04/24/24
October 25, 2007
Martin Jol sacked by Tottenham! Sevilla's Juande Ramos to take over.: In other shocking news: The sun, reportedly, will rise tomorrow.
posted by lawn_wrangler to soccer at 10:26 PM - 16 comments
I think if you had chosen the three safest manager positions at the beginning of the season, it would have been a list topped by Fergie and Wenger, with Billy Davies at third*. There's precious little job security. *Even if they finished bottom with no points, Derby would have wanted to keep him. Whether he would still want to stay is a different matter...
posted by owlhouse at 11:38 PM on October 25, 2007
Most Spurs fans would agree that this was a decision that maybe should have came sooner.
posted by igottheblues at 12:58 AM on October 26, 2007
Let me get this straight: that time Ramos and Tottenham ownership were having drinks wasn't just a friendly social call?
posted by yerfatma at 06:28 AM on October 26, 2007
Let me get this straight: that time Ramos and Tottenham ownership were having drinks wasn't just a friendly social call? As I understood it at the time, Tottenham ownership just happened to be staying on holiday at the same Seville hotel where Juande Ramos and his agent were having drinks one night. It wasn't even a social call, it was a serendipitous running into of the two parties, which necessitated them having a courtesy drink with one another on account of the fact that they were both involved in football.
posted by holden at 08:01 AM on October 26, 2007
Most Spurs fans would agree that this was a decision that maybe should have came sooner. I'm not sure about that. Judging strictly from the songs sang during matches, I would think a majority of Spurs fans wanted Jol to stay. IMHO, it is Robinson who has put Spurs in the relegation zone, not Jol. Berbatov has mailed it in for every match I have watched, and Bent, bought for 50 zillion bucks, hasn't done a damned thing. What I don't get is why does Ramos want that job? Seville is a great team. They are in the Champions League this year. He is beloved in Spain. Why the hell does he want to takeover a side fighting to stay out of the Coca Cola Championship? I think some nice positions will open up at the end of the season, and Ramos will be regretting this move. So who's the next to go? I've got my money on Lawrie Sanchez. Man, I hope not. Lets remember, Fulham doesn't have many good players. I love to watch them when down a goal. Lawrie will just keep throwing on attacking players until they draw, go ahead, or lose by three more. Generally he plays his best team every match, something most managers don't do. Considering he doesn't get any money to play with in the transfer market, a little slack is due. p.s. Anyone notice what The Arsenal were singing when up 6-nil in the CL this week? "Are you Tottenham in disguise are you tottenham are you tottenham are you tottenham in disguise?" Ouch!
posted by r8rh8r27 at 09:55 AM on October 26, 2007
What I don't get is why does Ramos want that job? Seville is a great team. From what I've heard, all of it from Sid Lowe on the Guardian podcast, Ramos has been at odds with management. Additionally, there's the suggestion Seville's performance is based entirely around them out-working the other team. Maybe that gets old.
posted by yerfatma at 10:24 AM on October 26, 2007
Most Spurs fans would agree that this was a decision that maybe should have came sooner. I think r8rh8r's right that Jol remains popular at White Hart Lane. That said, they should have completed the deal weeks/months ago. It embarrassed Ramos, who, according to Sid in Madrid, waited patiently nevertheless. But even worse, it put Jol in the crucible. It couldn't have helped Spurs players or Jol himself to know the manager was on his way out without instant results (or perhaps even with good results). I'm sure it accelerated their slide down the table.
posted by lawn_wrangler at 11:52 AM on October 26, 2007
I'm a nominal Spurs fan, on account of having acquired a Spurs shirt (Holsten sponsor, circa early 90's) in a London secondhand shop in the heady days of my youth as a semester abroad student in London when I fancied myself a bit of a local, which for my purposes meant smoking hand-rolled Old Holborn cigarettes, saying "cheers," drinking bitter ales (I didn't know at the time that most Britishers my age were actually lager drinkers), and stuff like that. Real authentic. Now my possession of a super old (so old its cool, some may say, and you'll brook no argument from me on that point) just serves to tweak my bandwagon-jumping Arsenal fan brother-in-law, who I tend to dominate when playing Spurs v. Arsenal in FIFA '08. In any event, I'm not sure Jol should have been fired weeks/months ago. If Spurs were even middle of the table at this point in the season (or in the top 6 or so, which seemed to be reasonable expectations going into the season), he probably would have held on, but Spurs are in the relegation zone for crying out loud. Of course, as lawn_wrangler points out, Jol being on the hot seat could not have created an atmosphere conducive to winning, but when you were expected to contend for a Champions League spot and your sitting on 7 points after 10 games, sorry Charlie. Oh yeah, and reports now are suggesting the Wanda thing is not necessarily a done deal.
posted by holden at 12:13 PM on October 26, 2007
Maybe that gets old. Maybe? Holden's link has another theory; "£4.8million-a-year deal for four years". That helps. 4.8mill goes a long way in Leicester, Coventry, and Darby, where he could be coaching next season.
posted by r8rh8r27 at 12:38 PM on October 26, 2007
I hate to see Jol go, as a casual Spurs fan suffering greatly with their play this season. If Man U doesn't get the equalizer in extra time a couple weeks ago, I think that could've turned things around for him.
posted by rcade at 02:11 PM on October 26, 2007
Are you a fan of track suits or just guys that look like noir movie Heavies?
posted by yerfatma at 03:50 PM on October 26, 2007
What I don't get is why does Ramos want that job? Seville is a great team. If you look at his career, three years seems to be his limit for staying in one place and he's been with Sevilla about that long now.
posted by billsaysthis at 04:58 PM on October 26, 2007
Holden: Just to set the record straight, I don't necessarily think they should have sacked Jol months ago. But if it was inevitable, then they should have done so sooner rather than later--at least after they botched the super-secret meeting in Seville. To rcade's point, it seemed premature since, at that point, Spurs had only lost a couple games. (Although, when you look at the embarrassment that is Bolton, the lesson is to have your backup plan secure before sacking your manager.) And I am a FIFA god, and will destroy you.
posted by lawn_wrangler at 05:19 PM on October 26, 2007
Doesn't seem to me...at least, that this has anything to do with Jol's managing ability. The players don't seem to get along. I mean, come on! Keane is amazing...Berbatov?! Unreal, the talent on the team is great, but they all seem to be waiting for something...like a big contract at another club.
posted by StarFucker at 08:32 PM on October 26, 2007
Lost to Friedel's Blackburn today so no "Jol is gone" bump.
posted by billsaysthis at 08:14 PM on October 28, 2007
Well, I suppose it was inevitable, wasn't it? Should be very interesting to see what changes are made at Tottenham in terms of personnel and the like. I suspect we won't really see Juande's true team until next season, but who knows what they might do in the January transfer window. So who's the next to go? I've got my money on Lawrie Sanchez. With Benitez a close second, Tom Hick's denials notwithstanding. I don't think Benitez will go during the season, though. I'm sure there are odds on this somewhere, but I can't find them at present.