Tottenham fans must be exasperated to witness the chaos at the Lane. Management appeared stable, the policy to buy the best young players continued and discussions about how to develop the ground or capitalise on the under-utilised fan base continued. All this against a fine pre-season, new and very talented players and a manager who had delivered respect over the successful previous two seasons.

Perhaps the expectations were too high. The spate of defensive injuries were an early warning and the tepid performances against Sunderland and Everton burst the early-season bubble, regardless of whether or not the fault was that of Martin Jol's tactics and motivation or the necessity to play competitive matches with a very poor back line.

Most fans held firm and recognised that the two issues were co-existent. If the back line is poor, then you don't attack in the style expected of the team - you provide some additional cover and you hope to get your players back quickly. You also pay some attention to history and note, however regrettably, that the first three games last season only generated three points out of nine.

'Apart from the lack of a left-sided midfielder the team is in very good shape, provided the manager is given time to embed new players and new tactics'


Now the media is reporting that, at best, Jol has six more games to save his job and that includes matches against Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal. The Guardian also reports that Tottenham secretary John Alexander was in Spain to meet Sevilla's manager Juande Ramos whose contract has, it seems, a £325,000 buy-out clause. In addition a split has apparently developed between the club's Director of Football Damien Comolli, supported by chairman Daniel Levy, and Jol over the way new signings have been and are being used; in particular the inability to get the best out of Didier Zokora. 

Levy has insisted that Spurs finish in the top four this season and to the outside world a generous investment in talented new players suggests the board is serious in its ambition. Fans would expect no less. But equally they would not expect the club to be disrupted so early by back-stage rumours that now fuel every national daily and website.

Levy might argue that he is attempting to ensure there is no complacency at the club and no-one would object to that. Rather, it is the manner in which rumour is seemingly becoming factual that is worrying. For his part, Levy would have known of Jol's qualities as a manager. He would have known of any internal discord between the manager, the players and the board and in both cases these signs could have been acted on between the end of last season and the beginning of this one. In addition, let's ask at what point is an early sign of club discord counter-productive to the performance on the field?So to what extent is Levy's judgement in error? And for what reason is it necessary to place pressure on the team to produce immediately?

In mitigation, it may have been the off-season that produced the problems. Sir Alan Sugar's sale of his shares to ENIC and the daily new stories of foreign takeovers in the Premier League may well have produced a selling climate in the boardroom, that is if the price is right. Friday August 23 is the second and final date when current stockholders may sell their shares back to ENIC, based on a valuation set a couple of months ago. It will be interesting to see if Levy's haste to achieve on the pitch has any significance in the marketplace next week.

In addition the apparent conflict between Jol and Comolli could well have come about in the current round of transfers. But to the impartial viewer, business has been conducted well and apart from the continued lack of the necessary left-sided midfielder, the team is in very good shape provided the manager is given time to embed new players and new tactics.

Should Spurs defeat Manchester United on Sunday, and central defence aside, there will never be a better time. You would have to wonder if the media would ever undertake the sort of assassination job on Sir Alex Ferguson as that faced currently by Jol. But you would equally wonder if the Old Trafford board would generate the headlines seemingly inspired by the Tottenham board.