Great Martin Jol Quote from The Sunday Times

In England I feel you still play too rigid. I want my teams to play and move, exploit the
spaces created by the movement.” He offers an unexpected reference
point. “That’s what Arsenal do . . . if I had £2bn, I would buy
Arsenal.” He is laughing. “And I’d make a big parking place from the
Emirates and make a new stadium for Spurs.”

I love Martin Jol :-)

Another piece just on Skysports

Quote :

Martin Jol has lifted the lid on his relationship with Dimitar Berbatov, as the former Tottenham boss begins to piece together his White Hart Lane sacking.

The Dutchman's exit from the North London club was widely regarded to be a PR disaster, with several members of Spurs' squad thought to have known of his impending exit before him.

Jol was told of his sacking after the Uefa Cup defeat to Getafe but his departure was common knowledge in the dressing room prior to the game; with the news breaking publicly while the match was in progress.

The relationship Jol shared with star striker Berbatov has occupied plenty of column inches and now the tactician has spoken of how the Bulgarian clearly knew something was afoot prior to the Getafe game.

Prior knowledge

Jol told the Daily Express: "Something very strange happened just one minute before kick-off. Berbatov came over to me and said 'Sorry boss! Come on!'

"I thought that perhaps he was regretting what had happened in the previous match at Newcastle, or that he hadn't given me his best before, but it didn't cross my mind that he and the rest of the players had already been told by friends who had been texting them that I had been sacked."

Following what was a largely immaculate first season in English football last term, Berbatov has struggled to live up to such exacting standards in his second year.

New Spurs boss Juande Ramos dropped Berbatov to the bench for his first league game in charge at Middlesbrough on Saturday, amid talk of a possible exit.

Jol remains full of admiration for the striker's repertoire of skills but concedes he is not the ideal player to have in your side in times of toil.

No fighter
"At St James' Park (when Berbatov appeared reluctant to come on as a substitute), a lot had been made in the media about Berbatov's attitude, that he didn't want to come on because he was sulking at being on the bench.

"Normally Chris Hughton would tell the players to warm up, but not this time. However, he didn't seem that keen to do it.

"I turned my shoulder again and this time looked him in the eye and told him 'come on, warm up' and he began to warm up.

"He never said he didn't want to come on, but that's how it has been perceived. But that's Berbatov, he always seems reluctant to do anything.

"Gifted, yes. But he is not a fighter. Perhaps you need others who are fighters to balance out the team."