The blood of Tottenham's beleaguered players had barely dried on the White Hart Lane turf after their heavy 5-0 defeat to Liverpool when the club announced the departure of manager Andre Villas-Boas by mutual consent.

With just 16 Premier League games in the books this season, the former Chelsea boss became the fifth top-flight manager to find himself out of a job. Tottenham sit in seventh place in the table, five points away from the much-coveted golden Champions League ticket.

Ladbrokes have opened the book on who will replace the best dressed manager in the division, with bespectacled Russia boss Fabio Capello priced up as the 5/2 favourite.

It seems the former England manager is a popular choice with Ladbrokes customers though as the company reveal they received money for the Italian to take over in north London even before AVB's sacking, cutting his odds from 7/2 accordingly.

Alex Donohue of Ladbrokes said: "We saw money for Capello to take over before AVB had officially gone, and the gamble on the former England manager has accelerated now that the sacking has been confirmed. Some punters seem to think Jurgen Klinsmann will be making a return to the Lane instead however."

Klinsmann, the former Tottenham forward, is a 10/1 shot to make the White Hart Lane dugout his home but, like Capello with Russia, is just months away from managing the USA at the World Cup and may feel the Tottenham opening has come too soon.

Tottenham's current Technical Co-ordinator and former skipper, Tim Sherwood, is the joint-second favourite with Swansea boss Michael Laudrup at 6/1, while Glen Hoddle who's yet to demand any money according to Ladbrokes, is 10/1 to make a return to his former club.

Following their second heavy defeat to a top four rival, Spurs are now 80/1 to win the Premier League title while qualifying for next season's Champions League is given a price of 7/2.

Next Tottenham manager
Fabio Capello 5/2
Tim Sherwood 6/1
Michael Laudrup 6/1
Guus Hiddink 8/1
Glen Hoddle 10/1
Jurgen Klinsmann 10/1
Frank de Boer 14/1
Luis Enrique 16/1
20/1 bar

Tottenham to win the Premier League 80/1
Tottenham to finish in the top 4 7/2