Friday, October 26, 2007

An Open Letter To Jol & Hughton Apologists


Or - 'Grasping Nettles Not Clutching Straws: A Beginner's Guide'


Martin Jol was Tottenham Hotspur's most successful manager since Burkinshaw. He achieved much good. As a bonus, he was a warm, sincere and likable chap. A big man with a big heart. Which I am given to understand was a congenital condition.

Unfortunately, our current league position was generated by some arguably unlucky but nearly all brutal performances and shows us still looking to scrap our way out of the relegation zone. This, after spending endlessly on good players over the entirety of his tenure.

The demands placed upon Jol were too great. Back to back fifth place finishes were spectacular after years and years of comparative mediocrity. But fragile enough in their delivery.

Is Levy a rat for wanting to shop around for a better man? No. Absolutely not.

Is Paul Kemsley really the dreadful excuse for a human being he's painted as? Well I can't tell you based upon watching two episodes of The Apprentice. However it seems many of you have intimate, more informed insights on him.

Levy has steadfastly driven this club toward success since day one.

And so to Hughton. He's a card.
Fantastic player yes.
Great coach. Absolutely not.

He works alongside unsuccessful manager after unsuccessful manager. If he could see what was wrong he would have distanced himself and left at least one of them. He didn't so he was complicit.

He stayed. On and on, an ambition-less turnkey for each incumbent.

Separating yourself from the emotion is tough. Many saw Jol as Spur's favourite uncle. My first love is Tottenham. Not her relatives.

I saw him as the man dating my daughter.

He first came a calling like a young Brando. All smiles and charm. But three seasons in to the relationship he was dipping into her purse and making us all miserable.


Thanks for the good times, but don't rewrite history.











52 comments:

Anonymous said...

Fine words indeed H .......or should I say DANIEL???? I have my thoughts on your real identity!

Seriously though it's now not about the end it's about the means.
The way this whole affair has been handled is as good as a man juggling soup..... unbelievable but actually a complete joke and very very messy.

Anonymous said...

Agree wholeheartedly! Spurs made 5th despite Jol not because of him. The most neagtive manager we have had apart from George Graham. Should havegone at the end of the 1st season when his deficiencies were masked by our heady league position. Roll on new beginnings and let the clearance of our overpaid mediocrity begin!!

Anonymous said...

I agree Harry
I am only 25yo and my memories of Spurs have always been of shoddy defending, that was and is still a consistancy, another consistancy was Hughton - our defensive coach sitting aside the manager. Like the old piece of furniture that never gets chucked out, we always found a place for him.

Thanks Jol for 2 great seasons, you took us as far as I believe you abilities were capable of.
All the best for the future

Anonymous said...

I absolutely agree - while we are all gutted to see the back of BMJ, you have to be judged on your current performance, and although I still think it was a bit early, his dismissal wasn't totally unjustified.

BUT the treatment and slow humiliation of him was. Last night was the first game I missed all season, and watching it unfold on tv was cringe-worthy - and heart-breaking. The man deserved some respect - leaks to the press, approaches behind his back, joking in the Directors box is not the way our club OR a business should be conducting itself.

Daniel Levy has managed to undo a lot of good work and his reputation in a short space of time, and I for one hope Martin leaves knowing that at least the fan's cared - and with a big pay-off in his bank account.

And by the way Mr Levy, get rid of whoever it was that made your situation worse when they went running to the media.

Anonymous said...

The board should be totally ashamed of what they have done to the big man.
Who actually spent the majority on players? From what i hear its been Comoli and not Jol!!!
Don't get me wrong its a results business and the team haven't performed but all the goings on have made us a laughing stock so much that nobody has even mentioned last night's shocking result.
To the new Spurs anyway. COYS

Anonymous said...

Watching the events unfold last night was like waiting for an elderly relative on his death bed, hoping they would pass away quickly so as not to ruin Christmas. As much as MJ had to go he deserved much better tratment than he got. Every time they showed Levy he reminded me of Himmler (you need different glasses Daniel)about to put the final solution into operation.

As someone else has stated we got 5th despite of him. We should have had a CL spot two years ago but the usual losses to teams we should be hammering made sure that we didn't.

Let's also hope we get a captain as well as a new manager soon. I can't remember a time when we've had so few (if any) leaders in the squad.

GRAZZA said...

It was like when someone finally pops their clogs after battling against a terminal illness for a long time.

After that comes an optimism with a feeling "it was for the best".

Exciting times ahead? who knows - I frigging hope so!

GRAZZA said...

sorry bloke above beat me to it - its all in the timing.

Leaders - Zokora - Captain - says it all.

Anonymous said...

"Spurs made 5th despite Jol not because of him."

Oh dear.

Anonymous said...

A new dawn awaits. False or the real McCoy? Time will tell.

Last night, I just couldn't face going. Too many mistakes, too much heartbreak, I couldn't wait for Jol to go. If only he had the bottle to tell the premier league, 'I have players sick everywhere, do you want the doctors report or do you want to send your own?' If only he had kept the lead on so many occasions. If only...

Martin has paid dearly and so have we. But here's to the future and Ramos seems on his way. Just look at his face, calm as you like, but disguising a strong will to win. Players will not mess with him.

And European titles and the sense to manage some great results against his own countries best, with a strong squad here at WHL, with more to come.

It's looking good! COYS!

Anonymous said...

I suppose it all depends upon your viewpoint. I will remember Martin Jol fondly as a manager worthy of the club, who finally ended the Chelsea hoodoo, and would have beaten Man U early on in his reign were it not for one of the dodgiest decisions the Premiership has seen. Who inspired his squad to pull together as a "family" (to quote our lethargic Bulgarian) and put together a remarkable run at the end of last season. Why waste time thinking ill of the man, he has gone.

Time will tell what those consecutive 5th places were truly worth. And let us hope they were the first tangible fruits of Levy's rebuilding program

I have no idea how well Ramos will do in the Prem, but let us hope he has the impact of a Mourinho / Wenger, and steers us to the next level.

And let us hope that Levy learns from his mistakes, and gets in a more professional PR dept so we can all stop turning the colour of Ars*n*l shirts every time the club release a statement...

Anonymous said...

well said H, i'm in full agreement - you've read my thoughts exactly. let's move on and support whoever comes in.

Anonymous said...

1) Jol was not responsible for any of the transfer expenditure. For example, Bent was not a player he wanted. Damien 'I'm Solely Responsible for the Entire Succcess of Arsenal' Comolli is the man with the transfer say.

2) Levy is successful only in financial terms, and that is due to an insanely steadfast fanbase, and back-to-back European finishes achieved by the man he only took due to Arnesen's urging. His management of footballing affairs has been shambolic - Hoddle, Santini and the whole bungled Jol affair - and demonstrate total lack of acumen.

3) Results on the pitch this season have clearly been influenced by a manager keen to leave due to being humiliated in public and a side with equally little heart. Defensively we're poor. But that's as much down to individuals as coaching. Robbo has lost the plot, Dawson is looking increasingly rudderless, and he and Kaboul were shocking against Getafe. Not for the first time their positioning was exposed and Kaboul simply goes AWOL when he fancies a run. No Ledley. No defence. We know this. Jol knew this. WTF was the Board doing buying the most over-priced striker in the world rather than getting an established, experienced class CB? For that matter where's the LW we've needed ever since Gino left? Bale is superb but he really is a flying back.

4) If you believe that it was so obvious Jol could take us no further than 5th, the time for change was summer. We now have the entire senior coaching staff sacked mid-season. Any new arrival will have to bed in. Disaster. The ONLY reason they wanted Jol out was to try and ensure the best price for ENIC when they sell the Club. They signed a 'big name' in Santini. Ramos is not Mourinho. He's a decent manager. Nothing more. I don't think he'll work miracles. Our squad is not as good as the top four by some margin. That's a fact.

5) People who believe two years of success happened DESPITE Jol are blinded by prejudice. He was a decent manager, hamstrung in the transfer market and serving under men who smiled when we went 2-1 to Getafe. His results are creditable. Of course he had weaknesses, what manager doesn't?

6) Spurs can't attract established world class managers or established world class players. Mourinho, Wenger, Ferguson would never come to us. There are better managers than Jol out there, but few are available to us. I hope we find one who can truly build on Jol's legacy.

Anonymous said...

HH- I can tolerate an argument that Jol had tactical deficiencies. I can also tolerate your position on Hughton and his shortcomings as #2 (insert joke here). What I cannot tolerate is the statement that "Levy has steadfastly driven this club toward success since day one." The only thing that Levy has steadfastly done is watch the profit margin. He and Commoli(sp) ruined what success Jol could have brought when they agreed to sell Carrick. If you remember Carrick dictated the pace of every game we played and they brought in a poor replacement in Zokora. This is the reason for our poor start to last season and why we only finished fifth. With a strong start last season it is very possible that we would have been back in at 4th. Look at Jol's comments this season about central defenders, he constantly talked about an experienced CB but we bought Kaboul. Jol talks of players for the furture and players for today and he needed an experienced CB to cover for Ledley. The plain fact of the matter is that Levy thought he was the dogs bollocks when it came to financial and football matters when it was quite clear he knows sweet F-all about football and managing a team. This continental set-up was screwed up since Arnesen left. I am embarassed to be a spurs supporter today b/c how they treated BMJ was disgraceful I hope we paid him lots of money and he has a nice long holiday with his "mishes". HH- you are a boner.

Anonymous said...

Whichever school of thought you belong to (for or against Martin Jol), one thing seems certain. Juande Ramos will the next Spurs boss. I don't know much about the new man, but one thing is certain, he does not hang around in the same place for too long.

Ramos spent only one year or less at almost all of the clubs he managed! Did anyone at Spurs do some research on this guy? See below:

RAMOS FACTFILE
Full name:
Juan de la Cruz Ramos Cano
Age: 53

Clubs
Alcoyano (1993-94)
Levante (1994-95)
Logrones (1995-96)
Barcelona B (1996-97)
Lleida (1997-98)
Real Vallecano (1998-01)
Real Betis (2001-02)
Espanyol (2002)
Malaga (2003-04)
Sevilla (2005-2007)

Trophies: Uefa Cup (2005, 2006)
Super Cup (2006)
Copa del Rey (2007)
Spanish Supercopa (2007)

A bit worrying but lets give the man a chance. COYS.

Anonymous said...

hhmmm

It's the way it's been done that upsets me most. For once, we appeared to have a club that wasn't divided. But Levy and Kemsley have behaved like complete idiots and got caught tapping up Ramos. What do I expect now? The same old divisions between fans but based on those who were pro Jol and those who were anti. I wonder if Ramos knows what he's getting into.

Anonymous said...

I understand the points you have made, Harry.

The 'board' fell out with Jol b4 the quarter final with Chelsea last year. Jol didn't want to start with Berbie as he thought the game couldn't be won, the 'board' like the fans, thought otherwise.
The 'board' pushed for Berbie to start and so he did, after a massive bust-up between Jol and Levy.

When we were 3-1 up against Chelsea Jol took off Berbie and Lennon and we went on to lose the tie. The Seeds of change had already been sowed. Spurs even made contact with Sven to sound him out. Instead of being a man and leader Levy allowed Jol to stay. The reason for this was because Levy knew Jol was popular with the fans. If Levy sacked Jol he would meet the wrath of spurs fans and also no-one could say for sure that Jol wasn't good enough for a top 4 finish. Levy hoped to change things in the summer but Jol reached 5th on the last day of the season and with good cup runs still had the the fans backing. So Levy chose to be sneaky. He let the club spend £40million in the summer on behalf of a manager he no longer liked. Rumours suggest Jol applied for the Newcastle job... can you blame him? Jol was working for someone who didn't rate nor like him. In the summer who bought the players? Jol or the (ex gooner) director of football? £40 million was spent and as the 'board' expected the team got off to a bad start with Jol in charge. Levy could of been a man and sacked him then, but Jol was still popular with the fans, instead spurs choose to flirt with Ramos and get caught. Rumours also suggest Kemsley (who has resigned, come January) was also chatting up Mark Hughes and Harry Redknapp. The 'board' did nothing. Even when we lost to Newcastle on Monday night, the 'board' still did nothing. The 'board' finally did something hours if not minutes before we play in the UEFA cup on Thursday, Nice. It now looks like we sacked our manager live on ITV4, midway through a game. Fantastic.

I think Martin Jol was a manger in progress and yes he had become a uncle type figure with the famously fickle Spurs fans (so does this mean our fans are no longer fickle?).

What about the 'board' who are they? ENIC: English National Investment Company.
Does Levy work with Tottenham's best interest at heart or does Levy work with ENIC's best interest at heart? Maybe ENIC haven't got time for a manager in progress? Tottenham were bought by ENIC for how much? If we were to be sold as a champions league side how much would we be worth? The 'board' and only the 'board' are responsible for this mess.

Fair enough to have doubts about Jol but to act like the board have will take some beating. Levy owes every season ticket holder an apology... those tickets were bought on the premise that the club was moving in one direction.

I also want a full rundown on what Daniel Comolli's role is. Why haven't we got a left winger?
People need to stand up and be counted... no-one, Levy, Comolli, Kemsley, seems to be doing so.

The 'board' are treating Tottenham's fans and history as insignificant. The recent run of results is down to bad managment. Bad management from the 'Board'

Thank you for your hard work Martin Jol. I will always keep an eye on your career and wonder if you were good enough for Spurs.

As for the board... sort it out.

Anonymous said...

I think the worst part that has come out of all this is the repainting of our resident superstar Berbatov as a lazy primadonna. Our hopes of making it to the CL rest on his shoulders. With him we are creative, exciting and dangerous; without him we are one-dimensional and predictable, much like Darren Bent. Dimitar knows it, the rest of the team know it and I'm sure the directors know it. Fine, so no player is bigger than the club. But once in a while, a great talent comes our way and with him comes the opportunity to reestablish ourselves as a team of a higher caliber. He cannot do it himself, as we have clearly seen, but, in my opinion, the man is a vital ingredient to any sustained success we hope to achieve. Hopefully Ramos is another such ingredient, God knows Jol (bless him) was not.

ps. I don't see Jenas as a vital ingredient. He can be the garnish on the starter or the sweet and sour sauce on the spring rolls or something.

Anonymous said...

And as long as we're standing up to be counted as fans, I'm putting my lot in with Baz. I think that was a good summation of the disintegration of the Levy-Jol relationship, although there is no real way to determine if all the details are true.

Anonymous said...

a lot of the clubs you have listed there ramos did well with, learning his trade ,earning promotions staving off relegations etc,he has had relative success at all the clubs bar one which he left after sevn or eight weeks because of a dispute but one out of all those clubs is hardly worrrying! Most recently he has won spanish cup ,uefa cup twice in a row ,supercup and got seville into the champions league.He has got wins over barca and real and some staticions(sp)said seville were the worlds best team last year.He plays attacking football and has made alves and others world class in a short time showing he can improve players(look at fredi !) With the potential in our squad and our strength in attacking its a match made in heaven
bty

Harry Hotspur said...

The boy stood on the burning deck whence all but he had fled.

He called Harry a boner. And retired to his bed.



Get a grip on reality sunbeam, or at least go be 'staunch' someplace else.

Levy's the cancer?

I wondered who put us in the drop zone this season.

You've illuminated the situation.

Expect to see you drunk and menacing at the end of a bar tonight wailing out one last chorus of 'I love Martin Jol'
Whilst looking to beat up one of your own.

Oh dear...

Anonymous said...

I agree with Harry people need to get a bit of perspective mj hasnt been knifed to death or been run over! You read some peoples reactions and its like take that have split again!Like levy ,jol has become very wealthy from spurs and even more so now.All the he really loved spurs guff,look hard enough on the net and according to jol ajax and others have always been his one love!The bloke wernt up to it even with the undermining imo, if anything this is what could of made him a true legend but did he create a them and us siege mentality?did he say fuck you and then him and the players went on to stick thir fingers up at the board? The reality is were bottom 3 have won 1 in 10 and just lost a vital uefa cup match.
bty

Anonymous said...

Hey Harry...
I think you're right. It's going to be one half of the pub singing 'Martin Jol's B&W Army' and the other shouting them down.
Same old! Same Old!
Back to the GG situation.

Anonymous said...

very poetic Harry, please leave the prose for people with wit. To answer your question: yes Levy is the cancer.

Let me draw it for you in pictures and hold your hand so you can understand. We are in the relegation zone b/c of poor management FROM THE TOP LEVEL DOWN. How can you expect Jol to do his job when his superiors are monkeying around? His position was untenable, end of story. Levy considers himself infallible and it has cost us.

As for tonight I plan on kicking my dog and praying that we get Ramos in as soon as possible so I can pretend this debacle never happened.

-SUNBEAM

Anonymous said...

"Levy has steadfastly driven this club toward success since day one."

Sorry, Harry - that is the wrong answer. Levy started off shakily, but then seemed to improve. Only seemed to, mind you. He's been quietly cocking things up for somewhile. The whole Carrick negotiations and eventual sale were nothing short of a farce. He only saved face by getting some decent moolah out of ManYoo.

The problem now is that Levy is still cocking things up, but now in the full gaze of a laughing (and crying) public.

R5 has been reporting this pm that Jol & Hughton were possibly the last people at WHL last to know of their impending sacking. What sort of organisation is it that controls its PR in this manner?

Two people lost their positions last night - doesn't take much imagination who should be next....

Anonymous said...

So, we lose one manager who came with a lot of potential but no great proven history and get another one. Back to the drawing board then.

During the entire time that Comolli has been at this club, we've never had a balanced side with the correct players in all positions. Our ex manager managed 5th twice with a few great players, a few potentially great but not yet youngsters and a good few hard working but ultimately ordinary journeymen. Comolli then spends 40 million of our clubs dosh, and astonishingly we still have a sub european competition (of any sort) midfield, no left winger and no proper captain.

To improve matters, the board open the season with the magnificently timed & handled total undermining of the manager, presumably to compliment the 9 injuries and 2 new defenders he already had to cope with.

We now have a new 'employ him and hope' at the helm. Of course as always he'll have my full support until he's gone and I will no doubt in time generate an unreasonable
belief in his taking us to the promised land.

And yet the bloke who hasn't sorted the teams lack of balance or quality out, still appears to be sitting comfortably next to Levy.

Why?

I think we should be told.

Anonymous said...

The beeb website are saying Poyet has agreed not to attend the Leeds match on Saturday. So looks pretty much a done deal for Ramos and Poyet then?

Anonymous said...

Harry (or Daniel), I thought you were better than that, you roll the grenade into the room then hide behind the door sniggering. There are some well thought through replies to your starter so don't patronise people.

You can't condone the actions of the Board if they wanted to give BMJ the tintack they should have had the balls to do it six weeks ago, this festering boil of a situation is the sole responsibility of DL and the rest of the board. I only hope they know what they're doing with the new appointment but somehow I'm not sure. If latest reports are true about the events of yesterday it's going to take a character much stronger than the Jolmeister to get himself involved.

Anonymous said...

Totally agree with the second comment. I remember the game against Wigan in Feb 2006 where we scrambled a 2-2 draw and were woeful. Spent the whole game punting balls downfield to Mido. It was clear then that Jol had reached his own level of incompetence. Last season's 5th was nowhere near a 4th but very near an 8th, only reached 1/4 final of UEFA Cup and could not beat Arsenal Reserves in two attempts.

Don't like the he was treated but let's not have that get in the way of facts. He had to go and go now before it was too late. It has also precipitated a mini clear out with Pictionary and Segers already on their way so the signs are good.

Nervous about the Ramos track record and job hopping but only two teams ever win La Liga. At least ours is one from four.

Not the excitement I hoped for this season (but deep down never expected) but at least the new beginning is something to look forward to.

Harry Hotspur said...

brineyno9 - Who's hiding?


And I'll 'patronise' anyone who calls me names.

Jol ought to have gone before this campaign. If anyone feels I'm wrong on that can they show me where we sit in the Premier League, not just in the Broken Hearts League

The need of the many outweighs that of the few.

Spock said that to Kirk so it must be right.

Anonymous said...

PEEK-A-BO HARRY
Sorry I called you Daniel, can't think of a worse insult than that at the moment, anyway If it's quotes you're looking for Spock also said;
" Jim, you gotta be nuts sacking Ahuru ten weeks into the mission we'll never make it to the fourth sector now. Mr Ramos ..warp factor seven"

Beam me up Scotty

Harry Hotspur said...

Quality.

Phaser holstered.

;)

Anonymous said...

For me, the debate is now useless. And, if it's to be Ramos, then "hola y buena suerte."
Not that he'll need luck to be forewarned regarding the "politics" - his current employer, José María Del Nido, is widely regarded as one of the most arrogant ball-breakers in the business.
I'm more worried about his apparently dodgy english - and fear a re-run of the Santini-does-Clouseau era.
But if he can only (re)turn Pascal Chimbonda into (allegedly) "the best right back in the Premiership" - instead of his recent reincarnation as "Shampoo" Atouba - then bring him on.
POMPEY YID

Harry Hotspur said...

I'm with
Pompey yid. How informed is this appointment, IF it happens?

The word is he has little to no englaise.

Oh my good gawd, Terence.

Anonymous said...

Could be a bit of a stumbling block, but foreigners that come to Engerland generally learn the language pretty quick. Quicker than an Englishman trying to learn Spanish anyway.

Also, I don't think it'd be a big a problem as some may think. Obviously he'd get a translator/assistant (looks like Poyet at the moment) and that would help out. Frankly, I'm not too troubled by the fact that there won't be some friendly banter on the training pitch. In the state we're in, I'd rather a professional, hard-working environment where we can actually try an avoid this season becoming a total write-off.

Also, has anyone thought of the possibility of Ramos bringing his own staff and players with him. We need a new 'keeping coach since Hans (great name for a 'keeping coach) Segers has left the building along with Hughton and Jol. And frankly I'd Dani Alves. Chimbonda: "best right back in the country"? Try: Alves: "best right back in the world."

Also, can we have our Fredi back?

Anonymous said...

Rumour has it that Berbo turned to Jol and said: If you're going I'm going!
This could be the most gay football statement of the year if he was indeed to follow Jol. Some idiots think so. I know better.
He was looking for an excuse to leave in January when the famous buy out clause can be activated. Now he's got that excuse.
Anyway, it's strange he was commited to the game for the first time this season exactly last night.Was it because he already knew? Rumour has it AC MILAN are going for Mourinho and Berba in January. Any comments?

Harry Hotspur said...

PLS- agree on the mindless banter point. Jol proved the 'matey matey' bear hugging routine didn't put fire in players bellies.

We badly need a pro who will get stuck in and get the basics right.

Spurs need a man with steel

I would pick JM, but that's another story...

Anonymous said...

(And if you know your Spanish...)
For his first purchase, can I suggest Ramos buys C. O. Jones for our central midfield?
POMPEY YID

Anonymous said...

Very interesting summary of events (and some revelations in there!) from Mihir Bose of the BBC:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/mihirbose/2007/10/the_inside_track_on_martin_jol.html

Anonymous said...

John of the Cross Branches Waterpipe

That's the name of the guy in English. Anyone needs a translator?

Anonymous said...

what the board did was spot on. for me, if my subordinate keep sending me reports with the same mistakes over n over again, id throw that report straight to his face. no kidding. i really think jol spends more time figuring out excuses for a lost that how to beat the opponent. jol is really allowing himself to fail by these excuses. jol had a good squad at his disposal yet he wasn't creative with them. he didn't know how to use them and worst of all, he had his favorites. what do others players think of him when his favorites keeps fucking up??

if i was jol n knew that that the board was looking for my replacement, i'd make it hard for them to let me go.

the guy is too nice. u dont tell ur players that ur angry at them, u kick in a boot to their face.

Anonymous said...

"Levy has steadfastly driven this club toward success since day one"

Really? What success is that then? Getting rid of the ONLY manager to bag us a trophy in recent memory? Hiring Santini? Firing the most succesful league manager since Burkinshaw?

Or in Ramos - a man who has done NOTHING in any league campaign - do you see that as success.

Ramos will last 2 seasons and run to the hills when he realises what Levy & his cronies are all about.

Anonymous said...

rumor is ramos has resigned from sevilla

Anonymous said...

Why lose the time for each post? Made it easier to respond to anon comments.

Anonymous said...

no rumour, it's fact. expect one juande ramos in place by monday. is there a buzz about this? apparentley he's won loads of praise about his attacking football and dont suffer fools gladly. sounds good to me.
coys

Harry Hotspur said...

10.04

Rectified.

Bloody blogger.

My apologies but it wasn't me, honest, guv.

Anonymous said...

Drink the long draught for the Big Jol! Thank you Martin and Chris, now jog on.
Nothing brilliant about Jol, Hughton and Segers for me. The signings and money supplied by the board has been first class along with 3 years. Results were acceptable for the investment but we don't want anything but the best. To Do is To Dare? This board has genuine ambition for this club and although I am embarrassed by their modus operandi I find myself in accord with most of their actions.

I reckon this bloke Ramos is a bit of a risk but he is successful and knows what he is doing. He is a step up , by a few levels, from martin Jol and staff.

Is it any coincidence that Ramos is now about to become our new manager after beating us last year with a superior footballing team? Levy has acted a bit like the legendary Don King who would always arrive and leave with the winner of the fight who were not necessarily always the same boxer. Remember the game? Sevilla were quicker, better technically and fitter than our guys who toiled bravely but fell short. Ramos must have really impressed the board that night ( he impressed me). It was very evident that Jol could not prevail and looked like a stunned mullet for the rest of the game. Expired. Limit reached.

And now......I see light again, release, a chance to revive.......refresh........and open your eyes....

The Mihir Bose Blog on BBC is, as usual, excellent.

Up The Lillywhites!

Anonymous said...

Will Phil Cornwell please keep doing his superb Martion Jol imitations? What are the chaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaances of that happening?

Man! Kick! Ball! Goal!!

Anonymous said...

Bouncebackability......haven't heard that for a while hav'ya! I said it first, the pundits will be saying it soon too.....

So Jol, Hughton and Segers are all out. Ramos and Marco Alvarez, his physical trainer (does this mean he is a football coach or some camp lycra wearing greasy spaniard who prances through the olive groves on Ramos' day off? - at least he might keep Defoe and his sordid fantasies fulfilled), have handed in their resignation. This is a huge gamble by Levy and his wooden planks. Lots of money is flying around...
Ramos has a fast and furious CV, where he has drifted in and out of clubs his whole career which has come good in recent years. However, he is bailing on Sevilla during one of the biggest years in their clubs history. They have just won again in Champions League!!! He has stated that he had to resign for his family and career. He will get on well with Levy then has they both have a love of money.

This all does have a stench of badly shaven Russian vodka. Beaten by Porto, get Mourinho in. Beaten by Sevilla, get Ramos in. Lets hope Ramos can do something similar.

I am nervous, very nervous. We were recently enlightened by our californian yid that during his jogging engagements with Klinsmann it was explained that Jurgen was to busy to organise a job application for Spurs. It would take months of research before he could. I really respect that. In fact I really respect Klinsmann. Sure he isn't proven at Club level, but he seems to know his stuff. Where has Ramos had a few months to do his research?

All in all, this is a scary time. We are all getting a little bit ahead of ourselves with our expectations. If you pool together all the GCSEs taken by Spurs fans, it must total more than any other club fan base put together. BUT...this doesnt mean we know how to manage a football team better than many of the managers out there. So, I ask a favour of you all. Lets be patient....although winning all our games up until Xmas would change our league position substantially, Ramos has a huge job ahead of him. He has got to change around a thoroughly depressed dressing room to not only respect and obey him, but also start playing football again. Looking at recent performances, I think it will take some time.....

One prediction though. We will be seeing more of JD. His fitness levels will go through the roof after playing Marco Polo round the training ground all day. I look forward to seeing the little Mistress spanker scurrying around again....


Maldives Yid

Anonymous said...

Will he want to bring Freddie Kanoute back with him?

Anonymous said...

At the end of the day, I'm a Tottenham fan. It doesn't matter who the manager is, the board are, or the players are, I'll always be a Tottenham fan. That being said...
I love Martin Jol
Martin Jol loves me.

Anonymous said...

re 12.51

Actually seville beat our injury addled team(Tainio at rightback for fcuks sake) over two legs with the help of one of the most outrageous penalty decisions(fine save from Robbo) I've ever seen. That, and the fact that our defence was in bits (Ledley's first game back after months out etc..)

Of course they were the better side.