Yesterday, Seville officials discreetly spread the news that Juande Ramos,
their coveted manager, would be leaving. Which may help to explain why some
bookmakers have installed him as the 2-5 favourite to replace Martin Jol at
the helm of Tottenham Hotspur. Except Seville also privately insist that,
while it’s true they expect Ramos to leave, it will not be until the end of
the season, when his contract expires. And, according to a source close to
Ramos, it is merely a negotiating ploy in an attempt to get him to reopen
stalled talks over his contract.
The source also maintains that Ramos is merely “keeping his options open” by
talking to Tottenham and that any move now is highly unlikely. José MarÍa
del Nido, the president, described rumours of Ramos’s imminent departure as
“totally false”.
All of which is understandable. Seville have a chance to compete against AC
Milan for the European Super Cup next Friday. After that, the Champions
League beckons. For Ramos, who will be making his debut in the competition,
it will be a chance to shine with a club that strengthened over the summer
with the likes of Tom De Mul, Morgan De Sanctis and Seydou Keita — and more
spending could be on the cards if Daniel Alves moves to Chelsea.
Given that a number of top jobs are likely to open up next June – Real Madrid,
Barcelona, AC Milan, Arsenal and Chelsea could all be looking for managers
by then – it certainly makes sense for Ramos to bide his time.
The impression is that Spurs put all their eggs in the Ramos basket and,
unless he changes his mind overnight, it will be difficult to find a
top-drawer replacement for Jol. Jürgen Klinsmann, a sentimental favourite,
is a very long shot. A source close to the former Tottenham striker believed
it would be very unlikely that the former Germany coach would take a job at
this stage of the season. The fact that Klinsmann was lukewarm about the
possibility of pursuing the Chelsea job a few months ago would also suggest
that he would be unlikely to swap the Southern Californian lifestyle for
North London just yet.
Marcello Lippi, another name on the bookmakers’ lists, has indicated that he
is enjoying his time off after leading Italy to the 2006 World Cup. While he
has declared an interest in working abroad, it probably will not be until
next summer. The same can be said of his countryman, Fabio Capello, who has
just signed a contract as a television pundit with RAI, the Italian state
broadcaster. He makes his debut this evening, when Italy face Hungary in a
friendly.
Among the domestic options, Mark Hughes, the Blackburn Rovers manager, and
Harry Redknapp, of Portsmouth, have both been mentioned, though any moves
would be complicated by the fact that they are at present under contract,
which means that some kind of compensation would need to be arranged. There
are a few other options among unemployed coaches with top-flight experience,
such as Gérard Houllier, the former Liverpool manager, Gianluca Vialli,
previously of Chelsea, and Paul Jewell, who did a fine job at Wigan
Athletic.
Tottenham may also be tempted to firm things up now for a manager to join them
next summer, something Ramos may be persuaded to do, while leaving the team
in the hands of a caretaker. Should that be the case, an old hand with
strong links to the club such as David Pleat may come into the frame.
For now, however, the impression is that Spurs have jumped the gun on Jol,
allowing stories to circulate that he would be dismissed without first
having taken steps to nail down a replacement. Either that, or they
seriously misread Ramos when they met him last week. The way this affair has
been mishandled could set off warning lights among prospective managers. If
they treat Jol this way, are they really the kind of people -you would want
to work for?
The official word from the club
“There has been much speculation over the past few days in respect of our
manager, Martin Jol. The club does not respond to speculation, but we do
feel it is important to clarify the current position.”
Daniel Levy
The chairman
“We have had two good, progressive seasons with fifth place finishes. I am an
ambitious chairman, we are an ambitious club and we want Champions League
football at White Hart Lane. We, the Board, owe it to the club and the
supporters to constantly assess our position and performance and to ensure
that we have the ability to operate and compete at that level.
“We have made a massive investment in the squad and as a result we have the
best squad of players this club has had for over 20 years and they are
equally hungry for success and silverware. For that we need our management
and coaching standards to be of the highest quality such that players can
fulfil their potential and we can compete with the best.
“We have discussed all of these expectations with Martin [Jol] and he has
confirmed to me today that he feels he is equipped with a squad and a
determination to take on that challenge.”
Martin Jol
The manager
“We had a full and frank conversation and I fully understand the ambitions of
the club — they are the same as those of the supporters. He [Levy] has put a
lot of hard work into this club and with the squad of players we have
assembled, it is realistic that we should look to challenge for a top-four
position and I have assured him and the board that that is what I shall aim
for.
“The last two seasons we have finished fifth and this season we start with an
even better team. So we should be optimistic. Yes, it is pressure to
deliver, but that is what we managers should expect. Hopefully, all the
media will relax now – all I shall be concentrating on is each and every
game.”
Useful pointers
What the board should know
Martin Jol has the best league record of any Tottenham Hotspur manager since
the great Bill Nicholson resigned in 1974, in terms of points per game.
Records have been calculated on the basis of three points for a win even
though the system was introduced only in 1981.
Bill Nicholson 1.65 points per league game (1,102 from 666)
Martin Jol 1.58pts per game (167 from 106)
David Pleat 1.53pts per game (132 from 86: 91 from 54 in first spell;
41 from 32 in second)
Peter Shreeves 1.54pts per game (194 from 126: 142 from 84 in first
spell; 52 from 42 in second)
Keith Burkinshaw 1.45pts per game (488 from 336)
Terry Venables 1.42pts per game (194 from 137)
Doug Livermore 1.40pts per game (59 from 42)
Gerry Francis 1.39pts per game (165 from 119)
Christian Gross 1.308pts per game (34 from 26)
George Graham 1.306pts per game (128 from 98)
Terry Neill 1.29pts per game (101 from 78)
Glenn Hoddle 1.27pts per game (113 from 89)
Jacques Santini 1.18pts per game (13 from 11)
Osvaldo Ardiles 1.15pts per game (62 from 54)
Dismissing a manager in August can be unwise on past evidence. Five managers
have suffered an August dismissal in the Premier League since its inception
in 1992 and, on average, the club in question went on to finish four places
lower than in the previous campaign.
August dismissals
2004: Southampton: Paul Sturrock (team finished 12th in 2003-04)
replaced by Steve Wigley for four months and then Harry Redknapp (team
finished 20th in 2004-05).
2004: Newcastle United: Sir Bobby Robson (5th) replaced by Graeme
Souness (14th)
1999: Newcastle United: Ruud Gullit (13th) replaced by Robson (11th)
1998: Newcastle United: Kenny Dalglish (13th) replaced by Gullit (13th)
1993: Manchester City: Peter Reid (9th) replaced by Brian Horton (16th)
BILL EDGAR
