Barely 10 days into the new season and we have our first huge managerial story plastered all over the back pages and website portals – yes, you guessed it, the man whose job is on the line is Martin Jol.

First off, the Tottenham manager is said to be on the brink of the sack after he shocked chairman Daniel Levy by wanting to sell star striker Dimitar Berbatov (The Sun). Isn’t it a bit strange that the man who brought Berbatov to the club should now try to orchestrate his departure from White Hart Lane?

It could be that this story has been planted by the board to shift support away from the Dutchman, and therefore helpfully redirect fans anger away from themselves? Is this credible? Does Jol think that Berbs is not a team player and therefore wants him offloaded?

‘Some sources are predicting a swift dismissal, perhaps within days’


Jol could be forced out of White Hart Lane before Sunday's trip to Manchester United (Daily Mirror). Some sources are predicting a swift dismissal, perhaps within days. I would be amazed at such a knee-jerk reaction so early in the season, One win in three is hardly cause for such drastic action, especially given all that Jol has done for the club.

Tottenham have drawn up a three-man shortlist to replace Jol, with Italy's World Cup-winning coach Marcello Lippi and Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp joining Sevilla manager Juande Ramos as candidates (Daily Mail).

Ramos is a name that has been circling for a number of days now, Klinsmann is another less likely candidate who has caught the imagination of many. Now we have Lippi, one of the most successful managers in the history of the game, with five Serie A titles, a Champions League win and last summer’s World Cup triumph on his impressive CV. Maybe he is just another name leaked by the Spurs board to help ease the unfair sacking of the current boss.

Redknapp,? Now that is just a bizarre suggestion – never in a million years will that happen, not just because he is a former West Ham boss but also because, for all his effort and character, he has not actually achieved a great deal, unless you consider a Championship title something to boast about.

Just what must Spurs fans be thinking right now? A season that was supposed to signal a real tilt at the top four has descended into a managerial farce. The board have fanned those flames and the media have compounded the problem by reporting and, in many cases, inventing stories that are frankly pure fiction.