Zokora: Jol needs three wins

Midfielder voices support for beleaguered manager

By Lewis Rutledge   Last updated: 24th October 2007

jol martin

Jol: Under pressure

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Didier Zokora has urged his Tottenham team-mates to win their next three games to take the pressure off Martin Jol.

Spurs' season took another disappointing turn on Monday as they lost 3-1 at Newcastle.

They remain in the bottom three of the Premier League and Zokora accepts that Jol's position will come under even more scrutiny if Spurs cannot beat Getafe, Blackburn and Blackpool at home over the next seven days.

"We've got to turn things around for the fans and for the manager," Zokora told the Daily Express.

"The players are totally behind Martin Jol. He is a good man and a good coach. Maybe his confidence has gone a little, but he is still a top, top manager.

"We know the way football works, but we now have three home games in a row against Getafe, Blackburn and Blackpool and after three wins everything will look a lot better.

"We have to get those victories because the manager needs it and we, the players, are desperate to start winning again."

Fans' frustration

Many Tottenham fans appear to be losing patience with Jol following reports of a bust-up between the manager and star striker Dimitar Berbatov,

Speculation about Jol's future has been rife since the start of the season and Daniel Wynne, chairman of the Tottenham Supporters' Trust, admits he is now questioning whether the Dutchman can stay in the job.

"Martin has got us out of this situation before. Can he do it again? I'm not so sure," Wynne said in the Daily Mirror.

"If the team are not doing it for Martin, maybe they will do it for another manager.

"There are still plenty of points to play for, but there was no commitment or passion against Newcastle. It appears that the players are not playing for the manager anymore."

Hughes in the frame

Sevilla coach Juande Ramos has been linked with the manager's position at White Hart Lane this season but tabloid speculation now suggests Tottenham are lining up Mark Hughes to replace Jol.

Hughes has impressed at Blackburn in recent years and Spurs bosses are reportedly ready to make an offer for his services.

Comments

Daniel King (Tottenham Hotspur fan) says...

Im a die hard spurs fan and i think that martin jol is doing his best to get the team back up the table however, the confidence of the team is so low at the moment. I think we should give martin jol till may. Thats when everyone can analyse whether spurs have had a good season or bad. Anyway i think most spurs fans like myself would be happy if we finished mid table but won the FA cup or the UEFA cup or even both

Posted 16:45 24th October 2007

Ennio Di giulio (Tottenham Hotspur fan) says...

I love Martin Jol but some of the substitutions he makes and tactics he plays is beyond me. He makes silly decisions which cost us games. But ultimatley the players must take responsability for the performance on the pitch. It's just not good enough for a team who should be competing for a champions league spot giving the ball away so much and letting in silly goals! The performance at Newcastle was awful just hope we can now put that behind us and start winning some games. We need to be in top six by Xmas to have any chance of europe next season let alone champions league.

Posted 14:54 24th October 2007

Glenn Muller (Tottenham Hotspur fan) says...

I guess I'm one of those die-dard supporters who before every game hope that it will be the turn-around that we waiting for. It's obvious the spurs board is planning to sack Jol but I guess there's not too much competent trophy-winning managers around. but what do we do meantime? Wecannot just hope that things will turn out ok. Instead look at our fringe players, get them in, as i believe they are hungry enough and will play with passion, something that is sorely lacking at the moment

Posted 14:47 24th October 2007

Matthew Fitzgerald (Chelsea fan) says...

Look, spurs will not go down! I know people say that no team is too good, but Tottenham have far too much quality to go down, for the past 2 years they have been nocking on the door of the champions league, and you do not become a bad team over night! it's a bad start to the season, thats all, they wont be pushing for the champions league this season, but they will finish mid table comfortably. Its just down to a lack of confidence that will sort itself out eventually. It was only a couple of months ago that Martin Jol was the best thing since sliced bread! Oh how fickle football fans can be! I think the board need a to give him till xmas at least and then see were they are. But they wont be in the relegation zone come new year.

Posted 14:35 24th October 2007

Sam Mcglynn says...

I think that Martin Jol should stay at Spurs because he has done so much for the club after taking over two years ago. Fans should get restless just because we have got off to a bad start. The fans who stay commited to Jol and the club are true Tottenham Fans.

Posted 14:30 24th October 2007

Stevie Bantick (Newcastle United fan) says...

Clearly there's something wrong - that's the obvious bit. But Martin Jol has assembled the best squad Spurs have seen in decades. For 2-3 years now they've been performing brilliantly, maybe even punching above their own weight, but after 10 games they're not sitting as pretty as they're used to. No team has a God-given right to be in the top 5. I've seen Newcastle in the relegation zone after a shocking start and recover to finish in the top 4 (twice!). Every time points are dropped, there's a new panic period in Tottenham. I think they should try and give Jol their full backing, take their worries out of the media and wait and see if things get better until Christmas.

Posted 13:53 24th October 2007

Tim Browne says...

1 win against the relegation favourites tells it's own story. The inability to defend cost us CL football two years in a row. If he has not sorted that out after three years chances are he never will. The team is top ten material but some way off top four. We should not be in the bottom three. If Spurs leave it too late it would be disastrous for the club to be relegated, and for that one reason alone we need him out, the question is though who do you get in? And I believe that is the only reason he still has the job today. Lets be frank, with teams like Man City starting so strongly, Europe by way of the league gets further away week by week, game by game. Only the cups offer a hope and any Spurs fan at the 3 big cup games we lost last year will tell you that on the day Mr Martin Jol lacks the know how to get you through and into Finals. Check his CV. The 3 men in the other dugout for those 3 games have won everything between them. If Spurs want to compete with the big boys they need a man capable of doing that and going toe to toe with Ferguson, Wenger et all. Until that happens Spurs are destined for mid table at best (and even that comes with an "I hope"). Martin we love you but get off the bus. Time for the right man to be found.

Posted 13:24 24th October 2007

Thomas Smith (Chelsea fan) says...

And everybody seems to think that it is chelsea who are in crisis!!!

Posted 13:22 24th October 2007

Tony Cook says...

Personally I like and admire Martin Jol and ordinarily I would say that Tottenham would be mad to throw him on the junk heap. However after the dismal start to the season and all the hoo-ha that has gone on behind his back can he regalvanise the team and lead them to success? I admit to doubts. As to the team and our disastrously leaky defense it should be remembered that defense starts from the back. If your defensive outfield players have no confidence in the goally you have problems. The key requirement now is for a goalkeeper who is not so disaster prone as Robinson, his core abilties may or may not be great but he is undeniably fragile.

Posted 13:11 24th October 2007

Jason Gething (Leeds United fan) says...

Tottenham fans beware. A team is NEVER too good to go down... trust me, I know! Jols problem is that the board have invested a huge sum during the summer and expected (like the fans) to now be challenging for the champions leage. Jol has signed some good players but now doesn't know his best team. If it continues, he'll be gone. A shame as he's a good manager, but the board can not let a relegation battle start. Tottenhams players are good and like to pass and flick, relegation fight means fight and kick and I don't think they'll be up for that. Good luck!

Posted 13:04 24th October 2007

Neil Motion says...

Jol wasted money on Bent when he was not needed,they need to shore up the back line but are spurs im sorry to say,really a big club,they have no champions league pedigree and really are at best a top ten team that will battle for a UEFA Cup slot!

Posted 12:50 24th October 2007

Charlie Westmoreland (Liverpool fan) says...

i think that it is about time that Martin Jol got sacked from Spurs, he had a lucky last season and will take them back to being a mid table going nowhere team. if they dont get relagated this season it will become a matter of time before they do. Spurs fans - 'ur never goin on a european tour'

Posted 12:37 24th October 2007

Jonathan Mercer-wall (Tottenham Hotspur fan) says...

I think the fans have a right to express their disatisfaction at the sad start spurs have had ,this season.The wages of players,who are not peforming.The amount of millions spent in the transfer market coupled with the escalating ticket prices.Dont forget the saying."No side is to good to go down".

Posted 12:34 24th October 2007

Danny Walters (Tottenham Hotspur fan) says...

I've had enough of this sack jol campaign. he leads us to 2 fifth place finishes and several cup runs, where we should have gone to the UEFA cup semi if it wasn't thanks to some hopeless refereeing desicions. right now the players are making the mistakes, every game we give teams a 1 nil lead and you can't legislate for that in the premiership. The return of the "King" can't come soon enough.

Posted 12:21 24th October 2007

John Peters (Tottenham Hotspur fan) says...

It's tough for Spurs fans at the moment (myself included) because we have been spoilt rotten these last two seasons finishing 5th and now it appears to have gone pear shaped. We must never lose sight that Martin Jol is the most successful manager we have ever had in the Premier League...but the reason it is tough for fans is because we don't know whether we should give him more time because of the excellent job he has done over the last two seasons, or shall we move on despite his relative success ( I mean not even winning the league stopped Chelsea getting rid of Mourinho) Personally I'm on the fence but if he does go ( which seems more and more likely after every bad result) I would love to see Harry Redknapp at Tottenham. He has done a simply world class job at Portsmouth.

Posted 12:20 24th October 2007

Leanna Geldoff says...

I can't see how Jol can keep his job. He hasn't once said he'd go for bust and try to win the premiership, instead he's always erred on the side of caution but with the amount of money spent and a squad like ours he should be saying we're going for the top spot not top 5, what's the point of that then! Arsenal, and I hate to say this, have created a team on a shoestring & they've also taken our passing game & beaten us at it, I mean since when were they the pass-masters? It grates me to say this but we'll never make it to the top until we get a winning, farsighted manager, lord help us if it is indeed Mark Hughes or some other mediocre non-trophy winning premiership manager, why bother as we may as well get hold on a nationwide football manager!!

Posted 12:15 24th October 2007

John Sanders (Tottenham Hotspur fan) says...

I am very disapointed with the season so far. Hitting the panic button after 3 games didnt help and the pressure has been there since, i feel Jol has lost the dressing room now and may need to move on dont get me wrong he has done a great job but now is the time. In regard to the players i feel we have alot of deadwood players that are not up to scratch jenas, zokora, young po, malbranque rocha and gardner to name a few they need to go in jan!!!!!!!!!!

Posted 12:12 24th October 2007

Theo Shilton - smith says...

Having had 2 good seasons I fear for spurs at the moment. Jol is the best manager we have had in years and until the last couple of weeks I was fully behind him. The main thing I worry about is losing some of our good players come january. Berbatov looks unsettled and isnt playing to his potential at all this year and had been on the bench or subbed alot. Robbie Keane seams frustrated in some interviews and Defoe has obviously had enough. 2 out of three of those players have no confidence right now and would be snapped up by any team. We also need at least one senior experienced defender to play at the back. Dawson is a great leader and so is king but hes never fit. We need a John terry character in theback line to provide more stability and control. As for robinson he has no confidence these days and I am very unsure about him. We need an overhaul and fast something that the players can feel positive about and be motivated as hey have no fight in them at the moment. Above all we need something for the crowd to cheer about again and to lift everybodys spirits.

Posted 12:02 24th October 2007

Zane Osborne (Tottenham Hotspur fan) says...

In this game it's all about results. While there are lots of Spurs players that are underperforming, it is Jol's job to find the winning formula. As we have seen yesterday's feedback was spurred on by the fact that we cannot always be losing. We want to compete with likes of Arsenal but we lack consistency. These players earn millions, but don't have the heart and passion for Spurs. I remember Bill Nicholson say once that you should actually pay Spurs for the priviledge of playing for such a wonderful club. These Spurs players need to learn to walk their talk.

Posted 10:25 24th October 2007

Robin Fidler (Tottenham Hotspur fan) says...

Supporting a team means supporting them through thick and thin, all of the fans that get on the players back and boo cant seriously think this is helping the lads. Tottenham are a massive tema and need to pull together stop talking in the media and get back to what their paid for doing. There is sense in assesing whether the team and managment need changing but not in front of the worlds press and certainly not after a couple of games. Lets hope we can all focus on the positves and let them get on with it. A young team like this will look back on this time and use it to motivate themselves in later seasons - not just the here and now but this team if managed well can challenge for every competition in years to come. Come on you Spurs

Posted 10:10 24th October 2007

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