Of course, one underlying reason we were in one was that Jol and the squad had known that the club had been talking to Ramos since early June, something not exactly calculated to create a happy and settled camp.
My mistake, but the general point still stands. He hasn't done anything remarkable to make Levy think "I was wrong to let that guy go."
You're confusing Defoe and Mido, but it's an easy mistake to make, I suppose. Berbatov was suffering from the groin strain that had troubled him before that season, and it was pretty obvious that he'd slowed up during the second half.
I would'nt get Jol back. Unless he proves himself to be top notch (which I've yet to see) then it will defo be a step backwards. Loved the guy while he was here but can't see him being better than 'aitch.
On the point of our fans singing about Jol on sunday, wern't there renditions of 'Harry Redknapps blue and white army' sung straight after each of the Jol chants?
Is he not referring to the FA Cup game at the Bridge when we were 3-1 up and he took off our two best outlets in Berbatov and Lennon, brought on an extra defender and totally invited them on to us and of course the inevitable happened?
Yes there was and I joined in with both of them. This subject has brought out a hell of a lot of vitirol, which I think is amazing.
Thought I wasn't going mad :lol:
I don't see a problem with that myself and I think that Harry would understand why the chants were sung aswell. I don't think there is anybody out there that doesn't know how much us fans appreciate what Jol brought to the club.
As others have said, he was the start of our rise up over the last few years so we should show him our appreciation.
Lets face it, after he got turfed out of the club, most of our fans have'nt been able to show him how much we appreciated what he done for us as he went overseas, so the minute everyone got the chance then they let him know where he is in our hearts.
Have to agree with Harry on that one, some serious idiots ring those football phone ins, and most of the pundits are even worse.Don't recall BMJ calling the fans idiots, maybe thats why there weren't any Redknapp songs on Sunday
If his direct replacement were Redknapp then perhaps not- but his replacement was an absolute failure. When Jol was castigated for revealing that the team he had would find it very difficult to get into the top four and we then spent millions on players that did get us there, you kind of think what would Jol done with this team when he was so close to getting in the top four with the team of 2006?
Fact is Levy lucked out with Redknapp when he, under Comolli's advice, made such a monumental fuck up with Ramos. He, and we, were lucky Redknapp came here, that he comfortably kept us up, got us into the top four, to the quarters of the Champions League and got us here playing excellent football and getting results.
You can't convince me this was Levy's grand plan the whole time; from what was said a few weeks back on the Spurs show perhaps if both parties were not so insecure and one swayed by third parties and the 'in' manager, Jol may still be at Spurs today.
If you were a chef, and this was a dish you'd cooked, it would be called sentimental/hyperbole/bollocks fusion cuisine.
He is, and Jol took off Berbatov, who had looked increasingly uncomfortable since half-time because of the groin strain that troubled him that season and replaced him with Mido, not Defoe. Lennon, who had pretty much run himself into the ground, wasn't replaced (with Malbranque, not a defender) until almost the 80th minute. By then he'd had a good effort saved by Cech, whilst Defoe fluffed a free header that would have clinched it.
Predictably, Mourinho threw the kitchen sink at us after the break. We didn't 'invite them on' at all. The only defensive change Jol made was very late on, Gardner for a knackered Ghaly, and Big Tone promptly had a hairline fracture put in his leg by Fat Frank, with the result that he couldn't jump properly against Drogba.
And defoe nearly won it at the death, cannoning off the crossbar.
We didn't bottle that game. Jol tried the daring tactic of Lennon in the hole behind Defoe and Berbatov which resulted in an MOM performance. The fates conspired against us that day. Berbatov's hold up play was key, but he did his groin as you say, then Gardner broke his leg and the rest as they say is history...
Still, with the players he had that day (Stalteri, Ghaly, Rocha, Tainio, Zokora) against the Chelsea machine that they were back then, I think it was a great showing at a Stamford Bridge ground that was an absolute fortress at the time.
Well its clear that Jol was not everyones cup of tea. I for one was never in his camp (agreed, he was better the RAMOS). But he did lose the drressing room, lovely bloke, but took us as far as he can. The best thing I remember from him was the day he went head/head with Whinger .... But Harry >>>>>>>> Jol. :grin::grin:. We were 3-1 up in that Cup Game ..... Time to move on... CoYS