Antonio Conte paced the touchline, fiddled with his belt, gesticulated like a man possessed. Above, Daniel Levy shifted nervously in his seat.
And so the bold new era at Tottenham begins. Clinging on from 3-0 up, at home to a team sitting fifth in the Dutch league.
Conte is the second title-winning Chelsea manager charged with restoring pride to Tottenham, meaning there is only Carlo Ancelotti left, Ted Drake having passed in 1995. This is in many ways Levy's last and biggest gamble.
If appointing the serial winner Conte does not work, where does he go?