Bolton 1 Tottenham 1:The affable Martin Jol gave way to a prickly individual here yesterday. Talk of Juande Ramos or Jose Mourinho taking his job and a place in the bottom three caused irritation, but humour had not escaped Tottenham's manager altogether. How else to explain his assertion that he still had the full support of the board?

"There is a joke in London now that he is the Special One, but he's not that special," said the Dutchman, discounting Mourinho's ability to give Tottenham the Champions League place demanded of their manager. "It would be a hell of a job and he knows it. Daniel Levy phoned me and said it is rubbish and that he hopes I will be here with him next year."

A Spurs director, however, said the same to Ramos and contact has also been made with Mourinho's agent since the rift at Stamford Bridge last week.

At Bolton, where Sammy Lee is also treading precariously, there was a stay of execution for Jol and his counterpart but little convincing evidence of a transformation that would rescue either manager. Wanderers did improve and Spurs impressed in brief spells, but the Dutchman continues to make life problematical for himself.

Omitting Jermain Defoe from his travelling party, Jol also invited scorn from his supporters by leaving in-form Gareth Bale in the stands. "Gareth Bale played a lot of games last week and will have opportunities again, Jermain Defoe is the same," said Jol. "But if I leave Gareth Bale out as the 17th man he is still a joy to be around." Ouch.

In adversity both managers turned to those they trusted. Robbie Keane was preferred to Defoe and made a telling contribution, and Ivan Campo was given his first start of the season for Bolton as Lee brought his comfort blankets out of storage.

With the Spaniard anchoring a 4-3-3 system, Bolton prospered from set-pieces, were quick to seek direct balls over the Spurs full backs and were merciless in the tackle. This was the Wanderers synonymous with Sam Allardyce, albeit with defensive frailty a notable variation.

Lee has stressed a desire for more expansive football but there is little beauty in being in the relegation zone. The sacrifice of principles since the abject defeat at Birmingham acknowledged as much and a home crowd only too keen to vent its frustrations on Lee, and captain Kevin Nolan, was ultimately receptive to the back-to-basics philosophy.

Not that the former England coach was prepared to accept he had erred either. "It wasn't about the shape, it was about people being comfortable in possession. To say Ivan is not a favourite of mine is not correct," said Lee, who until yesterday had not included the midfielder in a single squad this season.

Campo's name was sung first, loudest and last at The Reebok and his input was invaluable. His equaliser epitomised Bolton's in-with-the-old approach, rising superbly above Jermaine Jenas and Ricardo Rocha to head home an El Hadji Diouf free-kick.

Keane had driven Spurs ahead five minutes earlier. In a flowing, imaginative move, Didier Zokora floated a delivery to Jenas inside the area, the midfielder produced an instinctive shot which Jussi Jaaskelainen and Campo turned into the path of Keane for a rare execution from the visitors.

Keane almost stole victory four minutes from time only to be denied by a fine Jaaskelainen save, but his strike partner, Dimitar Berbatov, did not match the captain's contribution. Languid and lazy, the only time the Bulgarian broke from his torpor was to remonstrate with a team-mate.

Jaaskelainen and Abdoulaye Meite took their dispute further, the Bolton pair squaring up in stoppage time as the home side desperately strove to avoid another late defeat.

Despite an improved tempo from both sides in the second half the closest either came to a winner was from penalty appeals. Michael Dawson dragged Kevin Davies to the floor and Campo checked Rocha's run at a Tottenham corner, but the referee was unmoved and the managers were spared. For now.