Tottenham play down Antic link

David Pleat yesterday described Raddy Antic as "a gentleman and a very effective coach", but Tottenham Hotspur's caretaker manager refused to say whether Antic would be taking over at White Hart Lane in the summer.

The Celta Vigo coach played under Pleat at Luton Town and has a good track record. "Of course I know Raddy Antic. People are putting two and two together," Pleat said. "Maybe they are coming up with the wrong answers but maybe they are coming up with the right answers. Raddy, as a person, is a gentleman and proved himself very effective in the roles he's had."

Southampton have asked Plymouth Argyle for permission to speak to Paul Sturrock about the impending managerial vacancy at St Mary's and have been granted access, according to a source close to the Second Division's top club.

Other figures in the frame to succeed Gordon Strachan include Alain Perrin, who was recently sacked by Marseille, his fellow Frenchman Philippe Troussier, whose buy-out clause with the Qatar Football Association may prove prohibitive, and the Wales manager, Mark Hughes. Glenn Hoddle has also been linked to a return to the south coast but Saints fans have voiced strong opposition.