Mauricio Pochettino is heading towards the point of no return at Tottenham Hotspur as fears grow that he will not be able to salvage their season.

The West Ham United game immediately after the international break is now rated as make or break for Tottenham’s campaign, and could even prove decisive for the manager himself.

The home draw with Sheffield United last Saturday left Spurs 14th in the Premier League going into the international break, just a point ahead of West Ham and without a win in five league games. Tottenham trail fourth-placed Manchester City by 11 points.

West Ham have not won in the league since September, but Spurs have not won away from home in the league since January, when they beat Fulham. Another defeat on the road, at the home of their fierce rivals, would raise serious questions for the Spurs’ manager.

Pochettino is understood to have been at Tottenham’s Enfield training centre this week as he attempts to turn around the club’s season.

He has already warned there is no quick fix and last Saturday appeared to acknowledge that he may not get the time to make the changes he wants, saying: “We are in the process to build and we will see if we have the time to build what we want.”