of Javier Manquillo to put Spurs in front.
Newcastle have generally responded well to in-game set-backs, but the visitors appeared to panic as they immediately pressed high and pushed forward in search of an equaliser. Remarkably, all 10 of Newcastle's outfield players were in Spurs' half in the build-up to Son's third goal in the 54th minute.
That was the cue for Howe to throw on Bruno Guimaraes and Jacob Murphy as the Newcastle boss matched up Spurs and switched to a back five, with Jonjo Shelvey dropping into defence, but it did not work. There were still gaping holes for Spurs to exploit and Emerson Royal added a fourth in in the 63rd minute.
Rather than bringing on another midfielder or a striker in Dwight Gayle, Howe, tellingly, replaced the jaded Chris Wood with Jamaal Lascelles to try and tighten up once more but there was still time for Steven Bergwijn to add a fifth in a result few saw coming.
While this hammering has to be put into context, this was a reminder to players, staff and the watching owners that the Magpies have a lot of work to do to not only secure safety but, also, to one day bridge the gap. It has to serve as a reality check.
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