View from the Lane

Nick Griffiths

They’ll probably use it as a business model in years to come, at Harvard and places like that. Let’s call it the UP TaDPoLeS model (and think of a better acronym later).
 
It goes like this: Undermine. Panic. TAlk shite. Dither. POison. LEak. Sack. Hey presto, the decent manager, respected by swathes of English football supporters – I couldn’t find a single fan, of any side, who was not disgusted at the treatment of Jol – is gone. History. Off to his Chigwell mansion with his dignity intact. Which is more than you could say of the Spurs board.

Our season was in tatters from the moment the visit to Ramos was leaked to the press. Jol was never going to recover credibility and the relentless sniping in the papers was always going to affect the team’s morale. You kept thinking that a corner would be turned – especially after that 4-0 defeat of Derby, until you realised that Orinoco, Madame Cholet and Jens Lehmann in a huff could achieve the same result – but the bad vibes just set in.

The only part of the whole fiasco that gives me any pride is the reaction of the Spurs supporters. Never did they turn on Martin Jol during a game. Constantly we chanted his name, and stood up in appreciation when news filtered through of his sacking during the Uefa defeat to Getafe. He left us with this quote: ‘If I would have £2billion I would buy Arsenal. And I'd make a big parking place from the Emirates and make a new stadium for Spurs.’ Sadly his payoff, while noticeable, isn’t that enormous, and realistically you wouldn’t want to hold him to it. Me: Er, Martin, remember what you said about the Emirates car park? Martin: No.

Before I move on, one final matter. Dimitar Berbatov. Where was he when we needed his sensuous goal-scoring skills? (It’s not a rhetorical question. The answer is: undermining Jol – and his team-mates – further by sulking on the bench at St James’ Park.) Sod him. He wants to go, so let him. It’ll hurt, but it’ll hurt less than having to watch him mooch about, possibly wishing he was sharing hair-band tips with Carlos Tevez. The money will ease the pain, as will a glimpse at the lack of star names at Everton, Portsmouth and Manchester City. It’s about the team.

So here we are. My main issues with Martin Jol’s side were the godawful defending, especially at set pieces, and the motivation against lesser teams. Though Ramos seems to be addressing these as a matter of urgency, these are early days. The bitter taste will linger for some time.