A seemingly innocuous remark angered Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou after his side's 3-2 defeat by Everton.
Goodison Park has hardly been a place where supporters expect a flurry of goals, from the home side at least; however, when the team from North London rocked up, they looked vulnerable to concede in almost every passage of attacking play.
This wasn't a one-off. Results over the past couple of months have been dire, and a side that fancied itself to challenge for the Champions League when the season began is increasingly looking like mid-table fodder.
There is still the chance of a long-awaited trophy, but given how poorly the side is currently playing, that seems like a vain hope.
Nevertheless, a BBC journalist's suggestion that losing was a "familiar story" for Spurs riled Postecoglou.
"Ange, familiar story. What are your assessments of that performance, please?" he was asked, to which the Australian coach replied, "Familiar story?"
His voice dripping with sarcasm, he added, "Great way to start an interview."
Those who've followed the ex-Celtic boss's career will know he has this edge to his personality.
As boss of the Australian national team, he often clashed with reporters, but the shift in his manner from the start of his spell in North London is still remarkable.
After all, this man won over the media with his warm presence and ambitious talk.
Having been browbeaten by the negativity of previous coaches Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte, having a manager who didn't dismiss the idea the team could be title challengers or moan about a lack of talent was refreshing.
The bold front-footed approach was also a reason for hope. Postecoglou's team looked like it had a plan, even if that strategy sometimes went array.
It was an approach that only added to the sense this was something new and exciting.
"In any sport, when I see teams kind of break the traditional mold, that's when people get really uneasy about it - and that's when you know, 'OK, this could be something special,'" he said in August 2023.
"It's not guaranteed to work. It could all fall to pieces and end up in tears. But when you make people uneasy and uncomfortable with what they see it probably means you're breaking new ground and I love that in anything in life.
"That's where the special stuff exists, and that's the kind of space I'm in."
Now, as is always the case with a dogmatic coach who is hit with challenging results, Postecoglou faces calls to abandon his philosophy and adopt a more pragmatic approach.
He'll be criticized for abandoning his beliefs regardless of whether they prove effective, while any loss will always be followed by an epitaph about his stubbornness in the face of clear evidence.
But anyone telling the Australian coach to change faces likely disappointment.
According to sports scientist Anton McElhone, who worked for Postecoglou at Celtic, he won't break from his principles.
"What's really interesting about Ange is everyone that works with him realises this is a very strong manager. And I don't mean this in a critical way, but he's his own guy," he told the BBC.
"He has a Sir Alex Ferguson-type mentality: this is how I do it, this is how I work. He doesn't have a network of staff.
"Every club that he has been to, he does produce. But again, it's never an easy ride. So he will always predict that there is going to be real rough patches in it.
"I think he has the resiliency, understanding and experience to overcome these things. He is a very relentless and persevering manager; very strong mentally. Probably one of the best I've worked with.
"He's not going to worry about the outside noise. He's going to focus on how do we win, how to we play our style, our way of doing it. He will be focused on that in one way only."
The concern for the Australian is that there are now press reports suggesting some players are starting to question his dogmatic approach.
According to the Daily Mail, "how the players view Postecoglou differs depending on who you talk to. Some still swear by their boss. Others are less convinced."
The report claims that "certain players have privately complained about the demands of training and the schedule. The club's injury list does not ease some players' concerns that their output needs reducing.
"The team's expansive, attacking approach — or, more pertinently, Postecoglou's apparent refusal to adapt it — is also noted as a factor behind the team's struggles.'
"One source close to the Spurs team, however, believes he has recognized a watering down of the gung-ho tactics that many pundits cite as Tottenham's biggest flaw.
"There was shock within the squad when Postecoglou dropped captain Son and James Maddison earlier this month, too. Both are big characters, and such decisions often have consequences, particularly when results don't improve.
"Yet it was a risk Postecoglou believed was worth taking in the hope of doubling down on his authority and shaking off the malaise."
Without knowing the identity of the sources in this piece, it is difficult to assess how damning those doubts are.
However, it is never a good sign when the media starts reporting these stories.
At this stage, it doesn't look like the Australian is poised to lose his job and there is the substantial mitigation of a horrendous injury list.
Either way now is the time for Postecoglou to show why he still believes the club can do something special.