Pressure nears boiling point for Jol

Instead of quashing the media speculation surrounding his job after a 6-1 win in the Uefa Cup last week, Spurs boss Martin Jol is still the headline act on the back pages and a defeat on Wednesday night in the Carling Cup could see him finally bid adieu.

With only five points in the Premier League campaign to date and a position in the relegation zone the murmurings coming out of White Hart Lane indicate the Dutchman is a dead man walking.

Not only did we have the furore last week surrounding the manager's position when Jose Mourinho was linked with the post and gambled into as short as 9/4 in places but this morning Jol woke up to a Daily Mirror back page indicating that he has already agreed a £4m golden handshake to leave as soon as another manager is in place.

Juande Ramos, the Sevilla boss, was strongly linked to the post and still is in some quarters, but after his side were heavily beaten at the Emirates Stadium the feeling was why would Spurs appoint someone when they already have a manager that knows how to get comprehensively thrashed against Arsenal.

Jol has denied all claims about leaving and insists that chairman Daniel Levy is constantly on the phone reassuring him of his position, the same Levy of course who was on the phone five times to Jose Mourinho's agents on the day the Special One left Chelsea and of course the same Levy who went to Spain to offer the job to Ramos.

At such an early stage there is very little for Spurs to play for this season already. True they started in a similar vein last season before a late surge saw them finish fifth but the Spurs board have said a fourth place is the bare minimum this season and that already looks aout of Jol's reach.

If his side who are 13/20 with Sportingbet lose against fellow strugglers Middlesbrough in the Carling Cup on Wednesday night, you can't help but feel that the knives that are already out for Jol will be sharpened to the point where the boss has nowhere left to go. He's already odds-on favourite to be the next Premier League boss to lose his job and another failure sees him unbackable in that market.

(Editor's Note: Tottenham are a club in turmoil and while all sides deny any wrongdoing, there is no doubt that the board want to replace Martin Jol - but will he go quietly? Follow all the latest football betting on SportingBet!)