Lucky22
Active Member
- Dec 11, 2006
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From The Times
Jermaine Jenas, a footballer of ability and achievement who always seems on the brink of something bigger. Like player, like club — long before Jenas joined Tottenham Hotspur in 2005 you heard more about the North London club possessing potential than about them realising it.
Same story last season? It seems that way on the surface. A popular pick to contend for a top-four spot, Tottenham failed to break into the top ten. And Jenas looks no nearer to becoming an England regular than he did a year ago, or indeed since 2003-04, when Sven-Göran Eriksson often granted the 2003 PFA Young Player of the Year some action off the bench.
Oh yes, the bench. If the old joke about substitutes getting splinters in their backsides were true, Jenas would have enough wood to construct a table. Here is an intriguing statistic The Times published in February, shortly before Fabio Capello’s first match in charge of England. Call it Jermaine and Wayne, a tale of two debutants.
Jenas and Wayne Rooney won their first caps as half-time substitutes when England lost 3-1 to Australia at Upton Park in 2003. Over the past five years Jenas has appeared in 25 England squads covering 42 games, Rooney in 24 squads and 46 matches. Starts? Jenas three, Rooney 36. Add in Jenas’s 14 appearances as a substitute and the conclusion is this: he is likely to be included in an England squad but has only a 40 per cent chance of getting on the pitch.
That is a record sending out mixed messages — consistency and talent, frustration and limitations. So far, so much faint praise. February, though — that was different. Tottenham won the Carling Cup and Jenas started for his country for the first time since May 2005, played well against Switzerland and scored his maiden England goal.
As for the latest news, the midfield player was named in the England squad to face the United States and Trinidad & Tobago but had to pull out because of an ankle injury. So while Jenas believes that he “had a good season as a whole”, it was a tricky one to assess on close inspection. “It’s hard to look at it in a negative way because of the cup final win, but I think we’ve definitely underachieved in terms of the league,” he said. “But we beat Arsenal in the semi-final, Chelsea in the final, we took that step from being a nearly team. That put a lot of confidence in us.”
As did Capello for him. “Look at the number of players who aren’t in the squad who’d love to be on the bench as many times as I have for England. After a bit it does get frustrating and you want to get that chance.
“Capello put me in and I got a goal and felt like I played well. Friendlies are frustrating. You come back to your club, you can play badly one week and next week you get another chance. With England you play one game and that could be it for a couple of months.”
Against Switzerland Jenas used his pace and energy to bridge the gap between midfield and attack. “Capello gave me freedom to go and express myself and not have to worry too much about the defensive side,” he said. “Rooney was playing up front and he [Capello] wanted me to get up and support Wayne.” Jenas produced his best for Tottenham in a similar role when Juande Ramos replaced Martin Jol as head coach. “We shored up our defence when Juande came, that gave me more licence to think, ‘I can gamble here rather than sit and defend,’ ” he said.
The 25-year-old is not fazed by rumours that few players at White Hart Lane are safe while Ramos refreshes the squad. “He’s come in, he knows what he wants, you either get on board and do it or you don’t and you go, simple as that,” Jenas said. “You can’t help but respect that kind of management. There’s always speculation, there’s going to probably be a lot more because people do know that there’s going to be a lot of changes. I’m definitely looking to fight for my place.”
He does, though, hope that the Spaniard retains the core of native talent that makes Tottenham unusual in the Premier League. “It’s something that attracted me to the club initially,” Jenas said. “When you look at teams like Tottenham and you see the spine of the team, mainly English, that’s good for English football and English supporters.”
In November last year Jenas became a father to a daughter, Sancha. “You speak to everyone who’s had children and they say how it changes your life, but you don’t understand just how much until you do yourself,” he said. “I used to come back from games on the floor if we’d lost and my girlfriend couldn’t be around me because she was, like, ‘You’re too moody.’ You can’t afford to be like that when you’ve got a baby. My life was just football, football, football. What she brought was a lot more perspective. Maybe that relaxed me. It makes you a lot more whole.”
Strange year? It was the best of his life.
Great article and I love the bit where he basically says, if you don't like the changes Ramos has brought in then clear off!
Jermaine Jenas, a footballer of ability and achievement who always seems on the brink of something bigger. Like player, like club — long before Jenas joined Tottenham Hotspur in 2005 you heard more about the North London club possessing potential than about them realising it.
Same story last season? It seems that way on the surface. A popular pick to contend for a top-four spot, Tottenham failed to break into the top ten. And Jenas looks no nearer to becoming an England regular than he did a year ago, or indeed since 2003-04, when Sven-Göran Eriksson often granted the 2003 PFA Young Player of the Year some action off the bench.
Oh yes, the bench. If the old joke about substitutes getting splinters in their backsides were true, Jenas would have enough wood to construct a table. Here is an intriguing statistic The Times published in February, shortly before Fabio Capello’s first match in charge of England. Call it Jermaine and Wayne, a tale of two debutants.
Jenas and Wayne Rooney won their first caps as half-time substitutes when England lost 3-1 to Australia at Upton Park in 2003. Over the past five years Jenas has appeared in 25 England squads covering 42 games, Rooney in 24 squads and 46 matches. Starts? Jenas three, Rooney 36. Add in Jenas’s 14 appearances as a substitute and the conclusion is this: he is likely to be included in an England squad but has only a 40 per cent chance of getting on the pitch.
That is a record sending out mixed messages — consistency and talent, frustration and limitations. So far, so much faint praise. February, though — that was different. Tottenham won the Carling Cup and Jenas started for his country for the first time since May 2005, played well against Switzerland and scored his maiden England goal.
As for the latest news, the midfield player was named in the England squad to face the United States and Trinidad & Tobago but had to pull out because of an ankle injury. So while Jenas believes that he “had a good season as a whole”, it was a tricky one to assess on close inspection. “It’s hard to look at it in a negative way because of the cup final win, but I think we’ve definitely underachieved in terms of the league,” he said. “But we beat Arsenal in the semi-final, Chelsea in the final, we took that step from being a nearly team. That put a lot of confidence in us.”
As did Capello for him. “Look at the number of players who aren’t in the squad who’d love to be on the bench as many times as I have for England. After a bit it does get frustrating and you want to get that chance.
“Capello put me in and I got a goal and felt like I played well. Friendlies are frustrating. You come back to your club, you can play badly one week and next week you get another chance. With England you play one game and that could be it for a couple of months.”
Against Switzerland Jenas used his pace and energy to bridge the gap between midfield and attack. “Capello gave me freedom to go and express myself and not have to worry too much about the defensive side,” he said. “Rooney was playing up front and he [Capello] wanted me to get up and support Wayne.” Jenas produced his best for Tottenham in a similar role when Juande Ramos replaced Martin Jol as head coach. “We shored up our defence when Juande came, that gave me more licence to think, ‘I can gamble here rather than sit and defend,’ ” he said.
The 25-year-old is not fazed by rumours that few players at White Hart Lane are safe while Ramos refreshes the squad. “He’s come in, he knows what he wants, you either get on board and do it or you don’t and you go, simple as that,” Jenas said. “You can’t help but respect that kind of management. There’s always speculation, there’s going to probably be a lot more because people do know that there’s going to be a lot of changes. I’m definitely looking to fight for my place.”
He does, though, hope that the Spaniard retains the core of native talent that makes Tottenham unusual in the Premier League. “It’s something that attracted me to the club initially,” Jenas said. “When you look at teams like Tottenham and you see the spine of the team, mainly English, that’s good for English football and English supporters.”
In November last year Jenas became a father to a daughter, Sancha. “You speak to everyone who’s had children and they say how it changes your life, but you don’t understand just how much until you do yourself,” he said. “I used to come back from games on the floor if we’d lost and my girlfriend couldn’t be around me because she was, like, ‘You’re too moody.’ You can’t afford to be like that when you’ve got a baby. My life was just football, football, football. What she brought was a lot more perspective. Maybe that relaxed me. It makes you a lot more whole.”
Strange year? It was the best of his life.
Great article and I love the bit where he basically says, if you don't like the changes Ramos has brought in then clear off!
