Jol: I will survive

Dutch tactician denies White Hart Lane exit talk

By Alex Dunn   Last updated: 17th September 2007

Tottenham manager Martin Jol

Jol: Remains defiant

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Martin Jol insists he is going nowhere amid widespread reports that he has just six games to save his Tottenham job.

When his side took the lead in Saturday's North London derby the Dutchman must have felt the tide was turning in his favour, only for a stunning Arsenal fight back to leave him contemplating the consequences of a 3-1 defeat.

Speculation over Jol's position in the capital has been rife since the start of the season, with Spurs' miserable form manifesting talk of a swoop for highly-rated Sevilla incumbent Juande Ramos.

And, in light of recent results, rumours of a similar nature are beginning to resurface, with the latest reports suggesting Jol has been handed six games to prove he still the man to take the club forward.

Daniel Levy, Tottenham's chairman, has backed his manager publicly but whether Jol still has the full support of the club's board remains subject to conjecture.

Upbeat message

Jol, though, is adamant that he is the man to help break the 'top four's' monopoly of the UEFA Champions League places, and after Saturday's game, he hit out at those who continue to undermine his position.

"I'm not hurting inside," said Jol. "I will try to get the results and as long as the players show me the commitment they showed me again, there is no problem.

"People said in 2005 I was going to be out of a job but I am still here.

"So I think I will be here in six weeks. I feel there are two worlds here in London.

Two worlds

"There are you guys (journalists) and then there are the supporters who read your papers.

"It's amazing, no?

"Although they read your papers, they're still backing me. That's a great feeling.

"I don't think the board is a problem. I tell them all the time what's wrong. We speak about players and talk about the team."

Comments

Pardeep Dhami (Tottenham Hotspur fan) says...

I have to disagree with some of the comments made. I know Martin Jol has moved the club forward a long way, however it is now decision time for THFC. If they want to be a top 6 club with little chance of breaking into the top 4 - then stick with Jol. If you want to mix it with the big boys then we need a tactitioner that will make better use of the fantastic young squad we have. Mistakes were made last year by Jol, notably against Arsenal in the Carling and at the Bridge in the FA Cup - both games where 2 goal leads were surrendered. But Martin Jol seems to have learnt nothing from them. He keeps persevering with Steed Malbranque who is in a word useless (how many times did he give the ball away on Sat not to mention the free kick which led to Arsenal`s first goal and who will ever forget that swinging boot against Seville last season) and Jenas who keeps hitting the 1st defender from corners and drifts in and out of games. Zakora is better than both and why not give Boateng a chance. He won the young player of the year in Germany last year so surely he`s worth a try...and is it not about time Cerny got a run out between the sticks. How about playing Lennon on the right where he is a far better player etc etc etc. Don`t get me wrong I love Jol the man as the next yid - but can he mix it with Mourinho, Fergy, Wenger etc?? I`m gonna go out on limb here. If we bring in one man NOW - not in 6 games time when the season is gone, we will still comfortably make the Uefa next season and maybe even get in the reckoning for the Champs League - however next season we will be mixing it with the biggies for real. That man is Mr Fabio Capello. He has track record and by hook or by crook he gets teams to finish top of the table. Top 4 would be a start. we the fans......and I think I speak for every Spurs fan who was at the Lane on Saturday.....would certainly settle for that!

Posted 09:23 19th September 2007

Lionel Dean (Tottenham Hotspur fan) says...

SPURS WILL NOT FINISH IN THE TOP SIX........ After just six games the top 4 " SUPER " teams have taken up their favourite positions at the top of the table ready to batter any team with dreams to unseat them. If spurs want to spoil the party as being prodicted, thay must take points from the top 4, but with losses already to a weaker MAN UTD (through injuries.) and ARSENAL at home (after leading 1-0 at HT.) things dont look too good especially with the LIVERPOOL game comimg up. So with the usual slow start to the season, which kills any chances of SPURS ever winning the Championship each year and the likes of the new MAN CITY (who have already beaten UTD.) EVERTON (who beat SPURS.) and PORTSMOUTH (who have drawn with LIVERPOOL CHELSEA and MAN UTD.) I am sad to say that Spurs will find it hard to finish in the top 10 and the only way we will be playing European football next year will be to win one of the cup compatitions. I hope i am wrong but i think SPURS have blown it already and because of the money already spent on new players, MR jol has no way of improving the team.....and will be sacked because of this. R.I P.

Posted 06:50 19th September 2007

Jabla Khan (Tottenham Hotspur fan) says...

Let me sum up what Spurs has been like for the last 30 odd years. Attacking Football + Entertainment + Great Goals = Spurs. We will score 3 magnificent goals and our defence will let in 4 silly ones. Great for the neutrals but heart attacks and heartbreaks for for us. We tried and achieved carving, boring yet effective 1-0 wins but where did it get Graham and Santini? We played like flamboyant swashbuckling buccaneers but where did it get Ardilles and Co.? So what the hell does the Board want??? Do they think there is a manager out there who can come in, wave the magic wand and we will play in the Champions League next year, win the FA Cup in a year ending with 7 instead of 1, beat Arsenal away and finish above them??? Have faith and belief in Jol and his coaching staff. We will prevail and we will reap the harvest if you let the tree grow to its full potential. Leave him alone and I believe he will deliver and he can. Leave your 2 cents worth off the pitch and let the football pros get on with their jobs. As businessmen, doesn't Levy and the rest of the Board have other things to do besides micro-managing a football club? You mean the club is their only source of income and business for each of them??? Don't think that Benitez and Mourinho who achieved instant success are great managers. They will admit to you that Houllier and Ranieri laid the proper foundations for them when they took over and made it look so easy. Just ask Rafa to take over Derby and Jose to manage Fulham and see what happens! We must let Jol do his job come rain or shine, win or lose by a trashing or a last minute own goal. The team needs our support, our water and our sunshine to carry them through these difficult times. C'mon you Spurs, stand up and be counted!

Posted 05:48 19th September 2007

Simon M (Tottenham Hotspur fan) says...

With Berbatov and Darren Bent as his top 2 strikers, as much as I have great respect for defoe as a player, and definately as part of the spurs squad I can definately understand why Jol'd leave him out on such an occasion. Our defence at the moment is appauling and his job is to change that especially against a club like Arsenal, if he's not happy mid-game it's very unlikely a fresh striker is needed. We were 1-0 up at half time if i'm right and at that point i'm sure jol couldn't have been thinking we need to sort out the front. We need King really badly and it's always been quite blatant when he's not there. I feel for Jol hugely, and yes the board are putting the fans off the club as a business big time. I have shares in the club and feel bad decisions have been made regularly recently. But jol is not in a position where he can do everything anymore, it must be very difficult to get the right people to work in harmony. Jol has proved he can get the players to do it on the pitch and it is up to Levy and chums to get the others to do it off the pitch. It's Levy's problem now, not Jol's. Not a fan of comolli, and beleive Bent was a bad decision, but it's not something Jol could admit to even if he felt it strongly. Tough situation! If Jol is sacked, I and a lot of fans will lose an awful lot of respect for levy and another club is gonna benefit from our mistakes!

Posted 15:50 18th September 2007

Simon K (Tottenham Hotspur fan) says...

Incompetent management is clearly to blame. Not from Jol, whose ability to change tactics during the game is clearly his weakness. The poor management is from the board. A bunch of successful businessmen who are running the club like a toy, not a strategic football club. The sooner we find an investor to come in and buy the club the better. Comolli has spent money badly. ¿16.5M for Bent is a joke. I wonder why none of the big 4 came in for him? Criticise Jol if he bought the players. He can only do what he can with the resource available to him. All that Kemsley publicly visiting Seville has done is unsettle a team that were progressing. His actions have pushed us back a mile. Levy needs to stop messing about and get the club in a position where it is an attractive proposition for someone to come in and buy it. He is incompetent and needs to wake up. If the Scum are worth ¿600M with a new stadium, it pains me to say it but Spurs are worth less than half that.

Posted 08:48 18th September 2007

Becks Brooks (Tottenham Hotspur fan) says...

Saturday's loss wasn't down to Jol's tactics, but strikers not taking their chances - if three top class strikers miss the chances they did then we don't have a hope. The only issue with squad selection was Defoe's ommission. Martin should be left alone to get on with his job.

Posted 18:03 17th September 2007

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