Hitzfeld rules out Spurs link

Levy's words contradicted club sources who insisted to Standard Sport last week that Spurs were involved in negotiations with their No1 managerial target to try to bring him in now.

Levy was quoted as saying: "If the right manager becomes available, then we would look to bring him in sooner. Circumstances can change but I don't think that's about to happen. David is manager until the end of the season. I don't envisage that changing.

"The board are very supportive of him and have no reason to believe he isn't the man to take us forward until we appoint a permanent successor to Glenn Hoddle. We can't just go chopping and changing managers because of a couple of bad results.

"People tell me we're appointing Roberto Mancini this week. Well, last week it was Alan Curbishley and Graeme Souness the week before that. It makes me laugh."

Adding to the confusion is the club's stance on Kanoute. He is set to discover this week whether his bid to switch national allegiance from France to Mali will be rubber stamped by FIFA's Players' Status Committee.

Pleat added to the mystery surrounding Kanoute by suggesting that the striker, who hit a hat-trick against Crystal Palace in the FA Cup third round victory on Saturday, would be axed for the tie and could be sold. Yet when quizzed after the 3-0 win at White Hart Lane, Pleat insisted there was never any chance of the Frenchman being dropped because of the furore over his plan to quit Spurs for five weeks to play in the African Nations Cup.

Standard Sport sought clarification on both points from Spurs today but were pointed to the club's website where a statement read: "Over the past three months we have seen a flurry of stories in the media regarding various managers and players. All of these stories are pure speculation and nothing more.

"We have declared our intention to strengthen the team appropriately and Michael Brown joined the team yesterday as a first step.

"We are not, however, involved in any negotiations regarding the disposal of any players."

Meanwhile, Crystal Palace striker Dougie Freedman has offered to help in any Spurs appeal over Gus Poyet's controversial red card during their FA Cup tie. Freedman tried in vain to persuade referee Andy D'Urso not to dismiss Poyet for a lame head butt when the pair clashed in the second half.

Freedman said: "I asked the referee not to send him off. I would give Gus my backing if it came to an appeal." Poyet's red card was followed by a case of mistaken identity when D'Urso dismissed Palace's Danny Butterfield, instead of Jamie Smith, for a bad challenge on Bobby Zamora.