Jol admits Spurs could struggle to fulfil chairman's Champions League dreams

The Dutchman's position at White Hart Lane has remained in doubt ever since club officials met Sevilla coach Juande Ramos last month and the failure to beat Fulham has only increased the pressure.

Caught on Kamara: Diomansy Kamara acrobatically scores Fulham's third goal

Levy put out an unconvincing statement that Jol still had his "100 per cent support" in the wake of the Ramos affair, but that came two days after a sinister warning, in which he said: "We have had two good, progressive seasons with fifth-place finishes. I am an ambitious chairman, we are an ambitious club and we want Champions League football at White Hart Lane.

"We, the board, owe it to the club and the supporters to constantly assess our position and performance and to ensure we have the ability to operate and compete at that level."

Watching the way Spurs threw away a two-goal lead to draw 3-3 at Fulham would not have pleased the board and it certainly didn't please Jol. It is still early in the season but his side have yet to justify pre-season boasts that they can finish above one of Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal.

After Diomansy Kamara last-minute equaliser at Craven Cottage, a demoralised Jol said: "The top four will have a say about it. If they play well it will be difficult for us to get in the Champions League. If a team doesn't do well, like Liverpool did a few seasons ago, then why not?

"We ended up in the top five last season and we had less points at this stage - four in the first six games. But in football, when you score three goals and play that well, you should end up with a win. If you don't you have to do better, and we have to do better. We could have gone 3-0 up with Jermaine Jenas or Robbie Keane. It's not only about defending.

"It is about offensive play as well and we could be more clinical."

But Jol's decision to substitute Keane and Steed Malbranque for Jermain Defoe and Michael Dawson played a significant part in Tottenham getting only one point.

With Spurs having to face arch-rivals Arsenal in their next game, Jol's position could be described as vulnerable, but he does not agree.

"I'm a strong individual," he said. "I enjoy my work because we've had so many good times, but sometimes you get games like this.

"Last week, I wasn't happy against Manchester United at all. I felt we should have had at least a point. Big clubs tell us we are the best team they have faced in the last five or six months but you end up with no points. I hate that."

For Fulham manager Lawrie Sanchez, though, the signs are he has already instilled a strength of character in his much-changed side.

He said: "You see in James Bond films when they don't kill him and he comes up and finishes them off. It's similar in life. You never give people the chance and they gave us a chance to get back in it."