Jose Mourinho's tactics and approach to games are once again a major talking point following Tottenham's draw against Fulham.
With Liverpool not in action this midweek, Spurs had the chance to climb up to third and sent a message to the defending Premier League champions ahead of their game against leaders Manchester United this Sunday.
And the north London outfit looked to be on their way to doing so when Harry Kane broke the deadlock in the first-half with a fine diving header from Sergio Reguilon's excellent cross.
However, not for the first time this season Spurs didn't push enough for a second goal and were punished by Ivan Cavaleiro's equaliser for the Cottagers.
Once again Tottenham dropped points from a winning position - 10 so far this season - and once again they paid the ultimate price for Mourinho's rather conservative approach.
The Portuguese has a reputation of wanting his teams to be solid defensively first and foremost which creates a platform for the attacking players to shine at the other end.
It's a formula that has worked on numerous occasions this season - home wins over Manchester City and Arsenal in particular - and Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville said last month that Mourinho had evolved his favoured tactic in an attempt to bring the Premier League title to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
"He still wants the defensive stability," Neville wrote in his Sky Sports column. "He still wants the clean sheet, and I don't think he wholly trusts his back four at Tottenham but you look at this Spurs team now, with Moussa Sissoko and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg screening, and you've still got a back six [as he had for United against Liverpool] but there are big differences.
"It's a subtle change but it's the same system as before in a different way. It is far more palatable and it's easier on the eye as you've still got the attacking players in attacking positions.
"Jose has adapted, and he's got the balance of being good defensively with the threat on the counter-attack.
"I feel he has to play this way to have a chance of winning the title because I don't think his back four is strong enough without two players beefing it up. They will be a massive threat to most teams and Jose has a plan on how to win the league this season.
"The challenges might come against teams that drop off against them, where they have to be a little bit more creative, but that's when the likes of Kane and Gareth Bale will come into it.
"I don't think he can win it by being proactive against Liverpool, Manchester City and other teams, but if Tottenham buy into it, the players buy into it, it feels like something that's innovative.
"It's still defensive-minded but it's got a real threat to it, and they're scoring goals as well."
What Neville said last month has proven to be true over the past few weeks as Spurs being proactive against Crystal Palace, Wolves, and Fulham were challenges they couldn't overcome.
Tottenham took the lead in all three of those games, but couldn't find an extra gear when pegged back and the inability to see games out could cost them dearly in the title race.
