At a time when his managerial position has become increasingly uncomfortable with Wolverhampton Wanderers, Glenn Hoddle is having to get used to hearing names linked with his job.

But the suggestion that Coventry City have been approached by Wolves with a view to luring Micky Adams has set the alarm bells ringing at Molineux and the Ricoh Arena.

If Wolves were to bow to the wishes of a large proportion of their fans and sack Hoddle, someone like Adams could be expected to top any list of candidates to replace him.

But both clubs yesterday dismissed such an idea as mere speculation and Coventry have, understandably, been particularly forceful in their denials. Sky Blues managing director Paul Fletcher and Adams himself made statements insisting there was nothing in it.

"We've not been approached by any club," Fletcher said. "I'm not expecting any approaches and I can't see why we would allow anyone to speak to him.

"I've spoken to Micky. He has no thoughts of moving on and simply wants to concentrate on improving on this season's fantastic progression.

"Micky is an integral part of our plans here and has worked tremendously hard to help the club progress this season and beyond."

Adams added: "I'm very happy at Coventry City, I still have more than a year on my contract and I'm not looking for a change. I believe we're building something special here and I'm delighted to be a part of that.

"Myself and my team must be doing something right to attract such attention, which is flattering, but Coventry City is my club and I'm already looking forward to next season."

Adams has done superbly on a transfer budget of only £20,000 this season. The fact that he has already been told that he will have a substantial war-fund to try to compete in next season's market is a massive carrot.

Contrast that with Hoddle, who spent £2 million in the January transfer window alone, the majority of it on the flop of the season, Tomasz Frankowski, the £1.4 million Pole without a goal.

If Hoddle stays (and, if he goes, whoever fills the Molineux hot-seat will have the same problem), next season means life on a much-reduced budget.

Just how many of Wolves' eight soon-to-be out-of-contract players - Paul Ince, Vio Ganea, Colin Cameron, Mark Kennedy, George Ndah, Darren Anderton, Silas and Stefan Postma - will still be around is a matter of debate.

Kenny Miller is off to Celtic, speculation is rife that Jackie McNamara will join him, Carl Cort is a surprise target for Aston Villa and there is the usual speculation that Joleon Lescott may be sold.

If Lescott departed, that could unlock some funds but there is every indication that Wolves would need a low-budget operator, which makes it no surprise that they should have been linked with Adams, the bargain-basement specialist of them all.

The latest pressure on Hoddle came as a result of Wolves' feeble 2-0 Easter Monday defeat at Preston, in which the visitors managed only one genuine effort on goal in 90 minutes.

Wolves looked a side that had simply stopped playing for their manager but that theory was scotched by the management on both sides.

Hoddle said: "Had we then gone on to get beat 6-0, you could have said we caved in but that didn't happen. We kept going to the end."

Preston No 2 David Kelly, the former Walsall and Wolves striker, gave a diplomatic answer.

"Wolves are still a good team with lots of decent players," he said. "They might have had only one chance but that's as much down to how we played."