Jol's long-term prospects at Spurs still in the balance

LONDON, Aug 22 (Reuters) Tottenham Hotspur manager Martin Jol has been given a reprieve after Sevilla said coach Juande Ramos would not be going to White Hart Lane.

However, the Dutchman's long-term prospects at the London club now appear to hinge on him taking them into next year's Champions League by cracking the top four.

Jol clinched consecutive fifth place finishes in his first two full seasons in charge, but defeats in their first two Premier League matches this season and rumours of boardroom disquiet have undermined his position.

In a club statement released late ysterday Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy said: ''We are an ambitious club and we have discussed our expectations with Martin.

''For that we need our management standards to be of the highest quality so that we can compete with the best.

''Martin has confirmed to me that he feels he is equipped with a squad and a determination to take the challenge.

''We want Champions League football. We, the board, owe it to the club and the supporters to constantly assess our position and performance and to ensure that we have the ability to operate and compete at that level.'' It is hardly a ringing endorsement of the 51-year-old Jol, despite him enjoying the support of the majority of Tottenham fans more used to mid-table finishes than challenging for the established big guns of English football.

After a meeting with Levy yesterday, Jol, who has been backed with a large transfer kitty, acknowledged that the pressure is on him to deliver.

''I fully understand the ambitions of the club -- they are the same as the supporters,'' he said.

''Yes, it is pressure to deliver, but that is what we managers should expect. Hopefully all the media will relax now -- all I shall be concentrating on is each and every game.

''(Levy) has put a lot of hard work into this club and with the squad of players we have assembled, it is realistic that we should look to challenge for a top four position.'' Speculation that Ramos was about to replace Jol went into overdrive when the Seville sports paper Estadio Deportivo published photographs of what it said was a meeting between Ramos and Tottenham club secretary John Alexander at a hotel in the Andalucian city.

Despite Sevilla's denial, Jol's respite could be brief. His side play at champions Manchester United on Sunday and a home clash with Arsenal is also looming.

REUTERS BJR KN1550