Home > Football > Times haven't changed for Spurs, so why sack Martin Jol?
by 101greatgoals.com on 05 September 2007
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Since Spurs surrendered a 3-1 lead at Craven Cottage last weekend, the media has appear undecided as to whether Martin Jol will be sacked before or after the next Premier League game at home to Arsenal.
Sadly for the Tony Soprano look-alike, nothing has actually changed at White Hart Lane. In fact, season 2007/8 is almost exactly like any other recent campaign for Tottenham.
The regular early-season injury crisis came around just in time for the first game at Sunderland. Ledley King, Michael Dawson and Aaron Lennon have been sorely missed but Spurs always seem to have an injury crisis.
The results so far have also gone according to Tottenham's recent tradition. The opening-day defeat to Sunderland was a bitter blow, yet Spurs lost the same fixture two seasons ago when the Wearsiders only managed 15 points the whole season. The away defeat to Manchester United (where Spurs haven't won since 1989) and the draw at Fulham (Spurs have failed to win at Craven Cottage in the league since 2002) were also not entirely surprising for fans of the north London club.
The only game Spurs have managed to win this season was against Derby - who are making an early-season claim to be the worst side in Premier League history. In true Spurs tradition, Jermaine Jenas and Steed Malbranque, two players who have done little in all the other games, were the ones to shine against the Rams. For the Tottenham faithful, used to watching players like Darren Anderton who promote themselves to be world-beaters against the lesser sides but ineffective and below-par against the top four, this is no revelation.
Without doubt the pressure on Jol has stemmed from the Spurs hierarchy. The meeting between club secretary John Alexander, vice-chairman Paul Kemsley and Juande Ramos at the Alfonso XIII hotel in Seville has destabilised the whole club and undoubtedly affected Jol’s chances of turning the situation around.
As Steven Barnett wrote in The Guardian yesterday, this past fortnight the Spurs board have "managed publicly to insult its fans, its players and its manager with a combination of half-truths, barely concealed threats and embarrassing climbdowns."
Despite the many negatives surrounding the club, there is much cause for optimism. New signings Younes Kaboul and Gareth Bale have impressed, and there is much hope surrounding other summer additions Adel Taarabt and Kevin Prince-Boateng. The transfer policy of buying young talent continues to bear fruit but it comes at a price which often means the first-team lacks experience. Currently Paul Robinson is the oldest player in the Spurs side at 27.
To sack Jol would be ludicrous. The two fifth-place finishes in recent seasons should have bought him at least two seasons to see what progression can be made. Especially when one thinks back to the previous Spurs sides of the Premier League era who were unable to finish above seventh.
Throughout this period of uncertainty, the Spurs fans, who the media love to label as "fickle", have been 100 percent behind the big Dutchman. Whilst fourth place would be a massive step, winning silverware would also represent a big achievement for a club that last won the League Cup in 1999.
After six games last season, Tottenham had only four points yet they finished fifth. Jol has earned the right to be judged over a season, not just five games. And even if Spurs don't win the north London derby, a feat they haven't managed since 1999, it would still be crazy to sack a manager who is the third most successful in terms of win ratios in the history of the club.
Perhaps because of a desire to see a more exciting race for the top four, the media built up Spurs as the team to break through the glass ceiling into the Champions League. This pressure, coupled with unrealistic expectations from the board has left Spurs in what the tabloids like to call a “crisis”.
In truth, though, not much has changed at Spurs except for the expectation around the club. Another UEFA Cup qualifying finish and some silverware would be an impressive achievement for Jol, who if he has any sense should walk away from the ungrateful directors at the end of the season.
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Comments (23)
by Essexian76 (not the gay one) on September 05, 2007
that because we spent 40m, that a 4th slot was assured?, have other teams not spent copious amounts of money also.Whats happened is ALL teams have become stronger and harder to beat this season, but it's a team game, and sides will have to develope an understanding quickly. West Ham,Newcastle, Villa and Man City have all improved this season, so 5th slot must be seen as much as an achievemnt as it has for the past two seasons. We took 6 points off Man City, West Ham and Boro last term, did we think it would be that easy this time out?
by Disillusioned on September 05, 2007
Yes, we finished 5th again last season but it wasn't quite the 5th of the year before. We were sweating on it all last season. Even a possible repeat of this isn't much to get excited about and the fact we've started in exactly the same way as last season illustrates clearly that we're just treading water. With the money that has been spent on the squad, we should be talking about being way out in front as the best of the rest or being considered as part of a top five that is way ahead of everyone else. As it stands, we're once again in danger of not even making the European places, like last season. This combined with no trophy again (4 seasons for Jol, without one) would surely (rightly) be the end for him. I think with hindsight, we're going to look back on the 05/06 season as his high point. He hasn't got the talent to take us any further.
by bob couch on September 05, 2007
no not tony blair but our own chris hughton.what does he do? he was an average defender years ago and managers come and go but he stays with with a bit of paper in his hands. i say retire him now.
by WHD on September 05, 2007
The season has barely started - I'm sick and tired of people like the disillusioned (11:38) who are writing it of already. Why don't you nobs wait untill the season is over before you evaluate. Changing BMJ now isn't an option anyway. Fickle, fickle, fickle....
by GEORGE ISAAC on September 05, 2007
Don't expect champions league football.We are not good enough.Too many average and poor players in the side..ie Jenas...Break the bank and wage structure and sign some class for once...If not then we can stay in the same spot making more excuses.
by spurs mad on September 05, 2007
as the season stared it promised so much but after 3 week the whole club is in head lines for wrong reasons,,,, man u bad start to season are they talkin about gettin rid of alex f NO....mj has done wonders for club over last 2 seasons an sack him now is total wrong judgde him when he has a fully fit team an den asses at end of season....sack him now an where back to square one.....arsenal da scum didnt channelged for last 3 years an did they sack him NO,,,, so why shud we give him until end of season back all way he at least deserves that from supporters an the board.
by Joel Cairo on September 05, 2007
In historical terms, Spurs should not have made 5th last year. A team with their wretched goal differential normally would not finish that high, so in some respects, the 5th place finish hides the fact that the overall quality of the team declined over the previous year (that, and the increased gap between Spurs and 4th.) If things haven't changed since a year ago, then that is not good, because they clearly have changed for other teams. However, who is in charge of player acquisition at WHL? If Jol is not responsible -- both for who was acquired and for who was not -- then he is much more to blame compared with only being responsible for not achieving some other person's flawed vision of what is needed to build a CL-level team.
Deluded I think would be more appropriate, Its fools like you that give the average Spurs SUPPORTER a bad name. I was disillusioned when we constantly failed to get into the top half of the league, when the football was dire, when the board had little or no ambition to progress, when coming home from Newcastle after severe hammerings (yes twice), when losing to Chelsea 6-1 at home, when there was nothing but more of the same to come,but like Pandoras box, there was only hope left.Now we have a team with potential, more than just hope and a realistic chance of competing with the better teams.Perhaps I'm misguided,optimistic, but I'm not deluded, and definately not disullusioned anymore!
Struggling to get into the top half for years? We finished out of the top half just once in the five years before Jol came. It was not a major miracle to go from that, 3 or 4 places up the table, to 5th. Especially not with the millions that have been spent compared to what was spent under previous managers. Even some of those previous managers would have got close and how bad were they? And it is especially not hard to fail to win trophies. What happened to "It is better to fail aiming high than to succeed aiming low? Even then failure will have an echo of glory" Absolutely right, Mr.Nicholson. Not much chance of even an echo of glory if you're aiming for 5th-7th.
by DL on September 05, 2007
I agree with the thrust of your piece, but I do wish you would properly research the facts of your articles as getting things wrong discredits the rest of the piece. Lee, Chimbonda, & Stalteri are all older than our 'oldest' player Robinson.
by Shane Robinson on September 05, 2007
Personally I think it was all the pre-season hype where Spurs were going to come in and take Arsenal's place in the top 4 with the Gunners going south in a post-Henry catastrophe. Thus far that is not the case, in fact the exact opposite is in evidence. Regardless of how Spurs started and they, like us (usually) start quite slow. Nothing new as you have pointed out but calling for Jol's head is a joke. I think a new 'keeper is called for, Robinson is getting more and more error prone for both club and country. Why was he so far off his line for the Fulham equaliser last weekend and let's not start on the human statue act for the Everton game. May as well lump in his palm onto the bar against Germany too. Bottom line, Spurs are getting progressively better. Like us last season, they have not been done any favours with the opening fixtures but Jol deserves one more year at least
by Zebedee on September 05, 2007
The reason that ManU and Arsenal are in no rush to sack their managers after a poor start or because of lack of silverware is because both managers have won the Premiership more than once in the not too distant past plus numerous cups and final appearances. We on the other hand have not, nor have we beaten them for so many years that fans of both clubs regard us as a certain 4 points, probably 6 every season, and Jol has bever looked like threatening that position. This article was actually posted yesterday on another site and the general opinion of comments was that yes, nothing has changed, so it's time for Mr. Jol to say goodnight.
by true fan on September 05, 2007
if u look at spurs last sean we fin 5 th 8 point behind scum....our first away win of that season camein december.....now u do maths its our away form that cost us cl for last 2 seasons
another point why we cant breakin cos .... when we play top 4 we alwasy loose might win one match an draw 2 of them so out of a possible 24 point were lucky to get 5.....now is that a point the board shud be lookin at us ve top 4 results
by Al Engelen on September 05, 2007
The club must be all about the club fans and owners. They have one thing in common. They want the club to be winning. The fact that nothing has changed is proof that the coaching team must go. The board has not impressed but must now have the courage to do what is necessary.
by George Best on September 05, 2007
Top comment! I agree that finishing 5th this year and gaining valuable experience like beating the top 4 and getting to the latter stages of the UEFA Cup seem to me the realistic aim for this season. So let´s not jump on Jol´s back for no reason!!!!
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