Tottenham's chairman Alan Sugar must decide today whether to risk the further wrath of the club's fans and appoint George Graham, formerly in charge of arch-rivals Arsenal, as the next manager.
The Spurs director of football David Pleat, now in temporary charge of team affairs, is expected to recommend to Sugar that Graham be formally approached to replace Christian Gross, who was sacked on Saturday after only 10 months in charge.
It is understood that Leeds United are already bracing themselves for the loss of Graham, who has long sought a return to London and would relish the chance to bring success to Spurs and put one over on Arsenal, the club that sacked him in 1995 over the `bung' scandal.
Sugar will have to weigh up not only the negative impact on already hostile supporters but whether his own strict moral code runs to employing a man suspended for accepting a bung.
Pleat will argue that Graham has the track record - six major trophies in nine years at Arsenal - to bring success to White Hart Lane.
But Spurs' frustrated supporters will take some convincing. After Ossie Ardiles' tactics proved too cavalier, Gerry Francis's approach too pragmatic and Gross was found out of his depth, the fans are desperate for a manager capable of producing success as well as exciting football. They will not be happy with a former Gunner.
"If he won the Double in the first season then people might take to him," said Bernie Kingsley, chairman of the Tottenham Independent Supporters Association yesterday. "But the guy would have to work six times as hard and be much more successful than anybody else to prove himself. And with every slip it's always going to be, `Well, he's an Arsenal man, so we should never have appointed him'.
"Also the style of football he played at Arsenal doesn't obviously match up with the Spurs' traditions. If anything this appointment will add to the pressure on Sugar."
Others being mentioned as candidates to become Spurs' sixth manager in the seven years of Sugar's stewardship include Glenn Hoddle, Jurgen Klinsmann, Joe Kinnear, Kenny Dalglish, Raddy Antic and Graeme Souness.
Yesterday Gross admitted: "I didn't go, I had to go. There are different reasons but I am not the person to say why. I am disappointed, but for me the months I have spent in England have been a success."
Sugar revealed he had made up his mind on Saturday morning. "I think one has to say we were faced with an untenable situation created, with all due respect, by the media," he said. "We, the board, felt that Christian - no matter how professional or how good he is - had been destroyed by the media. It is as simple as that."
