Life as Tottenham fan can be challenging. The moments of hope and glory can often be dashed by a stray pass, a glaring miss or awful defending.
However, at the moment, I absolutely love being a Spur. I look forward to each game with hope and excitement. The team are good to watch and real progress is being made.
This all reminds me of when Martin Jol was in charge. With a young English nucleus of Robinson, King, Dawson Huddlestone, Jenas, Lennon and Defoe, Jol built an exciting, attack-minded team – the best for a long while. It was a team that played fast attacking football and wanted to score goals. As well as this, they were solid and reliable at the back. England’s number 1 was between the posts and all was looking rosy.
Two fifth-placed finishes were signs of improving times at the Lane. We were one dodgy lasagne away from a spot in the Champions League. With mafia boss Jol strolling around the technical area we were in good hands. Who will ever forget Jol squaring up to Arse-end in front of the dugouts at The Library?
Unfortunately, it was at this time that things started to fall apart. During that summer, some members of the board became very greedy. Virtually every day, Paul Kemsley – henchman of Mike Ashley, was pictured somewhere around the world. Finally, the story broke that we were chasing Juande Ramos, the man whose team had recently knocked us out of the UEFA Cup.
The question still remains, did we actually need him? In my opinion, the answer is still a resounding ‘no’. Why did we chase Ramos? The simple answer is greed. The board – some individuals at least – became greedy and decided we could run before we could walk. We were making steady progress towards the big show that is the Champions League, but some people became impatient and couldn’t wait any longer. They decided to chase the pound notes.
That decision put the club back three years. We started the new season badly and the much loved Jol was finally sacked during a game when everyone in the ground and watching on TV seemed to know before he did.
Ramos arrived and despite winning the Carling Cup, sent the club backwards. We finished mid-table and made some average signings. The following season things went from bad to worse. No wins in eight games left us bottom of the league and a laughing stock.
We all know what happened next. Harry Houdini arrived and to save the day. It is only now – two and a half years since Jol was sacked – that we are finally back to where we were, probably even further ahead. In those years, we have spent a lot of money and have seen players come and go and some – Defoe, Keane, Kaboul – even come back.
Thankfully, Kemsley is no longer around. The board seem calm and content with the job that Harry is doing. Hopefully, they will continue to leave him to do his work.
We may not finish fourth this year, or next year, but we will be a hell of a lot closer. This team is looking really good; with further investment in some areas we could be very good indeed.
I want my feeling of enjoyment of being a Spurs fan to go on for a long time yet. I love this club and I don’t want the board to drag us down again. Thankfully, I have faith that they won’t do it this time around.
This time, the Champions League really is in our grasp. I hope that dodgy pasta or dodgy board members don’t do anything to get in the way. This team is really going places and I for one am loving every minute. Come on you Spurs!
What a rubbish article. Good football under Jol, what team were you watching? Unless you enjoyed the ‘pass the ball to Robbo and let him launch’ tactic…we were very route one.
And as a Spurs supporter you should know that Lasagne was not the cause of the virus the players had.
Still, I suppose the article gave you something to do when you came home from school rather than doing your homework
Agree 100%
I do dread a repeat of the events a couple of years ago.
Things are great, we have the potential to be a wonderful team in the near future and am happy to let it run naturally. Not risk everything that is now good, for whatever next step people wish for. That course is always doomed as where does it end? After 20 years of mediocrity, I could still even see some people wanting the manager sacked after winning the league but not the Champions League. It’s scary.
There was a ‘spell’ where things went a little long under Jol. But itdidn’t last. We did play some good football, especially when Berbatov & Keane were partnered. Even before most play went through Carrick and Mendes so just cos of a little run of some long ball people will take that and run as if it was constant. Typical of the internet ‘opinions’.
I might ask ‘Which team was WO watching?’. We nearly got there with Jol and played good,Tottenham football. Have to agree with the writer of the article. We could have been playing Champs league for some seasons now. (Hamburg didn’t do badly and Ajax seem to be doing ok too.) The problem with/for BMJ was that he didn’t have control of signings. In fact he built two teams, one with Michael Carrick as the focal point and then one with Dimitar Berbatov, who no one had heard of at the time, and who enjoyed a partnership wit Robbie Keane in which they scored goals for fun. Some people have very short memories.
What a rubbish comment from WO, how soon you forget what a great job Jol did with us, he gave us back our Spurs; we were exciting to watch, being one of the top scoring teams in the Prem, alas also conceding almost as many as our prolific strike duo scored. We were so much more than “very route one”, something, in case you haven’t been paying attention, we are still equally prone to on occaision. He also gave us back credibility when we were seen as nothing more than a laughing stock. I have nothing but respect for Jol and the good times he brought back to the Lane, despite little-to-no support from the board and a DoF who seemed hellbent on sabotaging any piece of good work.
Considering the dross served up for years before, and in the Ramos period that followed, your comments are unfair in the extreme.
wat crap we didnt play good football under jol hes appointment was the turning point we played gd flowing passing football,and like the previous post berba and keane were awesome pairing during that time,yeh we occasionally used robbo’s long boot from time to time,just like we do now with the infuriating crouch,when clearly that isnt are style atall.
Which of Pav, Modric, Gomes, Corluka, Gio are the average signings you speak of? Last I checked, 4 of those average players started the other day at Stoke. Ramos was given 8 games with his guys, having lost his top 2 strikers (Pav only being signed at the beginning of September). We did draw Chelsea away for 1 of those points, were undefeated in the UEFA Cup and were still undefeated in the CC when Ramos was let go. His 11th place finish was what allowed him to determine who belonged, and who didn’t since the CC victory the previous year had already guaranteed us Europe for the third consecutive year. Neither Jol, nor Ramos were treated with the dignity or respect that they deserved. COYS
wo you are having a laugh mate theres not your mates from vitalfootball on here you utter plonker have a look a wikapidia
about jol this was probably his first main managers job and he done a brilliant job with a lesser side one of the worst nites at WHL was jol getting the sack this team is a legacey to jol soget stuffed numpty
Yeah PeterBallb, you’re right. Neither BMJ nor Ramos were treated respectfully by the board and Ramos was very respectful of Spurs supporters, witness his last statement where he wished us and the club well. Anyway, we’ve got a second chance so let’s hope no greedy board members spoil it.
Usual comments from supporters who follow Spurs through the press and pundits.
Good football under Jol what a joke. Route one, tactically inept and was caught by Levy offering his services to Newcastle and Man City 10 months before we sacked him.
But don’t let reality shatter your little worlds. Jol was and is a fat joke as his limited success at Hamburg and Ajax are proving.
I am, of course, joking kids… Jol was our best in 20 years, and we’re on our way back to those heights. Sorry for any offence.
11…another mature supporter impersonating me rather than having a reasoned discussion.
The blind allegience brigade…the same supporters who follow Redknapp religiously and ignore facts.
O’ well it take all sorts and sheep like you make the football clubs loads of money
Jol was negative (ie the throwing away of leads against Arse and Chelsea)
Can you imagine the likes of Mourinho and Fergie, when 1-0 up going into the second leg at home, telling everyone that they were preparing for a penalty shoot out? Because that’s what Jol did at Hamburg (they ended up losing in 90 minutes)
anon u and the other prat seems like you who neaver f*****G set foot in WHL was u there when he got the sack probably sitting on your laptops at home do your think people do it on purpose harrys made loads already but your F******g blind u 2 are really pissing me off, piss off down the picadilly line to gillespie rd
by the way the words said by jol garbage utter
could you imangine those two managers losing twice to wolves[50yrs since] drawing at home to hull losing to a load of crap like stoke, 2-0 up against everton last 10mins ,losing to the worst liverpool team in yrs [was you 2 up there] mancs league cup need i go on last season utter crap at loads of games
dont come out with crap like that harry has inherited a bloody good side which anybody in the right mind would know jol just started it with a average side and its built up under ramos and has progressed from their need we go on
I have to totally agree with the editer, and jol was totally connected to the spurs fans, and a legend for the majority of us. Just imagine if jol had the freedom that Harry has, no way would the board have sacked him…………..
Jol was not without his faults but he got the side playing some great football, i didnt think he quite knew what to do when we played the big boys and we also played poorly in the first half of 2006/07 season, we were bottom half in january before we had a great run ony losing to united in a run of 15 or so games that got us to 5th. He did fail at times to have a plan b which was his great problem and the same can be said for Harry. Ramos on the other hand was unable to get the best out of the side and probaly tried to change too much ie. diet was a big loser.
First of all let us remember that Ramos didn’t have a huge say in who he brought in for the club. Second, how can you rate these signings as average! Modric is world class! Pavlyuchenko is a goal scoring phenom! Gomes is one of the best keepers in the Prem! Bentley has been great in Lennon’s absence! And Dos Santos would be amazing if he was given a descent run in the squad… need I say more?
I completely agree with Wo. I used to groan at the football we played under Jol. It was consistently a kick-and-rush attitude. I was always a bit embarrassed watching when we played Arsenal. Its really typical that in the last few weeks of Jol’s management, every spurs supportor i talked to wanted him sacked. Now, he’s a legend. Hypocrites. His Hamburg side conceeded shed loads of goals. What does that remind you of. And currently he’s behind the great Steve Mclaren in Holland. A nice man, but not good enough at the top level.
Just to set the record str8 guys. I am a kunt.
Won’t be able to respond for a while. Busy pulling my head out of my arse…
mark read my previous piece applies to you who are these so called spurs supporters pricks like you that hardly go, only arses slag our previous manager like that sure he made mistakes ramos couldnt grasp the english game shame really Harry makes loads of mistakes ,it seems only on blogs did they want jol out if you were at his last game you would realise this dont give me that crap what arse game were you at played them off the park at the arse call yourselves spur u are a disgrace also while we are at it jol new the board wer trying to get him out at the start of that season Kemsley etc rumours were flying about then
BY the way jol is working mircles over at ajax
Spur1950…it seems as though you have NOT set foot in WHL.
Just because Jol is a nice guy did not make him a good manager.
Remember Levy found out that 10 mths prior to his sacking he had offered his services to both Man City and Newcastle providing they increased his salary. Not much loyalty from Jol then!
Plus, how comes we constantly could not defend a set-piece or take one. His inability to change tactics, except to go for Robbo lumping it forward.
Spur1950…miracles at Ajax…lol. Now I know that you are on a windup and know feck all about football.
Just because fellow supporters have a different opinion to you does not make us wrong, or right…it is an opinion.
Just because you claim to go to the Lane, I am a season ticket holder for 32yrs., does not mean you know more about football than someone who goes occasionally. It is not about how many times you go to the Lane it’s about having intelligence to understand the game.
You seem like the type of person who just follows the hype at the time
you are all twats. stop arguing over bollox, just be happy with FA Cup semi’s on the way and CL.
You came on just to say that…what a loser
great article. you have the nail on the head. we were in a good position with jol and we messed it up and we are finally getting back to where we were