Harry Kane admits a summer of unwelcome transfer talk at Tottenham unsettled the squad, with Christian Eriksen, Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld all being linked with moves elsewhere.
A trio of senior stars in north London have all entered the final 12 months of their respective contracts.
As they head towards free agency, with no indication that fresh terms will be agreed, big decisions have had to be made on their futures.
Plenty of interest was said to have been shown during the last transfer window, with Eriksen going as far as stating that he would be willing to take on a new challenge .
In the end the deadline passed with no deals done, but the uncertainty at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has impacted on Mauricio Pochettino’s squad as they stumble out of the blocks in 2019-20.
Kane concedes as much, telling Sky Sports : "Obviously in the transfer window just gone, there were players who maybe wanted to leave, and it was public knowledge that there were players close to leaving who stayed.
"So it's never easy when you have a situation like that, but now that's closed, we all just want to move in the right direction.
"Whoever is on the pitch has to give everything for the club, that's all we can ask for. You have to kind of put your individual needs to one side and make sure you're performing to the highest level, because that will help your individual status anyway."
Getty ImagesSpurs have taken just eight points from 18 so far in the Premier League, while also being knocked out of the Carabao Cup in humbling fashion away at League Two outfit Colchester .
Quizzed on why Tottenham are finding the going tough, star striker Kane added: "It's hard to put a finger on it.
"We feel like we're training well, doing everything right, but maybe we haven't started games with the right energy.
"The [Crystal] Palace game (which Tottenham won 4-0) was the best example of how we should start; on the front foot and pressing, ruthless with chances, and that's what we've done in previous seasons, especially at home.
"We just need to find a way to get that good feeling back. We just need to get off that form, start fresh, get off to winning ways on Saturday and take that momentum forward."
Kane has also said that Spurs are now out of excuses , with it up to the players to start putting things right.
He will have a big part to play in that, with the 26-year-old boasting 169 goals in 260 appearances for the club.
The England international is aware of his responsibility, but is eager to point out that he is part of a much bigger picture and needs everybody to be pulling in the same direction.
"My performances are as good as the team's," said Kane. "If we lose I take that as a loss for myself; if we win and whether I score or not, I'm happy. I don't worry about my individual status, I'm more worried about the team status."