Pressure? Lee has an easy ride, insists Spurs boss

Bolton manager Lee, already under fire as his side languish at the foot of the Premier League, is planning to offer a warm handshake and after-match glass of red wine to the equally harassed Tottenham boss.

However, far from seeing 'Little Sam' as a fellow victim of football's mania for instant success, Jol curtly dismissed Lee's predicament before the clash of the bookmakers' condemned men at the Reebok.

Whoever loses will see his odds against getting the sack tumble, and the likeable Lee has already had to endure fans' calls for Jose Mourinho to be appointed during Bolton's midweek UEFA Cup tie.

But, in Jol's eyes, White Hart Lane is the fast lane while Lee gets off lightly as Bolton plug away on the back roads of Lancashire.

"Is Bolton a big city like London?" Jol said, rolling his eyes when asked to compare their situation. "Is there a lot of pressure over there? I don't know. Is Sammy Lee under more pressure than me?

"They have had a very bad start, and that is not what you want as a manager. They have probably been a bit unfortunate as well, like we were against Manchester United, Arsenal and Fulham."

If Jol is feeling the strain, that is understandable. While Paul Jewell has been linked with Lee's job, the Tottenham post has a glitterati shortlist from Juande Ramos to Jurgen Klinsmann, and now Mourinho.

Lee's own background is the solid dynasty that was Liverpool, where continuity was all and that loyalty paid dividends for Anfield, but he is a philosophical character unlikely to bristle at Jol's disrespect.

Rarely a man for the spotlight despite a fine playing career, Lee is coming to terms with his role as the face of a club suddenly fighting for survival after successful years under Sam Allardyce.

He knows, too, that victory over Tottenham, following a lucky UEFA Cup draw in Macedonia, could be the catalyst for an upturn in fortune and confidence from his underperforming quality players.

Lee said: "I've a lot of respect for other managers. I've got nothing but respect and admiration for Martin Jol and what he's doing at that football club. He's a very personable, nice man, a real football person.

"Win, lose or draw he's there afterwards to share a comment and a glass of wine. The nature of the game is that it's us against them for 90 minutes, but then we have a glass together and share our thoughts."

Should Tottenham fail to secure a second League victory in seven attempts, it might well help to sink Jol.

But defeat for Bolton would be their sixth in seven League games, and fans who turned on Lee at Birmingham in their last Premier League match would be as unforgiving as any conspiratorial Tottenham director.

Gentleman Lee prefers not to discuss other teams' problems but Jol, raising an eyebrow at Bolton's plight, said: "It's all about players doing the right things. We've got talented players and we need to do better. They've got a different sort of group — experienced, older.

"They play probably with the same players as last year. We have got three or four different players, which is why I needed time. Why they need more time, I don't know.

"They still play the same system and they have got Nicolas Anelka up front, who is still top scorer in the League, so they have a few qualities."

Lee will take exception to the idea that he has not tweaked Allardyce's safety-first style of play, but, while he accepts skipper Kevin Nolan and Co are still below par, he insists on bearing the brunt of the criticism.

He said: "All I ever ask of them is full commitment. One of my functions is to take away pressure from the players. That slice of luck in Macedonia may just help us to turn the corner."