I went back through the SOTG archives before starting to write this and realised it took me until the 23rd of September last year to reach a similar conclusion that Jol was unable to take us that extra step to the next plateau of Champion’s League qualification / FA Cup winners. Regardless of whether I get accused of being knee jerk this season or not (I’ve been saying the same thing for over a year so I deny completely the knee jerk accusations), even the most ardent Jol lovers will have recognised the look on the big man’s face after Kamara scored to equalise for Fulham yesterday. It wasn’t just the loss of an extra two points to add to our meagre haul this season, it was resignation to the fact that even the much fabled vote of confidence from above won’t be enough to make Martin Jol see Christmas in the Spurs hotseat.

Whether you believe that’s the proper way to act or not, I don’t think the board have any other choice than to have a quiet word in Martin’s shell-like and agree a quiet resignation with the necessary payoff to keep his mouth shut and move on to the next taker for the hardest job in football. Liverpool did it with Benitez in for Houllier and won the European Cup, Chelsea did it with Mourinho in for Ranieri and won back-to-back league titles. Sometimes it’s necessary and I’m unapologetic in saying that Spurs have reached that juncture. The one problem that arises then is who comes next?
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It’s hard to believe that none of us have posted anything to State of the Game in the past six months. Maybe last season took it’s toll, maybe we’ve been flogging our logs elsewhere (and for other competing sites!) or maybe the spark for football just left us a little. The start of the new season always brings a new feeling of hope renewed however and in that frame of mind I’m going to take a pop at a large part of my fellow Tottenham fanbase.

Stop crying over the indignity of Spurs trying to remove Martin Jol behind his back. He is not the new messiah, not the new Keith Burkinshaw, definitely not the new “Sir” Bill Nicholson and, while Mr. Sugar might disagree, he’s not even as good as old “hand in the till” El Tel. The bleeding hearts on internet message boards such as my favourite, From The Lane, have been incensed by the callous attitude of their board and fellow supporters who have long cried the unimaginable truth that Jol is not fit to take us into the hallowed land of the top four (more on that later) or bring home a long awaited trophy. We’d even take the Carling Cup they cry, he won the Peace Cup you know and finished fifth twice in a row and as far as I can make out that’s the sum total of Martin Jol’s talents. He also looks like he’d give you a nice big cuddle which, I’m told, makes him indispensable as a football coach.
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The morning after the night before is often a sobering occasion. Why am I chained to a lamppost? Who is this not particularly attractive lady sleeping next to me? Why the f*ck aren’t we in the League Cup Final? That kind of thing.

For the long suffering fans of Tottenham Hotspur, last night was just another chapter in a miserable catalogue of underachievement and disappointment. 20 minutes of scintillating, breathtaking, poetic football thoroughly spoilt by 190 minutes of dogged defending, dodgy tactics and the inability to double-check a team sheet. Only Spurs.

The kneejerk reaction of a minority has already started to call for the head of Martin Jol, something that is as unlikely as it is ridiculous, but the thought that the great man himself might be scratching his head this morning over another heart wrenching derby defeat is worrying to say the least.
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Just when we all thought that the hard men of football were a dying breed never to return along comes Hossam Ghaly to re-affirm our belief that football really is a man’s game. The Spurs midfield dynamo lost four teeth and required stitches to his top lip after being caught on the wrong end of a horrific high footed tackle from Noe Pamarot in Tottenham’s clash with Portsmouth yesterday. The clash occurred in the first minute of open play and with a mouthful of blood and minus some teeth Ghaly trudged off the field of play to be looked over by the medical staff.

After a quick medical check up and with some stitches Ghaly incredibly rejoined the game proving that some modern day footballers can take a hit and remain standing. The tackle from Pamarot was a dangerous one and Martin Jol remarked after the game “He’s from Egypt and he’s a tough lad but I’ve seen the challenge again and it was cynical. His foot was head high”.

However Pompey manager Harry Rednapp disagreed whole heartily with Jol’s assessment of the tackle claiming, “Pamarot hasn’t got a cynical bone in his body. He’s the most laid back player I’ve ever met. I wish he was more aggressive at times. It was just a collision, a pure accident. It’s sad that the poor lad has lost a few teeth but what can you do?”

Harry in my book a collision is where two players bump heads or clash in a fifty fifty challenge not where one player leads with his foot at head level with sometimes disastrous results. However arguing over intent aside I think that Ghaly deserves to be commended for the manner in which he handled the situation. There were no calls for a red card and the youngster came back on the pitch in an attempt to finish the game despite the agony he must have been in. Yesterday was a good day for football when a young player’s attitude was to play on instead of lie down and make a meal of it. The English Premiership needs more of this attitude. Take heed Chelsea!

If you missed him the first time, here?s a second chance to meet Steve Perryman and get your signed copy of this season?s must-have book The Spurs Miscellany!

Following on from a hugely successful signing session in the City of London (outstripping Frank Lampard Jnr?s appearance for his biography at the same venue), White Hart Lane legend Steve Perryman will again be signing copies of the bestselling book, The Spurs Miscellany, the ideal Christmas gift for all Tottenham fans

Venue: Waterstones bookshop, 69 High Street, Brentwood, Essex, CM14 4RW
Time: 4.30pm ? 5.30pm
Date: Friday December 15th

Can?t make the signing? Phone ahead to reserve your copy - tel: 01277263202

Later that evening, Steve will be appearing alongside former Spurs teammate and record goalscorer Jimmy Greaves in ?An evening with England’s greatest goal scorer. Jimmy Greaves?. Compered by Terry Baker, the event is at The Brentwood Centre, tel: 01277 201 372

There are numerous reasons why players can get a red card overturned but it seems lately the main vehicle being used is the press. Over the big English papers this morning was George Boateng on his soap box trying to convince anybody that would listen that he didn’t deserve his red card at White Hart Lane on Tuesday. The Middlesborough captain is amazed that he was sent off and has argued “I didn’t hit anybody, I didn’t take a swing for anyone, I was just protecting myself”.

Now I’m interested in everyone’s take on this incident because as a Spurs fan my impartiality is questionable. However, in my view Boateng reacted badly to Aaron Lennon who is younger, shorter, less well built and probably easier to intimidate than the likes of Zokora or King. The Spurs players reacted as a team and although Zokora was sent off I am happy that the incident happened. Not happy that the brawl started but happy that the Spurs players backed one another and came to each others aid, this team ethic was what we were sorely missing last Saturday at Arsenal.

Boateng the intial aggressor now wants to appeal against his red card claiming it was not deserved and accusing Spurs players of steaming in. Its funny that the player whose reaction sparked the ensuing incident is now claiming innocence. George please dry your eyes, you reacted to a smaller player because you could and when the bigger boys came to his defence you bottled it. The FA has now charged both clubs for failure to control their players and I’m wondering whether Middlesborough will contest this decision.

Boateng’s case is to be heard today and I just hope that the fact media have highlighted the incident and George’s incessive moaning does not take away from the fact that a player deserves to be punished for inciting behaviour.

I think I’ve calmed down sufficiently from my Tourette’s-esque attack in the pub on Saturday lunchtime to objectively view what went wrong and see where (if anywhere) this Spurs squad can go now. Apologies to those who will shout out the usual kneejerk put downs and “but we’re successful, we finished fifth last year” platitudes. For my response to those go see the From The Lane messageboard, I’m sure I’ve had my say as has everyone else in that regard.

I’ll get Graham Poll out of the way first. Shockingly (well, it should be shocking) inept performance from England’s supposed top referee yet again. I laughed when the Chelsea fans went mad a few weeks ago after he “helped” Spurs turn them over at the Lane but the smile was wiped right off my face three times on Saturday. Admittedly the assistant referee is mainly to blame for the first goal when he failed to see Chimbonda step out just in time to catch Adebayor offside but that’s the chance you take with a tight offside system and we were caught out.
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Lee on the ball, right hand edge of the Arsenal area, he beats his man and cross to the near post. Lehman goes to collect, spills, Berbatov?? GGOOOAAALLLL!

That?s how it should have went instead, about an hour into the game and Spurs 2-0 down it went like this

Lee on the ball, right hand edge of the Arsenal area, he beats his man and cross to the near post. Lehman goes to collect, spills and comfortably collects because Berbatov cannot be bothered to even chase in the cross.
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We’ve been tipped off by our friends Adam Powley and Martin Cloake that Tottenham Hotspur legend Steve Perryman will be signing copies of their latest book “The Spurs Miscellany” this Thursday (30th November 2006). Full details below:

Spurs legend Steve Perryman will be signing copies of The Spurs Miscellany
at Waterstones Leadenhall Market, 1 Whittington Avenue, Leadenhall Market, London EC3V 1PJ on Thursday 30th November at 12:30pm.

If you can’t make it but would like to reserve a copy please contact Waterstones on 020 7220 7882

If you can get yourselves down there then do go as it’s a great book with the added Spurs bonus of a real living Spurs legend scribbling his name on it for you, what more could any Spurs fan want this Christmas?

Whoever said this European football lark was difficult was talking a load of old cobblers. Five games into Tottenham’s 2006 European Tour and with five straight wins we’ve finally found the natural home for our style of play.

Unfortunately our natural home seems to be on the continent rather than the bread and butter of the Premiership but if we keep up the fantastic form we’ve displayed in Europe, both home and away, then there aren’t many of the sides who will join us in the last 32 that we should worry about.
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