....and another article on Jol from the Guardian.

Isolated Jol the likely loser from boardroom's dark manoeuvres


David Hytner at White Hart Lane
Monday August 20, 2007
The Guardian


"I love Martin Jol, Martin Jol loves me." To the strains of Land of Hope and Glory the Tottenham support voted with their voices. They went through their full repertoire on Saturday, including the one about their manager's supposed carefree attitude to baldness. Jol answered their requests for waves, saluting them with outstretched arms and clenched fists.
The love-in, however, did not extend to the boardroom. Dark questions have been asked of Jol's capacity to take Tottenham to the next level - a Champions League qualifying berth this season - and the chairman, Daniel Levy, the vice-chairman Paul Kemsley and the directors believe they already have the answers. Things do not look favourable for the Dutchman. Plots have been hatched and preparations made for life without him. Only three matches into the new season and it appears he is living on borrowed time.

Officials from Tottenham were in Seville on Friday, meeting Juande Ramos, the highly rated Sevilla manager, who has won the Uefa Cup in the past two seasons. Ramos has seen talks over his new contract stall and Tottenham are mindful that his existing deal, which has one season to run, contains a £350,000 get-out clause.
Kemsley was in Spain and so too was John Alexander, the club secretary, who historically applies the final touches to deals. The club insisted yesterday they are "not negotiating with anybody" with a view to replacing Jol but the background noises about ambition and wanting an improvement have threatened to drown out those protestations.

Levy's doubts over Jol have not just surfaced since the Everton defeat on Tuesday and the previous Saturday's at Sunderland in the Premier League opener. He has studied the form and collated the evidence that he feels damns Jol's record against the so-called "big four", the group he is desperate to join.

In 21 Premier League games against Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal Jol's team have won only one - the 2-1 home victory over Chelsea last season. There have been seven draws, some creditable, but Levy also takes into account the Carling Cup defeats by Liverpool and Arsenal and one in the FA Cup against Chelsea.

Levy has invested heavily in the first-team squad and believes his return deserves the reward of a top-four spot. Jol has overseen back-to-back fifth place finishes but the gap to Liverpool and Arsenal, who occupied third and fourth in the final table last season, continues to yawn. Levy's patience is approaching breaking point and, right on cue, Tottenham have a trip to United this Sunday; then, after Fulham at Craven Cottage, there is the small matter of Arsenal at White Hart Lane.

Many fans will hope Jol survives this sequence. He stepped into the job in November 2004, in the wake of Jacques Santini's disastrous reign, and returned belief to the dressing-room. In his first full season he delivered European football via their league position for the first time since 1983 - the team would reach the quarter-finals of the Uefa Cup, before going out to Ramos' Sevilla - and a return of 125 points from his two full seasons in charge is no mean feat. Jol can also point to four cup quarter-finals and a semi-final, though the silverware has eluded him.

Jol has built a rapport with the rank-and-file supporters. He drinks, smokes, swears and they see him as one of their own, particularly as he has a hard-man streak. But Jol has found it harder to get along with Damien Comolli, the sporting director, who has the final say on transfers. When Mido left for Middlesbrough last week he described Tottenham as a club "with a lot of politics around the team. It's not healthy to have that amount of politics." Comolli wants the players he has brought in to be selected and prosper but Jol prefers to be his own man. The pair have clashed on many occasions.

Jol's decision to drop Didier Zokora, a Comolli signing, against Derby was viewed as significant. Jol still laments the departure of Michael Carrick to Manchester United and Zokora has failed to fill the void in central midfield. But Jol was left embarrassed when Steed Malbranque fired the opening goal and raced past him on the touchline to celebrate with Zokora. The rest of the team followed suit. Suddenly Jol looked lonely, vulnerable. Comolli feels that Jol should be able to get more out of players like Zokora, and Levy, who has placed his faith in Comolli, has listened.

Levy gave Jol assurances about his future last Wednesday but by Saturday the manager was aware of the meeting with Ramos. Jol was not himself after this stroll over Derby. It ought to have been a time to celebrate; Tottenham dazzled, Derby chased shadows. Billy Davies, the Derby manager, lamented a terrible start and knows that he needs to spice up his squad. Yet, if Davies can look forward, Jol must watch his back.

Man of the match Steed Malbranque (Tottenham)

Jol hears 'whispers' that his sacking is close as Spurs court Sevilla's Ramos


David Hytner
Monday August 20, 2007
The Guardian

Martin Jol fears Tottenham are about to sack him and wants clarity from Daniel Levy, the chairman, about his future. The manager watched his team beat Derby County 4-0 at White Hart Lane on Saturday to win their first points of the season but has been alarmed to hear "whispers" that his days are numbered.

Jol was also distressed to learn that Tottenham directors had met Juande Ramos, the Sevilla manager, in Spain on Friday. John Alexander, the club secretary, was pictured with Ramos, and Paul Kemsley, the vice-chairman, was also present.

Article continues
Tottenham are determined to finish in a Champions League qualifying spot this season and Levy has concerns as to whether Jol, who has two years left on his contract, can deliver that. "We are a club that are aiming for the top four, so we have to accept that there will be speculation if it appears that things are not going to plan," said a club spokesman. "But we are not at this point in time negotiating with any manager to replace Martin Jol."

Jol said: "I thought that there were whispers last year and there will be whispers at any club all the time. The only thing for me is that it was a bit early [in the season]. But as a foreigner, you have to prove yourself. The top five clubs have foreign managers so that is not easy to take on the chin, you know. So I have to do better."

The bookmaker Coral suspended betting on the first managerial casualty of the Premier League season after several punters placed unusually high wagers on Jol. Coral initially closed its book on Friday afternoon before reopening it later. Coral again closed its book yesterday.

Jol had been 50-1 with Coral to be the first Premier League manager sacked but he came in to 10-1 after Spurs lost 3-1 at home to Everton on Tuesday. That shortened further to 9-2 and then a clutch of bets of around £400 on Friday caused Coral to become wary. The Football Association hopes information was not leaked from Tottenham and intends to investigate.

"We take reports of suspicious betting activity in football very seriously and will be gathering as much information as we can in the coming days," said an FA spokesman. "We have clear rules on betting, which cover the use of insider information, and we will be looking to see if any rules have been broken."

Coral do not suspect foul play. "We have had dialogue with the FA and other bodies with regard to issues that relate to the integrity of sporting events but in this instance, we have no concerns," said Simon Clare, the company's spokesman.

Jol feels he deserves more time. "I always think of David Moyes and Everton," he said. "He had a very good year [finishing fourth in 2005] and the year after was horrendous and no one said anything. And now they have a very good team and he will challenge for the top six. You should leave me be. If you are Arsenal or Liverpool, how many players would you take from our team? If it is more than six or seven, we have to be fourth but if it is only one or two, then fifth is over-achieving."

Jol, who took over from Jacques Santini in November 2004, has endured a difficult start to the season. His team lost to Sunderland and Everton before beating Derby but are in no worse a position than they were this time last season. Jol has also been undermined by injuries, most notably in defence. He has been without Ledley King, the captain, Michael Dawson and Gareth Bale, all of whom would expect to feature in his first-choice defence. Aaron Lennon, the winger, is another casualty.