Spurs' Home Record against Fulham

Spurs need to end their season with a victory over Fulham to stand any chance of Champions League football next season.  Even then, it may depend on events elsewhere, including next weekend's Champions League Final in Munich.

Spurs' final home Premier League match of the season has them entertaining Fulham with Martin Jol in charge.  Earlier in the season Spurs defeated Fulham 3 - 1 in a hard earned victory at Craven Cottage.  They can expect another difficult afternoon as they battle for the points which should ensure a Champions League place next season, as long as Chelsea don't defeat Bayern Munich next Saturday.

Last Season's Result:
Jan. 2011  PL  Won 1 - 0  Bale
This New Year's Day encounter was settled when Gareth Bale headed Rafael Van der Vaart's free-kick into the goal, three minutes before half-time.  It was a hard-earned victory and ensured that Spurs had taken maximum points from the three matches over the holiday period. 

Spurs' Home League Record against Fulham (inc. PL):

P  39  W  21  D  16  L  2  For  67  Ag  30

Premier League Record at White Hart Lane against Fulham:

P  10  W  6  D  3  L  1  For  16  Ag  5

Fulham's first League success at White Hart Lane was in April, 1948 in a 2nd Division match which they won 2 - 0.  It was the second of three home defeats in five days for Spurs.  Their second success came in August, 2003 in their third season in the Premier League after an absence of over thirty years from the top flight of English football, when they triumphed 3 - 0 in what was the penultimate home match of Glenn Hoddle's time as manager.  Defeat to Southampton in the next home game sealed his fate.

Fulham have proved a difficult team to beat since their arrival in the Premier League and Spurs can expect another difficult afternoon against their London rivals with Martin Jol having an extra incentive for success.

Previous Premier League Meetings at White Hart Lane:

Jan. 2010  Won 2 - 0  Crouch, Bentley       

A goal in each half secured the points for Spurs and brought to an end a run of three games without a win.

Dec. 2008  Draw 0 - 0
A rather dour affair with Spurs unable to break down Fulham's well organised defence which wasn't appropriate fare for this Boxing Day game.

Dec. 2007  Won 5 - 1  Keane (2), Huddlestone (2), Defoe
This was the first of three consecutive Boxing Day matches against Fulham and while it was a goal fest for Spurs the others in 2008 and at Craven Cottage in 2009 ended goalless.  Robbie Keane and Tom Huddleston gave Spurs a two goal lead by the interval.  Dempsey pulled one back for the visitors on the hour but Keane responded immediately to restore Tottenham's advantage.  Huddlestone and Defoe completed the afternoon's entertainment.

Sept. 2006  Draw 0 - 0
Spurs were unable to unsettle Fulham's defensive strategy which they'd set out from the beginning in order to get a point.

Sept. 2005  Won 1 - 0  Defoe
Jermain Defoe gave Spurs an early lead which suggested it was going to be comfortable afternoon but it was far from that as Spurs were called to defend for long periods as Fulham sought an equaliser.  This result enabled Spurs to reclaim fourth place in the early season league table.

Feb. 2005  Won 2 - 0  Kanoute, Keane
Spurs struggled to make the breakthrough but after introducing Fredi Kanoute for Defoe with less that twenty minutes remaining the substitute scored the opening goal.  Keane then replaced Mido and he added the second in the final minute.

Aug. 2003  Lost 0 - 3
In a dire performance from Spurs, Fulham were comfortable winners with a first half goal and two in four minutes midway through the second half.

Feb. 2003  Draw 1 - 1  Sheringham (pen)
Ledley King scored an own goal after fifteen minutes but a Teddy Sheringham penalty before the interval brought Spurs level.

Dec. 2001  Won 4 - 0  Ferdinand, Anderton, Davies, Rebrov
Spurs fans had an abundance of goals at White Hart Lane as in the previous match in mid-week they had seen their team win 6 - 1 against Bolton in the Worthington Cup.  Les Ferdinand and Darren Anderton scored before half-time and Simon Davies and Sergei Rebrov added two further goals in six minutes midway through the second half.  Ferdinand's goal after twenty minutes gave him the distinction of scoring the 10,000th Premier League goal.

Previous Meetings:
The previous occasion that Spurs played Fulham in a League match at White Hart Lane was in their season in the 2nd Division in 1977 - 78.  The match was played in September and resulted in a single goal victory for Spurs.  The goal was scored by Chris Jones.

The last match in the 1st Division was on 26th December, 1967.  The Boxing Day fixture ended in a draw with another C. Jones scoring both goals.  It was Cliff Jones who scored as the match ended 2 - 2.  Four days later, the return match at Craven Cottage ended 2 - 1 in Spurs' favour with Jimmy Robertson and that man, Cliff Jones, scoring the goals.  The following October Jones joined Fulham after ten very successful years with Tottenham.

The First Meeting in the Football League at Tottenham
The two clubs had met in their Southern League days but they first met in the Football League in a 2nd Division match at White Hart Lane in April, 1909.  Spurs were fighting to win promotion and this win kept them on track, the goal being scored by Vivian Woodward who scored 22 League and Cup goals in their debut season in the Football League.

Biggest Wins:

Dec. 1919  Div. 2  Won 4 - 0  Walden, Minter (2), Bliss  [Spurs won 2nd Division]

Nov. 1960  Div. 1  Won 5 - 1  Jones (2), White, Allen (2)  [Spurs won 1st Division & FA Cup]

Dec. 2001  PL  Won 4 - 0  Ferdinand, Anderton, Davies, Rebrov

Dec. 2007  PL  Won 5 - 1  Keane (2), Huddlestone (2), Defoe

For the first time in five matches Spurs are not faced with a team battling against relegation and while White Hart Lane has never been Fulham's favourite ground, they have proved difficult to beat and will not give Spurs an inch in this final match of the season.  A London derby against committed opposition will be a real test of Spurs' desire and nerve to stake a claim for a Champions League place next season.  Tottenham will need to match Fulham's endeavour and ensure they take any goal scoring chances that are created - only a win will do, unless there are very unexpected results at the Hawthorns and Goodison Park.   

  

Gareth Bale in UEFA.com 'Team of Year'

Gareth Bale, the Tottenham Hotspur and Wales international and current PFA Footballer of the Year has received another accolade by being named in the prestigious UEFA.com's 'Team of the Year'.  He described being included in the team as a 'special honour'.

Gareth Bale - Tottenham's Super Star

Gareth Bale - selected in UEFA.com 'Team of the Year' for 2011

Liverpool have Steven Gerrard, Manchester United have Wayne Rooney but it's been a long time since Spurs have had a player of such stature who is capable of turning a game with a moment of brilliance.  Now, however, they have Gareth Bale's and his inclusion in the UEFA.com 'Team of the Year' is another step in the remarkable turnaround for the young player since his arrival at Tottenham.  A little over two years ago there were rumours and suggestions of him leaving Spurs as he struggled to live up to the high praise which accompanied his transfer from Southampton in  May, 2007.

Bale, then eighteen years of age, was another player from the successful Southampton Academy to make the step up to a Premier League club and cost Spurs £5 million with the potential to double with appearances and success.  His initial appearances in Martin Jol's side were encouraging.  He made his debut in August, 2007 at Manchester United in a single goal  defeat and a week later scored his first Tottenham goal in a 3 - 3 draw at Fulham when he received the ball from Robbie Keane to race down the left wing and score - a sight which through time would become the norm for watching Spurs fans and opposing defenders.  He scored with a free-kick in the north London derby with Arsenal and then scored in a Carling Cup tie against Middlesbrough giving him three goals in the first four matches he had started for the club.

Spurs' overall results, however, were poor and Juande Ramos replaced Jol in October but in only his second game for the new manager Bale was injured in a Premier League game against Birmingham in December and was to miss the rest of the season.

At the start of the next season Bale alternated between left back and the left side of midfield but the team was struggling and Bale's performance at Stoke in October, 2008 summed up perfectly his own time with Spurs and the club's situation at the time.  The club were bottom of the Premier League with two points and the 1 - 2 defeat in their eighth League match was to be  Ramos' last game in charge in a Premier League match.  In the seventeenth minute, playing at left back, Bale gave the ball away with a poor pass out of defence and as he tried to retrieve the situation he committed a foul to concede a penalty and was dismissed as Stoke scored their opening goal from the penalty spot.

As Bale started his three match suspension, a new manager came in and Bale found it difficult to reclaim his place as Harry Redknapp's team battled to avoid relegation with Benoit Assou-Ekotto playing regularly at left back for the rest of the season.

As season 2009-10 commenced Bale was recovering from surgery during the summer and had an unenviable record weighing heavily on his young shoulders - he had never played on a winning Spurs' team in his two years at the club.  That burden was eventually lifted at the end of September, 2009 when he appeared as a late substitute in Spurs' 5 - 0 win over Burnley - after a record twenty four Premier League matches without a win.

Assou-Ekotto continued to hold the left back position and there was talk that Bale might go out on loan while some clubs were considering putting in a bid for the young player during the January transfer window.  However, an injury to Assou-Ekotto was to give Bale his opportunity for an extended run in the team.  When Assou-Ekotto returned to fitness after a two month absence, Bale moved to left midfield with Luka Modric playing a more central and as the end of the season approached with Spurs looking to grab a Champions League place, Bale scored in consecutive wins at home over Arsenal and Chelsea.

Gareth Bale was now an established member of the Spurs team which played in last season's Champions League and he had established a good understanding with Assou-Ekotto on the left wing. In the first Premier League away game at the Brittania Stadium Bale had a point to prove and did so in style with the two goals which earned Spurs the three points.  He set aside the ghost of his previous problems at Stoke and provided the winning goal with a wonderful left foot volley.

It was at the San Siro Stadium against Inter Milan that Bale announced himself on the world stage.  With Spurs Champions League campaign looking doomed as they faced a four goal deficit with only ten men after thirty five minutes it was Bale who restored some pride for the team with a second half hat-trick with goals of unbelievable quality.  He ran at the Inter defenders with pace and left them floundering on three different occasions as Spurs staged a remarkable comeback to lose by only one goal to the reigning Champions.  By the end it was the Inter fans who were baying for the final whistle.

In the return game a fortnight later as Spurs won 3 - 1, the lasting memory is of Bale once again racing from his own half, down the left wing as chants of "Taxi for Maicon" rang from the White Hart Lane stands with the Inter defender lying prostrate on the ground.  The Inter defender and his colleagues failed to prevent Bale putting in a perfect cross for Roman Pavlyuchenko to score Spurs' third goal of the evening in the final minute.  Then, he had just repeated what he had done less than thirty minutes earlier when Peter Crouch had scored the second goal.

There was now no way that Bale would be leaving White Hart Lane - he was a vital part of the team that Harry Redknapp was developing to challenge the top four teams in the country.  It wasn't easy for Bale as defenders looked for ways to prevent him having an influence on the game and at times he was subject to heavy tackles and finding two or three defenders waiting in his way.

As last season drew to a close the high expectations and number of matches took their toll on all the players and Bale was finding it more difficult to be as effective as he struggled with niggling injuries.  His season finished early following a heavy challenge against Blackpool but refreshed at the start of this season he has shown added qualities in his game by playing from the right as well as the left and by having more freedom to play across midfield.  This was best illustrated against Norwich City over the Christmas period when he scored the two goals which kept up Tottenham's title challenge.  The first came as he supported Emmanuel Adebayor almost as a second striker in the penalty area and the second was the result of  a powerful run from the halfway line to out pace the defenders and lift the ball over the advancing goalkeeper.

At present, much of what is good about Spurs often centres around Gareth Bale.  He has scored seven goals this season and has numerous assists as the team have risen to third position in the Premier League with 46 points from their last 19 matches.

Bale appears to be a very settled young man and he is always the last Tottenham player to leave the pitch at White Hart lane as he acknowledges the supporters on all sides of the ground before leaving the field.

Gareth Bale has played a leading role in the revival of the Wales international team and it is widely expected that he will appear in the Great Britain football team in the London Olympics later in the year.


UEFA.com 'Team of the Year'
It is the first time a Spurs player has made it into the Team of the Year since its inception in 2001 and Bale is the only Premier League player in the 2011 team and becomes the first Welshman to named.
He was up agains the likes of Lille's Edin Hazard, Manchester United's Ashley Young and Chelsea'a Juan Mata for the left midfield position.

Gareth Bale was quick to praise his team mates at Tottenham for the part they played in him receiving this accolade.  Luka Modric was also on the shortlist in central midfield and Gareth is one of only three players not based in Spain's La Liga to make the cut.

Tottenham's League Record at Fulham

Undefeated in the last seven Premier League, Tottenham cross London to take on Fulham where they will encounter former manager, Martin Jol.  Spurs won at Craven Cottage in the league last year but were unceremoniously dumped out of the FA Cup later in the season.  Fulham have shown recent improvement after a slow start and are progressing well in the Europa League.

Fulham had a very early start to their competitive season with matches in the qualifying stages of the Europa League after entering through the Fair Play League.  This has seen them with a hectic schedule of fixtures since late June putting their squad under pressure.  However, they appear to be coping well and have recorded a 6 - 0 home win over Queen's Park Rangers at the beginning of October and last week won 2 - 0 at Wigan.  This was a good recovery for them after the disappointment of the previous weekend when at home to Everton, Bobby Zamora, formerly of Tottenham, missed an open goal in the final minute to win the game and then saw the visitors take all three points with two goals in added time.  They are currently in 15th place in the Premier League, too many draws being their problem, as it was last season.  They have the one home win and three draws against Aston Villa, Manchester City and Blackburn Rovers, with the one defeat to Everton.  They are the only Premier League side to take points from City, coming from two goals down to deny the league leaders.  Fulham have scored ten goals and their strikers are starting to find their touch - Andrew Johnson and Bobby Zamora with Clint Dempsey.  They had a good 4 - 1 home win in the Europa League against Wisla Krakow with Johnson scoring twice on Thursday evening to take them into second place in their group.

With a small squad the players get to know and understand their system of play which makes them a hard working unit which is difficult to beat.  They have a group of players with extensive Premier League experience, goalkeeper, Mark Schwarzer, the Northern Ireland international defenders, Aaron Hughes and Chris Baird, highly rated defender Brede Hangeland, Steve Sidwell in midfield along with their experienced strike force.  However, the demands of the Europe has seen them lose points immediately after these games and especially the away matches where they have lost at Newcastle, Stoke and Wolverhampton.

Fulham, in recent years signed a number of former Tottenham players and still have Stephen Kelly, Simon Davies, Zamora and Danny Murphy as regulars in their team, although injury has again restricted Davies.  Martin Jol strengthened his strike force with the signing of the Coast Rican, Bryan Ruiz from FC Twente.

Last Premier League Game at Craven Cottage
Last season Tottenham completed the 'double' over Fulham, winning 2 -1 at Craven Cottage and 1 - 0 at home with Gareth Bale scoring the only goal.  The away in mid-October was marked by controversy over Tottenham's second goal.  Fulham had gone ahead after thirty minutes but Roman Pavlyuchenko responded to equalise within a minute.  In the second half, Tom Huddlestone scored the winner but it seemed that it might be disallowed as William Gallas was in an off-side position in front of the goalkeeper when the shot was struck.  However, after some confusion, the goal stood and Tottenham had again won from a losing position, a feature of last season's results.  It was a hard fought victory and what will be required again to bring success to Spurs on Sunday.

League Record at Fulham (inc. PL)

P  32  W  12  D  12  L  8  For  49  Ag  43 

Premier League Record at Fulham

P  10  W  2  D  3  L  5  For  12  Ag  15

Prior to Fulham's return to top flight football in the Premier League in 2001 after an absence of 33 years, Spurs had a good record at Craven Cottage, having only lost on three occasions in 22 visits.  However, since establishing themselves in the Premier League, Fulham have clawed back much of Tottenham's advantage gained in the earlier years.  In 2001 Spurs won 2 - 0 with goals from Teddy Sheringham and Gus Poyet but since that last year's win has been their only other League success.

Recent Away Record against Fulham
Oct, 2010  PL  Won 2 - 1  Pavlyuchenko, Huddlestone
Mar. 2010  PL  Draw 0 - 0
Dec. 2009  PL  Draw 0 - 0
Dec. 2008  PL  Lost 1 - 2  Campbell
Harry Redknapp had taken over as manager in October and this was their first League defeat.  A horror show from Heurelho Gomes gifted Fulham the opening goal when mishandling a routine shot by  Simon Davies in the first half.  Johnson added the second with twenty minutes remaining.  On loan signing, Frazer Campbell scored with ten minutes left having replaced Darren Bent.  It was his only League goal for Spurs but it was too late. 
Sept. 2007  PL  Draw 3 - 3  Kaboul, Berbatov, Bale
A match Tottenham had won with a comfortable 3 - 1 advantage after an hour.  Fulham pulled a goal back through Dempsey and then an equaliser in the final minute denied Tottenham and manager Martin Jol.
Jan. 2007  PL  Draw 1 - 1  Chimbonda
A late equaliser from full back Pascal Chimbonda salvaged a point for Tottenham.
Jan. 2006  PL  Lost 0 - 1
A game which looked to be heading for a scoreless draw was decided in the final agonising minutes for Spurs.  Michael  Dawson had been sent off  for a second bookable offence with fifteen minutes left.  Fulham then scored the winner from a free-kick in the final minute.

Tottenham, having sent a very young squad to Russia, will be looking to continue their good League form with all the first team players available.  If everyone is available, Spurs are likely to select an unchanged team with Rafael Van der Vaart hoping to set a new Tottenham record by scoring in six successive Premier League games.  The fitness of Ledley King will be the usual late decision and if he is unavailable, Sebastien Bassong will have to step in with William Gallas suffering a recurrence of his injury in Russia.  This will be a difficult match for Tottenham - it is a London derby, their former manager, Martin Jol, will be wanting to prove a point against his former employers and there will probably be three former Spurs players in the Fulham team - Zamora, Kelly and Murphy all wanting to put one over their former club.  Fulham also have Dempsey and Johnson who invariably do well against Tottenham so the defenders will have to be alert to the danger.    

Harry Redknapp may be absent, leaving Kevin Bond and Joe Jordan in charge, as he recovers from the heart surgery which prevented him from travelling with the team to Russia.  Everyone wishes him a speedy recovery but he needs to be sensible and take sufficient recovery time as prescribed by his doctors. 

Scott Parker - Born to Play for Tottenham

Parker Joins Tottenham for £5 million

Throughout every transfer period players are linked with Tottenham Hotspur.  There are a number of players who are constantly connected with the club and are expected to sign for Spurs 'any day now'.  In most cases none of these players join the club but on this occasion one of them has finally been transferred to Spurs.  That player is Scott Parker - it has taken a long time for him to get to White Hart Lane but he has finally made it.

Scott Parker

Scott Parker has become a Tottenham Hotspur player at last.  On Tuesday, 31st August, 2011 after months of speculation and newspaper stories that he would be leaving West Ham United following their relegation and that he was more than likely going to sign for Spurs, it was confirmed by the club at 14.10, less than nine hours before the end of the summer transfer period, that a deal had been concluded.

This is not the first occasion that rumours were rife about Parker coming to White Hart Lane.  It has happened every time that he has moved club.  In January, 2004, after speculation over some years that he would leave Charlton Athletic, he signed for Chelsea.  Eighteen months later, having had little playing time at Stamford Bridge, he moved to Newcastle United.  After two years on Tyneside, he returned to London but not to Tottenham, instead, he signed for West Ham United.  On each occasion that he was transferred during that three and a half year period, the Tottenham manager at the time, Martin Jol, was very keen to get the signature of Scott Parker but to no avail.

Tottenham Hotspur have history for this - trying to sign the same player, transfer window after window.  In the past it has not always been successful.  In the mid-1990s, Gerry Francis pursued the transfer of Ramon Vega who clearly stated he didn't want to come to Tottenham.  However, in January, 1997, less than eight months later he was signed from Cagliari for £3.75million.  Vega wasn't the greatest player to pull on the white shirt of Tottenham although he did appear in the 1999 Worthington Cup Final.

Stewart Downing is another player who has often been linked with Spurs but has never signed.  While at Middlesbrough, there was such speculation of a transfer that when he played at White Hart Lane in an early season fixture, it was widely regarded by fans and media that that game would be his last for Boro before he signed for Tottenham during the final days of the August transfer period.  It didn't happen but the speculation was accurate enough because in an interview in the Sunday Times ahead of the match against Liverpool, he confirmed that there had been discussions that August, the following January and again the next summer, although by that time he was injured and Tottenham were reluctant to conclude a deal under such circumstances so he joined Aston Villa.

During recent transfer periods the names of many strikers have been in Tottenham's sights with reported offers having been made and rejected - the same names over and over again - Diego Forlan, Klass-Jan Huntelaar, Giuseppe Rossi - but none of them have signed.  At least this summer's deal for Scott Parker was completed  and on the evidence of his first two games for the club, he seems to be exactly what the team needs in midfield. 

Parker - the Midfield General

Scott Parker is very much the type of player Harry Redknapp likes to sign - a player he knows, someone with experience, a reliable player who will fit into the team, a player of character, a leader on the field and one who is combative but skilful as well.  Parker fits all of those categories and on the evidence of his first two matches for Spurs he looks as if he has been playing in the team for a lifetime.  He has linked very well with Luka Modric and has brought composure to central midfield where previous occupants have on occasions tended towards the 'headless chicken' approach - here, there and everywhere but not very effective or productive.  Didier Zakora brought a great deal of energy to midfield but much of it was wasted and while Wilson Palacios was combative, too often he gave away free-kicks or lost the ball with a poor pass.  Others, like Jermaine Jenas could on occasions go missing and the game passed him by and while Tom Huddlestone's great strength is his array of passing but his lack of pace and mobility were a handicap.

Parker appears to read the game well and can intercept passes before they reach their destination, he is combative without being over committed in the tackle which can lead to unnecessary tackles in dangerous positions and conceding unwanted free-kicks.  Parker's passing is controlled and while not the fastest player he is quite mobile around the pitch and links up well with the players around him.  Modric and he have have developed a good understanding of their combined role in the team and worked well together, giving Modric the freedom to go forward and be more creative in hi slink up play.

John White

Watching Parker in his first two games, his style of running reminds me of seeing football played in the mid-1960s and someone else suggested that he reminded them of the late, great John White who graced the 'Double' winning team before his tragic loss in 1964.  If Parker were to contribute half of what White brought to Tottenham, he would indeed be a great signing.  It is still early days in Parker's Spurs' career and only time will tell.

Captain Material?

Danny Blanchflower

It is many years since Tottenham have been captained by a player in midfield.  Many of the best Spurs teams have had midfield players as their captain - Ron Burgess, Danny Blanchflower, Dave Mackay, Alan Mullery, Martin Peters and Steve Perryman in his early days.  The more recent captains have been defenders or strikers and the great Bill Nicholson always thought that it was best to have a side with a captain in midfield where they were in contact with all the players and could lead by example.

Gary Mabbutt and Ledley king have been two captains who have led by example and set very high standards for themselves but King, in particular, is a quiet, undemonstrative player who is an excellent example of total commitment for the team in defence but he is isolated from the rest of the team by nature of his position.  In a similar way, strikers tend to be greedy looking for the scoring chance for themselves and have quite enough to focus and can't be so involved when the team is under pressure.

In midfield, Parker would look to be an ideal candidate to replace King if he is absent through injury.  he has fulfilled that role previously to good effect, leading by example in a weak West Ham team who were struggling in their battle against relegation.  He has the experience to take on such a role and command the respect of the players around him.  Although in a struggling side last year he maintained his own standards to win the Football Writers' Player of the Year award - a rarity as the winner of such awards usually comes from one of the more successful teams.

Scott Parker has settled in the Spurs team with ease and as someone suggested, if only he had come sooner he might have become a Spurs' legend. 

Ramos Proves Jol’s Case

Ramos Proves Jol's Case

[first posted on Topspurs.com]

The final weeks of Martin Jol’s tenure as manager of Spurs brought much vitriolic criticism of him and the team as messageboard fanatics came alive as a consequence of the team’s failure to add to their August success over Derby County.

The fanatics’ unreasonable criticism, apart from calling for Jol’s dismissal, poured blame on Paul Robinson for every goal that was conceded and called him the worst Spurs’ goalkeeper ever, called as usual for the removal of another of Jol’s ‘favourites’, Robbie Keane to be replaced by Jermain Defoe, called Dimitar Berbatov moody and lazy and a hundred and one other names, never wanted to see Jemaine Jenas pull on the Spurs’ shirt again and so it went on. Also the ‘experts’ wanted to see the Adel Taarabt and Kevin Prince-Boateng selected and despite their lack of experience these young players were seen as the ‘saviours’ of the team.

Such over the top criticism was unnecessary and way off beam.

To regard Robinson as Spurs’ worst ever goalkeeper – you either haven’t supported the club very long or you have a very short memory when in the past we have had to endure such goalkeepers as Mark Kendall and Bobby Mimms. The calls for Cerny to replace him were based on adequate performances in pre-season friendlies and early Cup games. However, when he met with the high pressure games at Newcastle and against Getafe, he was less impressive and failed to suggest he was the answer to the ‘supposed’ goalkeeping crisis. Such was an indication as to why Jol persevered with Robinson who was low on confidence behind a defence lacking an experienced leader.

On his arrival Ramos tried out a few players and then for the game against Wigan, a must win match, he selected his strongest available team.

How disappointed the Jol critics must have been – he selected the exact same team that Martin Jol would have selected – the team that Jol regarded as his best formation for most of last season (Kaboul apart) – Robinson, Chimbonda, Dawson, Kaboul, Lee, Lennon, Jenas, Zokora, Malbranque, Berbatov and Keane.

Perhaps Martin Jol actually knew what he was doing and what his best team was. I’m sure Jol felt vindicated when he saw that team selection – ‘his’ team was going out to play Wigan at White Hart Lane.

Then, of course, Jenas received plaudits for his two goal performance – ‘Ramos has got him playing well’ was the general opinion. Jenas has always been capable of performances like that in games when Spurs have been given plenty of space and time to display their skills – remember his Cup performance against Southend last season, his goal against Derby in August and many others. When Jenas puts in performances like that on a regular basis and against Arsenal, Chelsea or United, then will be the time to praise Ramos and Poyet for the influence they have had on the player.

Berbatov finally managed to show some interest and produce a performance akin to last season. Perhaps Ramos got through to him or perhaps it was his agent who had a word in his ear about trying to impress possible suitors.

Why did Ramos persist with Robbie Keane instead of Defoe – perhaps he saw, as Jol had done, that the team needed him to be creator as well as scorer and put in the extra work supporting the midfield.

Having watched the 125th Anniversary match against Aston Villa again, the performance against Wigan was similar to that earlier game but Wigan were unable to punish the defensive mistakes that Spurs made while Villa took advantage of every one of them.

In time Ramos will have a great influence on the team to get them playing in his way but for the present while the players will be putting in that extra effort to impress the new manager, Martin Jol can take some satisfaction that it was ‘his’ team that beat Wigan at White Hart Lane to bring Spurs three vital points.

From Hero to Zero in 50 Weeks

[first posted on Topspurs.com]

Martin Jol took charge of Spurs on 5th November, 2004 following the unexpected departure of Jacques Santini and two years later on 5th November, 2006 his team recorded the most impressive victory of his time as manager and raised expectations around White Hart Lane.

In his first full season in charge Martin Jol’s Spurs had finished fifth and only missed out on fourth place and the Champions League on the final day of the season when ‘Lasagnegate’ struck down many of the players before their game against West Ham at Upton Park. In reality, if Spurs had managed to resolve a persistent problem through the season of conceding injury time goals they would have been comfortable in the Champions League spot, ahead of Arsenal, well before the final game of the season.

However, throughout Jol’s time at White Hart Lane while his team had made steady progress they were unable to make an impression on the ‘top 4’ sides. Their best efforts had always fallen short – a draw or undeserving single goal defeat being the best they could achieve for all their endeavours.

So, their victory over Chelsea at White Hart Lane on 5th November, 2006 was so satisfying and a worthy reward for all the effort and the previous missed opportunities. It was taken as an indication that they had finally broken the Chelsea and ‘top 4’ hoodoo and would be a challenge to the top sides in the major competitions. Coming from a goal down, the win had been achieved with Spurs young ‘for the future’ players playing a prominent part – Michael Dawson and Aaron Lennon scoring the important goals. The tension throughout the final minutes was unbearable as Spurs held on to record victory and ‘Martin Jol’s Blue and White Army’ reverberated from all sides of the ground. The players and manager were being lauded as heroes and optimism was high among many supporters that finally Spurs had found a manager who could take the club on to greater things and follow in the footsteps of Bill Nicholson and Keith Burkinshaw.

It was looking good for Jol and Spurs – he had a good array of international players and the team were starting to play more attractive football with Dimitar Berbatov and Robbie Keane developing an understanding as strikers while the English strength in the team was prominent – Robinson, King, Dawson, Jenas, Lennon and Defoe. Following on from that win the team put together an impressive run of results through to the end of the year in League, Carling Cup and UEFA competition.

The climax of the season saw Spurs again claim fifth place in the League and a second season in the UEFA Cup. Martin Jol had achieved Spurs’ best back to back League finishes for twenty four years.

However, in the months from November to May questions had arisen about Martin Jol’s ability to take Spurs on to the next level which was seen as gaining a Champions League place and again it centred on his team’s performances and ability to take on and beat the top sides.

The first query arose when Spurs faced Liverpool at home in the final game of 2006. Having made White Hart Lane almost fortress-like with a good run of results and only one home defeat all season, Spurs succumbed rather timidly to a Liverpool side who showed greater determination and endeavour – it was a disappointing way to end 2006, a year which had seen Spurs make so much progress.

The next two months saw a downward turn in Spurs’ form – no League wins and only Cup success to keep the spirits up but defeat to Arsenal in the semi-final of the Carling Cup was another bitter disappointment. The ‘young’ Arsenal side had been two down in the first leg at White Hart Lane and Spurs seemed in a strong position but two second half goals for the visitors turned the tie and greatly increased Spurs’ difficulties for the second leg. Injury to Berbatov during the game had affected Spurs’ play and his unavailability for the second leg along with Lennon increased their problems. Eventual defeat in extra time left Spurs looking to the other Cups in hope of success.

A defeat at home in the League to Manchester United by four goals again raised doubts and rumours suggested that if Spurs lost their FA Cup tie at Fulham, then Spurs could be looking for a new manager. However, somewhat unexpectedly Spurs turned on an exciting display of football to win 4-0 and the manager was reprieved for the meantime.

The next meeting with a ‘top 4’ team saw Spurs visit Stamford Bridge in the FA Cup. At half-time Spurs were leading by two goals (3-1) and a semi-final place seemed a possibility. However, a determined Chelsea fight back saw them equalise and take the tie to White Hart Lane where they brought more heartache to the Spurs’ faithful.

The final disappointment came in the UEFA Cup where Spurs were undone in Sevilla by the award of an unwarranted penalty which gifted the home team an equaliser, enabling them to bring a one goal advantage to the second leg. However, within seven minutes the tie was effectively over as Juande Ramos’ side scored twice and although Spurs mounted a second half comeback to earn a draw, they had once again fallen short against a top side in a critical game.

Having qualified for Europe for a second season, any doubts about the manager seemed to be have been set aside during the summer as £40 million was spent on strengthening the team and many commentators were predicting a season which would see Spurs challenging for a top for place and even ousting Arsenal from that top group.

However, after opening the season with two uninspiring defeats, the concerns about the manager were brought into the public domain when directors of the club were seen in a hotel in Sevilla courting the manager of the UEFA Cup winners. Denials and statements were issued, Martin Jol was assured there was nothing sinister in the meeting and that his position was safe but the matter was never resolved and wouldn’t go away.

From that time in August Martin Jol knew that his days as Spurs’ manager were numbered. The players knew it, the supporters knew and with continuing media speculation on the back of poor results it was only a matter of time.

That time came fifty weeks after Jol was being hailed a hero following his side’s first success against a ‘top 4’ side and the first League victory over Chelsea since 1990. The match against Getafe in the UEFA Cup which had brought such exciting football to White Hart Lane last season, was the background to the manager’s departure. Rumours had circulated on the internet before the game that this was going to happen and during the match the spectators became aware of the situation and responded with a constant roar of support and appreciation for Martin Jol.

The deed has been done and it could have been handled so much better but while Juande Ramos has been installed as manager of Tottenham Hotspur, Martin Jol deserves credit for what he achieved at the club. He brought the club a respect that had long been missing from Tottenham Hotspur and he achieved more than any of his immediate predecessors and qualification for two successive UEFA Cup campaigns.

However, nothing is assured in football. Last year on the strength of that win over Chelsea it appeared that Martin Jol would be in post for a considerable period of time but in fact for Jol it went from ‘hero to zero’ and the dole in only fifty weeks.

The Undermining of Martin Jol at Spurs

[first posted on Topspurs.com]

Martin Jol started out with the ambition of emulating the success achieved by the great Bill Nicholson but ended up joining the long line of managers who have failed to bring success to White Hart Lane. His final match against Getafe in the UEFA Cup ended in defeat but in spite of everything Martin Jol left Tottenham Hotspur with dignity and honour.

It was a sad and disappointing way for the manager to leave the club after he had done so much to lift Spurs from the mediocrity that had preceded his almost three years in charge. To finish fifth for two consecutive seasons was way beyond anything that his immediate predecessors had achieved but it wasn’t enough for the Board or some of the more demanding supporters. His target for the season had been to break into the top four and the Champions League positions with his ‘card’ had been clearly marked by the Chairman, Daniel Levy. However, with the poor start to the season that was looking a forlorn hope and with the players’ confidence so obviously at a low ebb, there was no indication of an immediate improvement in the position.

Defeat at Liverpool before the break for international games would probably have brought a close to Jol’s managerial reign but a spirited performance from the players took them to within seconds of a historic victory. Another difficult away game at Newcastle last Monday saw a terrible defensive display contributing to their defeat and was probably the last straw for the Board.

Having taken the decision to remove Jol and his assistant, Chris Hughton, before the Getafe match, the subsequent defeat would have justified the decision in the minds of the Chairman and directors.

However, Martin Jol had been in an untenable position from the end of August when the initial approach was made to Juande Ramos at Seville. From then on everyone knew it was only a matter of time before he would be leaving White Hart Lane and as the weeks dragged on the situation only deteriorated with the manager looking more forlorn on every occasion.

Through those difficult weeks and the period last season when a poor sequence of results in the early weeks of 2007 had put his position under threat, Jol conducted himself quietly and with dignity, never speaking out or criticising those in charge at the club. Last season, the Cup victory at Fulham brought a stay of execution and a series of results that lifted the club to fifth but there was to be no reprieve this time.

As manager of Tottenham Jol did much to restore respect for the club which had suffered so many ignominies in the recent past. His style may have been over-cautious on occasions but when the team played well they could produce the attractive, exciting football associated with the club. Where he failed was in the inability to win the critical ‘big’ games against the top four or in the latter stages of the Cup competitions. When drawn to play a top side there was an inevitability about the result.

It was probably this last difficulty that influenced the decision of the Board who thought that Martin Jol was unable to take the club any further.

But was the manager helped by the policies of the club?
· the restrictive salary scales which prevented them signing top quality, experienced players
· the preference for signing young players with an improved sell on price
· the insistence on a Director of Football with a say in the players who were signed
· the refusal to sign a left-sided midfield player
· the prevarication on transfer deals which usually floundered after weeks of negotiations
· the sale of Michael Carrick, around whom Jol had built his team.

All of these issues contributed in making the manager’s job more difficult and undermined his position but through it all Martin Jol kept his countenance and his thoughts to himself, striving to make a team and produce results from the players with whom he had been provided.

Martin Jol was a gentleman – he had a feeling for Tottenham Hotspur and its historical success and he had a desire to bring success to the club and to the supporters who appreciated his endeavours.

Martin Jol didn’t deserve to be treated as he was by the Board and he didn’t deserve the harsh criticism that was dished out on some of the supporters’ internet message boards.

He has left now and rightly been well rewarded for the remaining period of his contract.

Thank you Martin Jol for your efforts on behalf of Spurs, you brought us great hope and perhaps it was that that lifted our expectations to a new level and brought about your own demise.

Best wishes for the future – you will be remembered at White Hart Lane as a gentleman but one who ultimately failed to achieve the success we all desired.

Jol, Ramos and Tottenham Hotspur

Jol, Ramos and Tottenham Hotspur – What Really Happened!

International week – it should have been a quiet week at White Hart Lane.

The story after Saturday’s win over Derby should have been about Steed Malbranque’s two goals. The headlines should have been about Spurs scoring three goals inside fifteen minutes. The media should have been crediting Jermaine Jenas for an improved showing and individual goal after disappointing performances in the first two games. They might even have suggested that the result had lifted the pressure from Martin Jol’s shoulders after the poor start to the season.

But no – we’ve had three days of leaks, speculation and reports of Martin Jol’s pending departure and the imminent arrival of Juande Ramos from Seville, arriving on a white charger to take over at White Hart Lane.

The news broke prior to the Derby game when betting was suspended on the possibility of Jol being this season’s first managerial casualty. Then Spurs officials had been spotted speaking to Ramos in Spain and while the Tottenham board remained silent, the media and message boards filled the vacuum in a wild frenzy of speculation.

Now, finally the Board have issued a statement saying that Martin Jol and his coaching staff have been made aware of the Board’s expectations for the season and that the manager is going nowhere.

Not a ringing endorsement or vote of confidence for the coach and his staff.

How did all this come about?

It has been alleged that all has not well within the club between some board members and the coach for some time. Last season, Spurs’ FA Cup win at Fulham came at a critical time for the coach and was a turning point for Jol who it was thought was in danger of losing his position. However, tensions remained, on both sides, and through a difficult summer of transfer negotiations there would have been many discussions, agreements and disagreements, over suitable players. The Board thought they had done well by spending £40 million on new players but the question remained, where they the players the manager needed or wanted?

Into the new season and the injury hit team played poorly in both commitment and style at Sunderland and against Everton. The team which was being widely tipped to break into the top four was now languishing at the bottom of the league, not what had been expected.

The Board, looking at the immediate fixtures, could see difficult times ahead - a home win against Derby was expected but then Manchester United at Old Trafford, Fulham away, the North London derby at White Hart Lane with a trip to Anfield a few weeks later. Going on past experience, the return from those games could be minimal and so the Board thought it was an opportune moment to take action to replace the manager.

Arrangements were made to speak to the manager of Seville but they were spotted and so the story broke across the media fuelling the speculation that Martin Jol was on his way out of Tottenham. Spurs said nothing, hoping to wrap up the matter quickly, especially when it was reported that Ramos was wanting to come to the club and was wanting to start before the commencement of the Spanish season at the weekend. It all sounded good from the Spurs’ Board’s point of view.

However, as the matter dragged on, Sevilla started to flex their muscles – Ramos was going nowhere, they stated, he would see out the final year of his contract. It was getting tricky and now instead of wanting to be in place by Saturday, it was being reported that Ramos wanted to think about it for a couple of weeks. Perhaps he looked at Spurs’ up-coming matches and thought United and Arsenal in the first three games was a rather poisoned chalice that was better not accepted, hence the delay. The most recent statements indicate that Ramos will be remaining with Sevilla, his improved salary for the final year of his contract agreed - Tottenham Hotspur are so useful as a bargaining tool!

Spurs hadn’t been thinking on that timescale so how could they turn around a situation that had been suggesting that Jol would be on his way in a matter of hours, without losing total face. They couldn’t sack the manager as there was no-one to replace him and they couldn’t deny that they had met Ramos as there was photographic evidence to prove it.

A face to face meeting with the coach and his assistant to lay down their expectations for the coming season, to make it clear what was expected and ensure everyone that Martin Jol was going nowhere while they were within their rights to look at ways of ensuring the best for the club in the future.

For the moment, Martin Jol is still in charge – wounded but perhaps like the wild animal which has been shot and injured, he’ll come out fighting more determined than ever to show the Board and the doubting supporters that he is capable of taking Tottenham into the Champions League and future success.

I am not an ITK (In The Know) and this is total supposition and speculation on my part about what has happened at Spurs over the past few days.

Spurs in History - 18th August

18th August, 1971

Spurs 0 Newcastle United 0

This match marks my first visit to White Hat Lane for a first team game. Spurs had opened the season with a 2-2 draw at Wolves, coming from two down to earn a late point.

This game had little to commend it and the main point in the papers the next day was the crowd trouble behind the goals at the Park Lane end of the ground. The match had to be stopped for several minutes while the trouble was sorted out. The Newcastle goalkeeper was hit with a staple fired from a catapult, the referee appealed to the crowd to identify the culprits.

Spurs closed off this section of the ground for the next games.



18th August, 2007

Spurs 4 Derby County 0

I revisited White Hart Lane on the 36th anniversary of my first visit to see an under pressure Spurs take on newly promoted Derby.

Newspaper reports of manager Martin Jol under pressure and a rift among the players were answered within a minute as Steed Malbranque scored Spurs first goal. Within a quarter of an hour the result was assured with further goals from Malbranque and Jermaine Jenas.

A second half goal from Darren Bent completed Spurs' victory.

Derby County were poor and gave Spurs too much room. The return of Lee at left back gave some balance to that side of the team rather than having to play Stalteri out of position. Malbranque's goals were a reward for his hard work. he will never be the best player in the side but he worked tirelessly last week at Sunderland and also against Everton. Jenas showed his quality again but must reproduce it against the top teams, like Manchester United at Old Trafford next weekend.

A well-deserved win but the rumours of Jol's departure still linger on in the newsparers and on supporters' message boards.

Review of Season 2006-07

Spurs’ Season Ends on an Upbeat Note!
(from Topspurs.com)

In August’s season preview, I raised the following questions:

Was last season the best it was going to get for Spurs?
Did Spurs overachieve last year?
Can they maintain their progress this time?
Will Carrick be missed?
Will Berbatov score regularly in the Premiership?

The answers have come during the course of the season and while at times early on as Spurs stuttered through some indifferent displays and results, it looked as if the response to the first two, would have to be in the positive now on the final day (with UEFA Cup football achieved for a second successive season) we can answer that Spurs have improved and didn’t overachieve last season.

Spurs have maintained their progress - in mid-season after losing at Sheffield United they threw off the shackles that had restricted them for much of the season and produced a level and style of football not seen at White Hart Lane for some considerable time. They played exciting football during an impressive period that brought Cup and League progress, lifting them to the heights attained last season, fifth, but with a refreshing, more open, attacking style of football.

Michael Carrick was missed and we all knew that would happen. Martin Jol had built the team around him and it took some time for the players to become accustomed to his absence. Zokora, Jenas and Tainio have now taken over the central midfield role and shown more authority as the season has progressed. Numerous injuries prevented a midfield partnership being formed with Tom Huddlestone having to play far more matches than would have been expected at this early stage of his career but he will have benefited the experience.

Dimitar Berbatov has not disappointed. He has grown in stature and reputation throughout the season. The early European games gave an indication of his ability and class and as he became accustomed to the Premiership so his worth increased. Naturally, rumours abound of ‘big’ clubs looking to take him from Spurs. Look at the league table to see why he and Keane and Defoe have been so important to Spurs’ position this year. The goals against column is similar to those of the relegated clubs but Spurs have managed to score thirty goals more than the clubs in the bottom three – that’s down to the combined contributions of the three strikers, reliable, consistent goal scorers. Those goals have lifted Spurs to fifth position and overcome the deficiencies in defence and without them Spurs would have experienced a totally different season. Every team needs goals and would give a king’s ransom to have strikers of the ability of those three. Berbatov can not go – Spurs took the money for Carrick and made Manchester United a better team – Berbatov must stay to make Spurs even better next year.

The season has seen Spurs again unable to keep a clean sheet – only six in the Premiership through the season, only one club with a worse record in the League, Accrington Stanley. The injury to Ledley King obviously was a factor but individually the players come with some considerable reputation – the England goalkeeper, an England prospect, a French international, a South Korean international and others but as a unit they continue to concede goals. Midfield inadequacies haven’t helped but even in recent months when the team has been more settled, defensively the team has been uncertain and prone to lapses. A break through into the top four will only come about if the defensive frailties are resolved.

Highlights of the season:
The UEFA Cup experience – eight successive wins and not just scraping past opponents but doing it in style.

The exciting, winning football which started with the win over Fulham in the FA Cup.

The array of ‘goal of the season’ strikes from Berbatov, Keane, Huddlestone – quite exquisite, and so many of them.

Disappointments:
The poor start to the season and meaningless displays at Anfield, the Emirates Stadium and Reading.

Losing out in the Cups after promising so much, especially having been in a good position in all of the games against Arsenal, Chelsea and Sevilla.

Goal of the Season:
Which of Berbatov’s goals could you select and some of Robbie Keane’s volleys? But I’ll select Paul Robinson’s goal for its novelty value and to set him alongside Pat Jennings, goal scores extraordinaire.

Most Haunting Memory:
The big screen at White Hart Lane, glowering down at us with the score:

Tottenham Hotspur 0
Sevilla 2

After seven minutes of Spurs’ biggest European game in years, we knew the European dream was over and the screen just emphasised the point and mocked all of us who has arrived with such optimism.

Best memory of the season:
Berbatov’s goal against Manchester City (I wrote this on Saturday evening) to secure a European tour for next season.

Jermaine Jenas’ goal against Arsenal – such joy around White Hart Lane!

Spurs have proved themselves this season – Martin Jol turned it around when it was looking dodgy so here’s to next season – full of optimism. Don’t disappoint us by selling Berbatov or some of our other top players – remember Mr Levy, you said it, “Tottenham Hotspur are not a selling club!” Make sure you prove it this summer.

COYS

Tottenham Hotspur v Sevilla Aftermath

‘Don’t Talk, Just Play’

(UEFA Cup - not this year Spurs)

Over the past week there have been sound-bites coming from White Hart Lane – very much in line with the thoughts of the ordinary supporter.

Prior to the game in Sevilla, Jermaine Jenas said, ’You get nothing for reaching quarter-finals or semi-finals. You go home, you are out and you have to watch others play in the final and lift the cup. It’s not a nice feeling and it’s not something we want to continue. If you look at the teams we lost to [in the cups], it has been Arsenal and Chelsea, two of the top three or four sides in England. It was devastating to lose those games. But now, it’s up to us to make that step and beat those sides so we are able to break through into finals and so on. We definitely have the talent.’

He repeated these sentiments in interviews on radio this morning.

Martin Jol was quoted in yesterday’s papers from his programme notes for the Sevilla game, ‘Be in no doubt that when we step out tonight we shall do so determined to get the result for you all.’

Unfortunately, neither has been able to get the views across to the team in a meaningful way as once again Spurs fell short at the business end of a Cup competition.

Tottenham is not somewhere you would include in the ‘Top 100 places to visit in London’ but last night on a beautiful early spring evening the supporters of Tottenham and Sevilla mingled outside White Hart Lane in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere that was the complete opposite of the scenes and reports of events inside the stadium in Spain a week ago. Inside the stadium, both sets of supporters built up the atmosphere for a game that would determine which club would be looking forward to the semi-final games in the UEFA Cup – there was a lot at stake on the evening.

Unfortunately, the Tottenham players took this congenial atmosphere onto the pitch, enabling Sevilla to do what Robbie Keane did a week earlier and score an early goal. Not the start that Spurs’ fans had been looking for but nothing had really changed because with Spurs’ defensive difficulties, it was unlikely that they would keep a clean sheet and go through with a 1-0 win and the away goals rule. However, then within seven minutes, Fredi Kanoute did for Sevilla what the previous week’s referee prevented Spurs from doing – building on their good start and increasing their lead. Two goals down – White Hart Lane was stunned – Spurs would need four goals to win.

If ‘A picture is worth a thousand words’ and ‘every picture tells a story’ then the photograph on the back page of today’s Daily Express sums up how everyone was feeling – it shows Keane, Jenas and Berbatov waiting to kick off after Sevilla’s second goal, all with a look of total disbelief at what had happened.

The record books will show that Spurs’ earned a draw and lost 3-4 on aggregate and the statisticians will be able to note that Spurs have only lost one home game in all their European matches. Spurs have been given credit for coming back into the game but those facts don’t tell the real story - it was forty one minutes before they made a purposeful and meaningful attack when Didier Zakora burst forward at pace and released Berbatov who shot narrowly wide. Berbatov then hit the post with a shot in the final moments of the half – if only – but in truth Spurs could have been four or five behind by the interval, such was the pace and skill of the Spanish team.

Throughout, the fans kept up a continual chorus of support for the team and they were rewarded with two goals in a minute, half way through the second half. A late rally, an amazing comeback, nobody really expected it and throughout the Sevilla reserve goalkeeper hadn’t a save to make, while in the latter stages it was Paul Robinson who had to pull off one or two saves to prevent Sevilla regaining the lead.

Also in his programme notes, Martin Jol treated us to the views of Ernst Happel, a coach he has admired since his younger days – ‘I understand Happel was a man of few words,……… He had two favourite phrases. ‘Don’t talk, just play’ was what he would instil in his players, whilst his pre-match team-talks consisted of the rather prosaic,’Gentlemen, two points.’

There’s been plenty said over the last week but now the talking is over and we will just play…..’

Unfortunately, that didn’t happen – the concern is not that they failed to get past the team sitting second in the Spanish League and UEFA Cup holders, but the nature of their demise. Within seven minutes the war (qualification for the UEFA Cup semi-finals) was lost, although they later managed to draw the battle (the match). Once again the players had failed to deliver when it mattered most – those big, winner takes all games.

Spurs’ record in the Premiership against the top sides this year, apart from the Chelsea home game, has been appalling – even worse than some recent years when Spurs appeared to be starting to challenge those teams but without actually winning. However, this season they conceded three goals at both Anfield and the Emirates Stadium, lost at Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge by a goal, without ever being a real threat to the home side, lost by four at home to United while Liverpool comfortably handled Spurs at White Hart Lane, with Arsenal to come in a week’s time. In both the Carling Cup and FA Cup, Spurs put themselves in a strong position against Arsenal and Chelsea when holding a two goal lead but ultimately failed.

Jenas is quoted as saying he is tired of losing at the late stages of Cup competitions but here again against Sevilla, he along with numerous others failed to make an impression or any meaningful contribution. In last night’s game he was anonymous as he has been in previous games against the top clubs. Steed Malbranque never recovered from the horror of gifting Sevilla the early goal. Aaron Lennon couldn’t escape the clutches of the defenders appointed to mark him throughout and so ineffectual was he as an attacking threat that in the final moments of the game he was consigned to left back while Pascal Chimbonda moved forward as an extra attacker. Robbie Keane had one of those ‘running round in circles games’ which he frequently reserves for the top teams. For an hour of the biggest game of the season the players could not raise themselves from the lethargy that was so restricting their play - their control, their passing, everything let them down. The winning mentality that Martin Jol talks about so often, simply is not there in this squad of players.

What is the answer to Spurs problems? Well to answer in the honest words of Jamie Carragher when questioned after Liverpool’s two Cup defeats to Arsenal in early January – ‘We need better players.’

Once again much will be written and speculated on as the summer transfer window opens and action will be taken in an effort to rectify the wrongs of this current season. However, the actions of last summer may be saying more than words, about the current owners’ view of Tottenham Hotspur’s place in the football hierarchy. They took the money for Michael Carrick and that transfer has certainly strengthened the northern club while Spurs, although they may have shown improvement in their style of play in recent weeks, have done little to suggest they are closing the gap on the top clubs in the Premiership.

Logan Holmes.

Martin Jol's New Improved Tottenham

Martin Jol’s New Improved Tottenham

(from Logan's Column on www.Topspurs.com)

What a change! Whatever happened at the training ground in the days following the defeat at Sheffield United – it’s had the desired effect. That’s all that supporters have been looking for – a team that is committed, players who show they want to play for Spurs, players for whom winning matters and who are playing to their ability and in a style that is more akin to the Tottenham ‘way’.

Certainly, the three wins have greatly boosted the player’s confidence and raised the spirit within the team and the players are playing with a style and flair that many had despaired of ever seeing from them.

The players showed against Fulham that they were prepared to compete and took the goal scoring chances when they presented themselves. They carried this endeavour forward into the Everton game and played a skilful passing game that had Everton bewildered. It was only after the goal from their fortunate free-kick that Everton started to exert themselves. However, Spurs set aside their annoyance at that decision and showed resilience uncommon for Spurs’ teams and battled through the second half and became stronger through the final minutes as Jenas scored the winner.

The opening minutes against Bolton were unbelievable. Going into this game everyone knew how they expected Bolton to play and Spurs’ results showed that they have had great difficulty against them in recent seasons – only one win in eight games. Most supporters would have been expecting a very tight, competitive game with Spurs having to battle for any opportunity to play football against a very well organised team. They would have been grateful for a hard-earned win to maintain the momentum of the past week. However, in those opening minutes Spurs were a revelation, playing creative, exciting football that had Bolton reeling and in disarray as they found themselves three goals down within twenty minutes – the stuff that dreams are made of. Spurs continued to dominate and looked likely to add to their goal tally when Bolton were awarded a penalty and Robbie Keane was sent off.

Was the dream going to turn into a horrible nightmare? That thought must have been going through every Spurs supporter’s mind as they recalled how Spurs have folded in the past when put under constant pressure. Somehow, Spurs survived and got through to half-time without conceding another goal but they were under pressure and it wasn’t looking good. Could they hold out for the second half – an early Bolton goal was the fear, but Spurs showed early signs that they could take the Bolton pressure and be dangerous on the counter attack. Dimitar Berbatov caused Bolton constant problems and showed his class throughout the game – he always looked capable of scoring or setting someone else up for a goal. Spurs displayed their new found resilience and slowly minute by minute the half ticked away and, in fact, the Bolton goalkeeper was busier than Paul Robinson, so well had Spurs marshalled their defence to ensure they gave Bolton not a glimmer of hope that they could win. Then to add the final touch to a perfect day, Aaron Lennon scored the fourth goal in added time – one that Spurs fully deserved.

How has this change come about? The defence has been much tighter and Robinson has looked to be returning to his best form while the strikers have taken the goal scoring opportunities that have been on offer. Mido worked hard against Fulham while Berbatov returned and played well alongside Keane, working together for the team and providing movement that has made it easier to make chances and create space for other players. Berbatov’s movement and touch have been outstanding and displayed his real class – making him very difficult for any defender to play against.

The improvement at the back and upfront has been important but the biggest difference has been in midfield. For much of the season, Spurs have had a midfield which has lacked pace and movement. They have been very static and ponderous, neither providing cover for the defence nor supporting the strikers. Only Aaron Lennon can be excluded from this criticism as on many occasions his pace and trickery have been the only creativity within the team and if he was out injured or not performing well, the team had nothing else to offer. The return of Jermaine Jenas from injury has brought vitality to central midfield and he uses his pace both in defensive duties and to support from midfield and his four goals since returning have been invaluable. He was often criticised but in his absence supporters have discovered his importance to the team. Didier Zokora has finally started to show why Spurs signed him in the summer. It has taken him a long time to adjust to football in the Premiership and hindered by illness, only occasionally did we see his pace and strength to take players on – now he is prepared to do it more often and the two central midfield players are working well as a partnership. The play of Teemu Tainio has also added strength to the team – if only he could stay clear of injury to get a consistent run in the team. Although, still missing a natural left sided player, this combination of players has given a balance to the team that had previously been missing. Constant player rotation didn’t help the team develop a style of play or allow the players to develop an understanding of how to play together. Perhaps Martin Jol has settled on his best options and will stay with the side as much as possible, keeping future team changes to a minimum.

The players are now playing with a passion that was lacking earlier in the season. The success in the Carling Cup and in Europe was papering over the cracks of the poor league form and the lack of motivation when under pressure. Too often Spurs succumbed to heavy defeats through a lack of fight and determination – they were too ready to accept defeat when things weren’t going their way, the poor away results and their poor goal difference are evidence to that. In the past three games the Spurs players have shown more passion – encouraging and rebuking each other where previously whatever happened was just accepted without blame or comment. Such a competitive attitude is essential if the players are to perform to the true level of their ability and skill and must be maintained in the coming weeks with a number of difficult games in League, FA Cup and Europe.

Two weeks ago, pressure was mounting on Martin Jol as disgruntled supporters aired their grievances on the team’s failings – now, in the space of a week – a Cup win followed by six points in the Premiership and Spurs fans can’t wait for the next game – a trip to play troubled West Ham United. The same urgency, determination, endeavour and application that have been displayed in the past week will be needed there and in the subsequent games against Braga and Chelsea. A week can be a long time in football but if the lessons of the past few games aren’t taken into the coming games then the past week’s success and enjoyment will have been as nothing and Spurs will still be in a cycle of success and failure, going nowhere fast.