Tottenham - 4 Sunderland - 1:English FA Premiership: Howard Wilkson's natural visage, which rather resembles that of Madge Allsop, Dame Edna Everage's bridesmaid and long-suffering companion, expresses forlornness and does not sit well with his notion that Sunderland can escape relegation.
He is, of course, into professional denial. The idea that the Premiership's bottom side, who have somehow filched two points from 27, can suddenly average two points a game from their remaining 11 fixtures (finishing with Arsenal), flies in the face of even football's twisted logic.
After four consecutive defeats, making it 10 from 13, Wilkinson will certainly need to produce more than a cut-and-paste dossier plagiarised from some American PhD student if he is to convince his many doubters of the validity of his strategy.
Last night, however, the signs were that he would have some trouble. There is building speculation that Wilko, on the brink of going down with all hands, is to pass the helm to Steve Cotterill, his number two, should relegation become certain.
Wilkinson, it seems, is likely to shuffle upstairs, leaving Cotterill, who has a handsome CV in such matters, to lead the promotion campaign.
The duo's October appointment, to replace the sacked Peter Reid, was met with incredulity, which hardened to anger, by the club's supporters. Wilkinson had proved himself a decent manager with Leeds a decade before but moved to the Stadium of Light from his job as the Football Association's technical director. He is clearly out of touch with the modern footballer and Sunderland's urgent need was for a tracksuit rather than a blazer.
On Saturday evening, with a virus infection further darkening an already despondent attitude, Wilkinson appeared on the edge of despair. "It was poor," he shrugged, referring to his side's defending against set-pieces. "But mathematically what we have to do is do-able. There are more than a few teams down there who have a problem and we have football matches to play." And lose.
Spurs were more than good enough to answer Saturday's gentle interrogation but remain in mid-table - though having moved into seventh place they, rather like an opportunist politician, now have one foot in Europe and one outside.
They can still look ordinary against better opposition than this, especially when Robbie Keane is not playing. On Saturday he limped off after 20 minutes and will miss the Republic of Ireland's friendly in Scotland this week.
Without him Spurs rely too much on the verve of Simon Davies and the grisly excellence of Gus Poyet and Teddy Sheringham. All three scored on Saturday, as did Keane's replacement, Gary Doherty. Sheringham's goal was his 300th in domestic football.
Sunderland, whose solitary goal was scored by Phillips, were competitive only in the first half. The goals scored by Doherty and Sheringham, both unchallenged and both inside the six-yard box, explained with some eloquence just why Sunderland will be relegated. And why Wilko will continue to look like Madge.
Guardian Service
TOTTENHAM: Keller, Carr, Richards, King, Taricco, Davies, Anderton, Poyet (Etherington 74), Bunjevcevic (Freund 76), Sheringham, Keane (Doherty 21). Subs Not Used: Sullivan, Acimovic. Goals: Poyet 14, Doherty 45, Davies 67, Sheringham 84.
Sunderland: Sorensen, Craddock, El Karkouri, McCartney, McCann (Thirlwell 60), Thornton, Arca, Proctor (Flo 58), Phillips. Subs Not Used: Macho, Babb. Booked: Mips. Goals: Philips 75.
Referee: R Styles (Hampshire).
