Tottenham Hotspur Manager Mauricio Pochettino Edges Closer to Sack

Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino is coming under increasing pressure at White Hart Lane, with odds on the Argentine boss becoming the first sacking in the Premier League this season plummeting after the 2-1 loss to Stoke City.

First-half goals from Bojan and Jonathan Walters helped inflict Spurs' fourth home league defeat of the season in what has been a harrowing start to Pochettino's tenure in north London.

Odds on the 42-year-old becoming this season's first managerial casualty were slashed from 25/1 to 8/1 after Tottenham's fifth league loss of the campaign, which leaves the club four points adrift of the top four.

Queens Park Rangers boss Harry Redknapp, Aston Villa's Paul Lambert and Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini are the three leading contenders ahead of Pochettino.

Tottenham made six signings during the summer transfer window but none of those players appear to have settled in the Premier League, while the club have yet to achieve qualification for the last 32 of the Europa League, after just two group stage wins in four games.

Asked whether he was under pressure, Pochettino said: "No, but when you lose you are always unhappy.

"We need to find a solution very quickly. This is my challenge in the next few weeks."

Pochettino, who joined the club from Southampton in the summer, added: "It is clear from the result we need to improve a lot and improve quickly. When we conceded we started to make rash decisions and felt uncomfortable on the pitch.

"We made some mistakes that are not possible in the Premier League. We were no good in the first half, we tried to fix things in the second half, but at 2-0 down it is difficult.

"You never have a long time in football. We need to change mentality."