Home / Soccer Fans / The Bell Tolls for Martin Jol

 

Perhaps the worst kept secret in the world of soccer was announced yesterday when Tottenham Hotspur Manager Martin Jol was sacked by the club. Ever since the Spurs lost on opening day to newly promoted Sunderland, Jol’s job had been in jeopardy. For a squad that had consecutive fifth-place finishes the past two seasons, sitting in the relegation zone with seven points in 10 games is unacceptable. In fact most managers would struggle to hold on to their jobs with a start like that. Tottenham’s loss to Getafe on Thursday in the UEFA Cup only sealed Jol’s fate.

Big things were expected of the Spurs this season. They appeared the most ready of any Premiership side to break into the Big Four and add a little spice to the title race. In fact the Spurs had a chance two years ago, but lost to West Ham United while bitter rival Arsenal defeated Wigan Athletic on the final day of the season to snare fourth place by two points.

It was hard not to root for Tottenham the past two seasons. They have some fantastic players and it would have been nice to see a little variety at the top of the table. But the results never materialized. After coming so close in the 2005/06 season, Spurs finished eight points back of a Champions League spot in 2006/07. Still they were a popular pick to break in this year even as reports of the board meeting with Sevilla boss Juande Ramos surfaced.

Whether or not Spurs horrid start to the campaign can be chalked up to Jol is debatable. He was not exactly given the best reinforcements this summer. Signing fullback Gareth Bale was a coup, but Spurs should have also invested in a central defender in case injuries again hit Ledley King or Michael Dawson. Tottenham should have also brought in a top-notch center midfielder to run the show. No offense to Didier Zokora, Jermaine Jenas, Teemu Tainio, Hossam Ghaly, and Kevin-Prince Boateng but they are not going to be capturing a Premier League crown. Aaron Lennon is a dynamic young player, but injuries and inconsistency to often stifle him. Instead Spurs’ big summer splash came in the form of the talented, but unnecessary Darren Bent. With Robbie Keane, Jermaine Defoe and Dimitar Berbatov already in the fold, Spurs did not need another striker. The $32 million spent on Dent easily could have bolstered the midfield.

Still in the face of adversity, Jol and Spurs crumbled so it seemed like the only plausible scenario for him to go. The blame game can now begin, but in reality it should all be shared equally because failure has plagued Spurs at every level this season.

 

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One Comment

  1. YO its time to go dude. And wait what happen to yal sellin half yal store. NOT COOL.