'Derby d-day for Jol'

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Jol on borrowed time, says ex-skipper Roberts

Former Tottenham skipper Graham Roberts believes Martin Jol will be sacked if he fails to win next month's derby with Arsenal.



The White Hart Lane club have said the Dutchman is going nowhere despite speculation that he is to be replaced by Sevilla coach Juande Ramos.


The La Liga outfit insist Ramos will see out his contract, but Roberts still believes that failing to beat Manchester United this Sunday and crucially, their north London rivals on September 15, could spell the end of Jol's reign.


"It's been terrible," he told Sky Sports News.


"It wasn't a good start, I think Martin has owned up to that, and two games into the season he's under pressure - and reading the papers this morning I don't think he's out of it.


"The Man United and Arsenal games are coming up and if Martin doesn't do well and the boys don't do well, he could be on his way, which is an absolute disgrace."


Roberts, who lifted the Uefa Cup and played 276 times for Spurs, backed up his claims by confirming that Spurs had met with Ramos before Saturday's 4-0 win over Derby.


And although he says Jol has been "fantastic" for the club, he does believe if it comes to it, the highl-yrated Spaniard would be the ideal replacement.

"I was told last Thursday morning from an insider, that they wanted Ramos and if Ramos had said yes, then Martin would've been gone by the weekend, whatever happened," he said.

I don't think they will give up on Ramos, it's whether they can afford him and make him an offer he can't refuse. I don't think they will give up.


"Let's get this right, Tottenham are a very, very big club and a wealthy club.

"Their supporters are second to none and they want Champions League football and I would think that if they can get Ramos, with his experience of winning the Uefa Cup, it would be a great forward move."


Roberts thinks that the main problem Jol faces is his relationship with director of football Damien Comolli.


Comolli is believed to be the man behind the summer purchase of Darren Bent for £17.5million, which their former skipper says was unnecessary.


Roberts would have preferred to see Spurs strengthen in other areas and is concerned that whoever made those decisions, ultimately it will be the manager that suffers if things don't improve.


"I wish they'd have bought two centre-backs, because we're missing Ledley King and Michael Dawson at the moment," he said.


"We're also missing a left midfielder and two more central midfielders I think, so to go and spend £17.5million on a striker when we were scoring plenty of goals last season, is an absolute joke.


Plaudits

"I was speaking to Steve Perryman, who is director of football at Exeter, and he said when everything is going well, the director of football and the chairman take all the plaudits along with the manager.


"But when things go wrong, they pass the buck and say it's the manager's fault because he picks the team.


"I would say Martin Jol and Damien Comolli don't get on as well as people would think. Martin has to watch his back at the moment and it's down to the players now to get him out of this hole he's in.


"The boys need to perform for Martin, he needs to get the balance of the team right and at the end of it all, Martin will live and die by those decisions.


"If Martin doesn't beat Man United or Arsenal, I can see him being pushed out of the club."