The dark shadow of the D.O.F. (Jol wanted Elano and was ignored).

[johnnypd]

N'Zogbia was scouted by charlie woods i think, who was tipped off about him by a french contact. milne and woods took time to build up those sorts of contacts and when we got rid of robson we got rid of the entire structure they established and had to start all over again. we've gone about picking up youngsters like Krul, N'Zogbia, Troisi using a scattergun approach, using our few, and in some cases, only scout to bring players in. whereas spurs and chelsea have dozens of scouts and a well established network hoovering up young talent, and when new managers come and go as they do, this structure stays in place. there's not always conflict with the first-team manager as these young players go into the academy so it's not neccessarily under the manager's remit and anyway, it gives him more time to concenrate on the first-team. bit different at arsenal as the system is tied so strongly to Wenger, but he has said he wants a DofF to replace Dein who was essentially fulfilling that role, probably to continue his legacy after he leaves so that his influence is still present at the of the club.

[Baggio]

N'Zogbia was scouted by charlie woods i think, who was tipped off about him by a french contact. milne and woods took time to build up those sorts of contacts and when we got rid of robson we got rid of the entire structure they established and had to start all over again. we've gone about picking up youngsters like Krul, N'Zogbia, Troisi using a scattergun approach, using our few, and in some cases, only scout to bring players in. whereas spurs and chelsea have dozens of scouts and a well established network hoovering up young talent, and when new managers come and go as they do, this structure stays in place. there's not always conflict with the first-team manager as these young players go into the academy so it's not neccessarily under the manager's remit and anyway, it gives him more time to concenrate on the first-team. bit different at arsenal as the system is tied so strongly to Wenger, but he has said he wants a DofF to replace Dein who was essentially fulfilling that role, probably to continue his legacy after he leaves so that his influence is still present at the of the club.

 

I know the club sent Woods out to watch him but I remember reading somewhere that it was a lawyer who sent Milne a tape about him, that was the reason Le Havre (sp?) kicked off and accused us of not using an agent, not sure how Souness spotted Krul but credit to him for that, Troisi came over with a group of Aussie lads and they went around a few different clubs for trials, Edgar came here because of his dad, Danquah wrote a letter to the club.

 

The current academy is a joke at the moment and it'll be interesting to see what Allardyce does with it, if anything.

 

 

 

[Parky]

Telegraph:

 

"Here's more bad news for a Tottenham board again squirming with embarrassment — surely they appreciate the indignity of a manager's dismissal spreading through the crowd at a match he is supposed to be supervising — and it concerns the director-of-football system they keep trying to operate. The Spanish are going off the idea. Or so Rafa Benitez, the only Spanish manager in the Premier League pending Juande Ramos's arrival at White Hart Lane, was saying on Friday. ''Some people in Spain are starting to think we might be better off with the English idea of the manager being in charge of everything," mused Benitez. He was not being mischievous — although Liverpool's manager must have enjoyed the respite from questions about his own future that, in truth, appear a little ludicrous just five months after he steered the club to a second Champions League final in three seasons."

 

He came to Liverpool because he had no control in the buying at his former club.

 

 

 

I'm not blindly opposed to a DOF just not really sure that the role isn't just an admin thing with bells.

 

Vision for the club should imo be primarily the managers responsability.

 

I wish people would stop going on about Dein. It just looks silly. Dein had no say in players and was mainly upper management and coporate entertainment. It is true he was Wengers man in the boardroom but that isn't really a DOF thing.

[midds]

Dein has always struck me as being a businessman trying to be a football guy rather than the other way around.

 

From the outside looking in, it's always appeared to have been Wenger running the football side of things from top to bottom.

 

 

[Baggio]

Telegraph:

 

"Here's more bad news for a Tottenham board again squirming with embarrassment — surely they appreciate the indignity of a manager's dismissal spreading through the crowd at a match he is supposed to be supervising — and it concerns the director-of-football system they keep trying to operate. The Spanish are going off the idea. Or so Rafa Benitez, the only Spanish manager in the Premier League pending Juande Ramos's arrival at White Hart Lane, was saying on Friday. ''Some people in Spain are starting to think we might be better off with the English idea of the manager being in charge of everything," mused Benitez. He was not being mischievous — although Liverpool's manager must have enjoyed the respite from questions about his own future that, in truth, appear a little ludicrous just five months after he steered the club to a second Champions League final in three seasons."

 

He came to Liverpool because he had no control in the buying at his former club.

 

 

 

I'm not blindly opposed to a DOF just not really sure that the role isn't just an admin thing with bells.

 

Vision for the club should imo be primarily the managers responsability.

 

I wish people would stop going on about Dein. It just looks silly. Dein had no say in players and was mainly upper management and coporate entertainment. It is true he was Wengers man in the boardroom but that isn't really a DOF thing.

 

Yet you read about what Ramos has said about how he worked with the DOF at Sevilla and things were decided between them.

 

JR:  There's a clear consensus. I tell Monchi the player or type of player I want: fast, tall, left-footed, right- footed, good in the air…and, based on his work and expertise, he says to me: “Look, we have this guy, or this guy.” Between us, we identify the player, or players, who can fit that. But it's not always like that. For example, Freddie Kanoute was a player no one here really knew and I recommended him because I had seen him for Tottenham and West Ham.

 

The job description isn't set in stone and as a club you would hope we would adapt the role to how it would work best for us, which isn't someone else buying the players and the manager having no say in it whatsoever, it would be about getting someone in to take care of all of the things the manager doesn't have time to do such as all of the things mentioned in this thread previously.

 

For me a manager should be in charge of the first team and all of his efforts put into that role, people talk about the role Dein done at Arsenal because Wenger has spoken of the work he did and how he hasn't got time to do it all, when a manager who has a club running as well as Arsenal hasn't got time to do everything it makes you wonder how a manager coming to a club like Newcastle will have time to not only run everything but build it all up from the ground in the first place, which is what has happened with every manager walking into the club for as far back as I can remember.

[NE5]

N'Zogbia was scouted by charlie woods i think, who was tipped off about him by a french contact. milne and woods took time to build up those sorts of contacts and when we got rid of robson we got rid of the entire structure they established and had to start all over again. we've gone about picking up youngsters like Krul, N'Zogbia, Troisi using a scattergun approach, using our few, and in some cases, only scout to bring players in. whereas spurs and chelsea have dozens of scouts and a well established network hoovering up young talent, and when new managers come and go as they do, this structure stays in place. there's not always conflict with the first-team manager as these young players go into the academy so it's not neccessarily under the manager's remit and anyway, it gives him more time to concenrate on the first-team. bit different at arsenal as the system is tied so strongly to Wenger, but he has said he wants a DofF to replace Dein who was essentially fulfilling that role, probably to continue his legacy after he leaves so that his influence is still present at the of the club.

 

I don't know about "wants" but essentially that is correct, I have saw something along the lines of him saying that he would not object to having a DOF so long as he does what he tells him.

 

Which is a bit different to the notion that it is the system which will bring you success. Basically, I will never agree with this. For starters, if everyone runs the same system, it comes down to people.

 

We know it takes a lot of people to run a football club, and we know that good scouting networks can pay dividends, but you don't need a "DOF" to do this, and ultimately, IMO the manager must approve and be happy with all these people who are working for his ideal.

 

I've quoted this before, but the notion that football people will appoint better managers is bollocks.

 

Keegan appointed Ray Wilkins at Fulham. How many people in the game think Ray Wilkins would have been a good manager ? Loads. Likewise Bryan Robson, one of them was Bobby Robson. Its bollocks really. The director who knows very little about football can get lucky just like the ex pro, who appointed or chose Keegan at Newcastle ? A DOF / ex player ????

 

It's about the people, not the system.

[Baggio]

N'Zogbia was scouted by charlie woods i think, who was tipped off about him by a french contact. milne and woods took time to build up those sorts of contacts and when we got rid of robson we got rid of the entire structure they established and had to start all over again. we've gone about picking up youngsters like Krul, N'Zogbia, Troisi using a scattergun approach, using our few, and in some cases, only scout to bring players in. whereas spurs and chelsea have dozens of scouts and a well established network hoovering up young talent, and when new managers come and go as they do, this structure stays in place. there's not always conflict with the first-team manager as these young players go into the academy so it's not neccessarily under the manager's remit and anyway, it gives him more time to concenrate on the first-team. bit different at arsenal as the system is tied so strongly to Wenger, but he has said he wants a DofF to replace Dein who was essentially fulfilling that role, probably to continue his legacy after he leaves so that his influence is still present at the of the club.

 

I don't know about "wants" but essentially that is correct, I have saw something along the lines of him saying that he would not object to having a DOF so long as he does what he tells him.

 

Which is a bit different to the notion that it is the system which will bring you success. Basically, I will never agree with this. For starters, if everyone runs the same system, it comes down to people.

 

We know it takes a lot of people to run a football club, and we know that good scouting networks can pay dividends, but you don't need a "DOF" to do this, and ultimately, IMO the manager must approve and be happy with all these people who are working for his ideal.

 

I've quoted this before, but the notion that football people will appoint better managers is bollocks.

 

Keegan appointed Ray Wilkins at Fulham. How many people in the game think Ray Wilkins would have been a good manager ? Loads. Likewise Bryan Robson, one of them was Bobby Robson. Its bollocks really. The director who knows very little about football can get lucky just like the ex pro, who appointed or chose Keegan at Newcastle ? A DOF / ex player ????

 

It's about the people, not the system.

 

It's probably the reason the club was close to folding if we're hoping to get lucky rather than setting out a long term goal on how the club should be ran, nobody has said football people will appoint better managers but you expect someone with half a fucking brain not to appoint either Souness or Roeder.

 

Keegan appointed Wilkins because it was his mate and I wouldn't trust either of them with planning a long term future of any club, one of them has found his level on the tv and the other was short sighted and only thought about now, how could anyone expect Keegan to plan a long term future of a club when his previous experience was to scrap a reserve team which sent one of the most promising local lads in Carrick to up sticks and move to London? Where exacly is the long term thinking there?

 

Do people really expect Allardyce to build this club a top class youth academy and scouting network that rivals the likes of Man Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Spurs?

 

Not a fucking hope in hell and I'll remind you all of that when we're looking to rebuild from top to bottom yet again when he gets the boot in a year or two.

[NE5]

as brief a summing up as I can think of

 

http://www.newcastle-online.com/nufcforum/index.php?topic=46402.msg1058077#msg1058077

 

WTF is "Faggio"  - what have you changed your name for ?

 

This club will never be closer to folding than it was in 1991/92, until the Halls and Shepherd saved it. Fact.

 

Why do people like you make out that Newcastle United are the only club with debts ? I find it very amusing that so many people are so naive of the real world they appear to think this is so

 

The simple fact is, if you run a close tight ship and aren't prepared to speculate, you will NEVER match the other big clubs, and especially the current top 4. So, anyone who thinks that we will do this without adopting the same approach, forget it. It isn't going to happen.

 

 

[johnnypd]

N'Zogbia was scouted by charlie woods i think, who was tipped off about him by a french contact. milne and woods took time to build up those sorts of contacts and when we got rid of robson we got rid of the entire structure they established and had to start all over again. we've gone about picking up youngsters like Krul, N'Zogbia, Troisi using a scattergun approach, using our few, and in some cases, only scout to bring players in. whereas spurs and chelsea have dozens of scouts and a well established network hoovering up young talent, and when new managers come and go as they do, this structure stays in place. there's not always conflict with the first-team manager as these youn players go into the academy so it's not neccessarily under the manager's remit and anyway, it gives him more time to concenrate on the first-team. bit different at arsenal as the system is tied so strongly to Wenger, but he has said he wants a DofF to replace Dein who was essentially fulfilling that role, probably to continue his legacy after he leaves so that his influence is still present at the of the club.

 

I don't know about "wants" but essentially that is correct, I have saw something along the lines of him saying that he would not object to having a DOF so long as he does what he tells him.

 

Which is a bit different to the notion that it is the system which will bring you success. Basically, I will never agree with this. For starters, if everyone runs the same system, it comes down to people.

 

We know it takes a lot of people to run a football club, and we know that good scouting networks can pay dividends, but you don't need a "DOF" to do this, and ultimately, IMO the manager must approve and be happy with all these people who are working for his ideal.

 

I've quoted this before, but the notion that football people will appoint better managers is bollocks.

 

Keegan appointed Ray Wilkins at Fulham. How many people in the game think Ray Wilkins would have been a good manager ? Loads. Likewise Bryan Robson, one of them was Bobby Robson. Its bollocks really. The director who knows very little about football can get lucky just like the ex pro, who appointed or chose Keegan at Newcastle ? A DOF / ex player ????

 

It's about the people, not the system.

 

Keegan appointed his mate, jobs for the boys goes back a long way in football and if anything a director of football would be something that would ideally remove this element from the system. they're rated on how well their appointments do whereas a chairman or owner stay in the job for reasons that have nothing to do with football, so can stay in charge for decades even if they rarely appoint a good boss. obviously a good, objective chairman can do this too as they're less likely to have established bonds with other football people, but on the other hand they know less about football and the intricacies of what a club looks for in a manager, so are more naturally inclined to appoint someone who superficially impresses - a bold character like Souness for example, who on deeper investigation would be an obviously awful choice. and Keegan wasn't a DofF whose job is to place a behind the scenes structure at the club and assess every aspect of a club from top to bottom, but a mr motivator who was only concerned with the first-team, so not really qualified for the job of finding a new boss.

 

as for bryan robson, bobby robson thought he would fail as manager when he went to middlesborough. sbr wrote in his sunday mail column when robson went to west brom, that back when he got the boro job, he talked to him and was shocked at what robson said and thought he wasn't cut out for being a manager, he asked him what training methods he was going to use and bryan robson replied ' i dont need to use training methods, the chairman's chequebook will do the job, i can go out and buy the finished product". sure people who are in football can make mistakes when appointing a manager, as spurs did when they appointed Santini, but likewise old-school chairman can and do make the same mistakes, only more regularly.

[Parky]

Martin Jol hits back at Damien Comolli

 

By Richard Morgan

Last Updated: 8:37am GMT 02/11/2007

 

Recently-departed Tottenham Hotspur coach Martin Jol has spoken for the first time since his abrupt departure from White Hart Lane last Thursday and to no one's great surprise the Dutchman has laid the blame for his exit squarely at the door of the club's sporting director Damien Comolli.

 

Jol says that during the close season he informed Comolli of his wish to recruit an experienced midfield player, as well as a left winger, to help the north London club break into the top four this campaign and he put forward the names of Brazilian Elano and Bulgaria international Martin Petrov, both of who were subsequently picked up by Manchester City's new manager Sven-Goran Eriksson.

 

And, to add insult to injury, the pair have since gone on to play key roles in City's unexpected rise to third place in the Premier League.

 

Meanwhile instead, Comolli oversaw the transfers to Spurs of striker Darren Bent, centre-back Younes Kaboul and midfield players Kevin Boateng and Adel Taarabt for a combined cost of £30 million, moves which Jol himself strongly disagreed with.

 

"I felt the squad would be unbalanced with these signings and it proved to be the case," he says.

 

"The funny thing is the new manager will probably come to the same conclusions and the club will go out in January and buy the two players I felt we needed.

 

"When Frank Arnesen was director of football we spoke together about the players to bring to the club. But I did not have the same relationship with the next man.

 

"I think the club wanted to invest in younger players because they wanted to make money on them in the future.

 

"The decisions were not being made for footballing reasons," before Jol adds omniously that: "I knew that in the summer and I realised my position was becoming very difficult."

 

Meanwhile, the position of Tottenham's England international goalkeeper Paul Robinson could come under threat in Januray if Comolli follows up his reported interest in Udinese No 1 Samir Handanovic.

 

Despite claiming that he is unconcerned about his future at the Lane, it is thought that new Spurs head coach Juande Ramos has some serious misgivings about Robinson, with Slovenian Handanovic as well as Schalke's Manuel Neuer both possible January transfer targets should Robinson's form get any worse over the coming months.

 

However, Robinson himself remains defiant: "I am confident I will be the No 1 choice," said the goalkeeper.

 

"We have been working defensively, shoring up at the back. But the work is far from done."

[Thespence]

Avram Grant is another of this type. A manager with paper thin CV has imo cajoled and schemed his way into Chelsea

 

Did he?

[Dave]

Easy for Jol to say now.

[Parky]

Easy for Jol to say now.

 

Thank god they didn't get Elano and Petrov.

[Dave]

Elano and Petrov would have broken up play in midfield, forced the woeful Dawson out of the line-up, and made the keeper diet whilst not fucking up every week? Man, you really do learn something new every day.

[Parky]

Elano and Petrov would have broken up play in midfield, forced the woeful Dawson out of the line-up, and made the keeper diet whilst not fucking up every week? Man, you really do learn something new every day.

 

Are you being sarcastic? Not like you Dave. 

[Guest alex]

Allaradyce wanted Elano but we don't have a DoF.

[Parky]

Allaradyce wanted Elano but we don't have a DoF.

 

 

Dof would have said no. mackems.gif

[Guest alex]

Allaradyce wanted Elano but we don't have a DoF.

 

 

Dof would have said no. mackems.gif

Maybe, maybe not.

[Parky]

Allaradyce wanted Elano but we don't have a DoF.

 

 

Dof would have said no. mackems.gif

Maybe, maybe not.

 

 

Well Jol was ignored. But apparently the system is brilliant.

[Martin Lol]

Martin Jol hits back at Damien Comolli

 

By Richard Morgan

Last Updated: 8:37am GMT 02/11/2007

 

Recently-departed Tottenham Hotspur coach Martin Jol has spoken for the first time since his abrupt departure from White Hart Lane last Thursday and to no one's great surprise the Dutchman has laid the blame for his exit squarely at the door of the club's sporting director Damien Comolli.

 

Jol says that during the close season he informed Comolli of his wish to recruit an experienced midfield player, as well as a left winger, to help the north London club break into the top four this campaign and he put forward the names of Brazilian Elano and Bulgaria international Martin Petrov, both of who were subsequently picked up by Manchester City's new manager Sven-Goran Eriksson.

 

And, to add insult to injury, the pair have since gone on to play key roles in City's unexpected rise to third place in the Premier League.

 

Meanwhile instead, Comolli oversaw the transfers to Spurs of striker Darren Bent, centre-back Younes Kaboul and midfield players Kevin Boateng and Adel Taarabt for a combined cost of £30 million, moves which Jol himself strongly disagreed with.

 

"I felt the squad would be unbalanced with these signings and it proved to be the case," he says.

 

"The funny thing is the new manager will probably come to the same conclusions and the club will go out in January and buy the two players I felt we needed.

 

"When Frank Arnesen was director of football we spoke together about the players to bring to the club. But I did not have the same relationship with the next man.

 

"I think the club wanted to invest in younger players because they wanted to make money on them in the future.

 

"The decisions were not being made for footballing reasons," before Jol adds omniously that: "I knew that in the summer and I realised my position was becoming very difficult."

 

Meanwhile, the position of Tottenham's England international goalkeeper Paul Robinson could come under threat in Januray if Comolli follows up his reported interest in Udinese No 1 Samir Handanovic.

 

Despite claiming that he is unconcerned about his future at the Lane, it is thought that new Spurs head coach Juande Ramos has some serious misgivings about Robinson, with Slovenian Handanovic as well as Schalke's Manuel Neuer both possible January transfer targets should Robinson's form get any worse over the coming months.

 

However, Robinson himself remains defiant: "I am confident I will be the No 1 choice," said the goalkeeper.

 

"We have been working defensively, shoring up at the back. But the work is far from done."

 

Jol rewriting history tbh.

 

When it was uncertain that Berbatov would be staying or going (and it still is), there was a need for another able striker, both Jol and Comolli were agreed on Bent and Comolli agreed a deal at £8m rising to £10m .  When West Ham's involvement jacked up the price, Comolli preferred an Italian whose name escapes me, he was late 20's costing £7m or so.  Jol preferred Bent as he was proven in the Premiership and Levy agreed as he fitted in with the strategy of buying young and English with a trade on value and that in the end that was the way it was agreed to go forward.

 

Petrov had been on and off for about a year, left winger and quick, true, but had a cruciate and there were question marks about his pace being maintained.  Comolli had reservations, Jol had no great desire that Petrov was the one so it all fizzled out.  Elano was never on the radar as far as I'm aware.

 

As for Robinson, Jol always maintained he was one of the team's untouchables and will always play if fit irrespective of his form.  I'm not saying anything new, I said it all here before in previous threads.

[Parky]

Martin Jol hits back at Damien Comolli

 

By Richard Morgan

Last Updated: 8:37am GMT 02/11/2007

 

Recently-departed Tottenham Hotspur coach Martin Jol has spoken for the first time since his abrupt departure from White Hart Lane last Thursday and to no one's great surprise the Dutchman has laid the blame for his exit squarely at the door of the club's sporting director Damien Comolli.

 

Jol says that during the close season he informed Comolli of his wish to recruit an experienced midfield player, as well as a left winger, to help the north London club break into the top four this campaign and he put forward the names of Brazilian Elano and Bulgaria international Martin Petrov, both of who were subsequently picked up by Manchester City's new manager Sven-Goran Eriksson.

 

And, to add insult to injury, the pair have since gone on to play key roles in City's unexpected rise to third place in the Premier League.

 

Meanwhile instead, Comolli oversaw the transfers to Spurs of striker Darren Bent, centre-back Younes Kaboul and midfield players Kevin Boateng and Adel Taarabt for a combined cost of £30 million, moves which Jol himself strongly disagreed with.

 

"I felt the squad would be unbalanced with these signings and it proved to be the case," he says.

 

"The funny thing is the new manager will probably come to the same conclusions and the club will go out in January and buy the two players I felt we needed.

 

"When Frank Arnesen was director of football we spoke together about the players to bring to the club. But I did not have the same relationship with the next man.

 

"I think the club wanted to invest in younger players because they wanted to make money on them in the future.

 

"The decisions were not being made for footballing reasons," before Jol adds omniously that: "I knew that in the summer and I realised my position was becoming very difficult."

 

Meanwhile, the position of Tottenham's England international goalkeeper Paul Robinson could come under threat in Januray if Comolli follows up his reported interest in Udinese No 1 Samir Handanovic.

 

Despite claiming that he is unconcerned about his future at the Lane, it is thought that new Spurs head coach Juande Ramos has some serious misgivings about Robinson, with Slovenian Handanovic as well as Schalke's Manuel Neuer both possible January transfer targets should Robinson's form get any worse over the coming months.

 

However, Robinson himself remains defiant: "I am confident I will be the No 1 choice," said the goalkeeper.

 

"We have been working defensively, shoring up at the back. But the work is far from done."

 

Jol rewriting history tbh.

 

When it was uncertain that Berbatov would be staying or going (and it still is), there was a need for another able striker, both Jol and Comolli were agreed on Bent and Comolli agreed a deal at £8m rising to £10m .  When West Ham's involvement jacked up the price, Comolli preferred an Italian whose name escapes me, he was late 20's costing £7m or so.  Jol preferred Bent as he was proven in the Premiership and Levy agreed as he fitted in with the strategy of buying young and English with a trade on value and that in the end that was the way it was agreed to go forward.

 

Petrov had been on and off for about a year, left winger and quick, true, but had a cruciate and there were question marks about his pace being maintained.  Comolli had reservations, Jol had no great desire that Petrov was the one so it all fizzled out.  Elano was never on the radar as far as I'm aware.

 

As for Robinson, Jol always maintained he was one of the team's untouchables and will always play if fit irrespective of his form.  I'm not saying anything new, I said it all here before in previous threads.

 

No offence but I prefer to believe the ex-Spurs manager than his namesake.

[Guest alex]

Allaradyce wanted Elano but we don't have a DoF.

 

 

Dof would have said no. mackems.gif

Maybe, maybe not.

 

 

Well Jol was ignored. But apparently the system is brilliant.

Not a fan of the system but your logic doesn't add up.

[Parky]

Allaradyce wanted Elano but we don't have a DoF.

 

 

Dof would have said no. mackems.gif

Maybe, maybe not.

 

 

Well Jol was ignored. But apparently the system is brilliant.

Not a fan of the system but your logic doesn't add up.

 

 

Since when have you known me to bother with logic?

[Guest alex]

True enough.

[Martin Lol]

Martin Jol hits back at Damien Comolli

 

By Richard Morgan

Last Updated: 8:37am GMT 02/11/2007

 

Recently-departed Tottenham Hotspur coach Martin Jol has spoken for the first time since his abrupt departure from White Hart Lane last Thursday and to no one's great surprise the Dutchman has laid the blame for his exit squarely at the door of the club's sporting director Damien Comolli.

 

Jol says that during the close season he informed Comolli of his wish to recruit an experienced midfield player, as well as a left winger, to help the north London club break into the top four this campaign and he put forward the names of Brazilian Elano and Bulgaria international Martin Petrov, both of who were subsequently picked up by Manchester City's new manager Sven-Goran Eriksson.

 

And, to add insult to injury, the pair have since gone on to play key roles in City's unexpected rise to third place in the Premier League.

 

Meanwhile instead, Comolli oversaw the transfers to Spurs of striker Darren Bent, centre-back Younes Kaboul and midfield players Kevin Boateng and Adel Taarabt for a combined cost of £30 million, moves which Jol himself strongly disagreed with.

 

"I felt the squad would be unbalanced with these signings and it proved to be the case," he says.

 

"The funny thing is the new manager will probably come to the same conclusions and the club will go out in January and buy the two players I felt we needed.

 

"When Frank Arnesen was director of football we spoke together about the players to bring to the club. But I did not have the same relationship with the next man.

 

"I think the club wanted to invest in younger players because they wanted to make money on them in the future.

 

"The decisions were not being made for footballing reasons," before Jol adds omniously that: "I knew that in the summer and I realised my position was becoming very difficult."

 

Meanwhile, the position of Tottenham's England international goalkeeper Paul Robinson could come under threat in Januray if Comolli follows up his reported interest in Udinese No 1 Samir Handanovic.

 

Despite claiming that he is unconcerned about his future at the Lane, it is thought that new Spurs head coach Juande Ramos has some serious misgivings about Robinson, with Slovenian Handanovic as well as Schalke's Manuel Neuer both possible January transfer targets should Robinson's form get any worse over the coming months.

 

However, Robinson himself remains defiant: "I am confident I will be the No 1 choice," said the goalkeeper.

 

"We have been working defensively, shoring up at the back. But the work is far from done."

 

Jol rewriting history tbh.

 

When it was uncertain that Berbatov would be staying or going (and it still is), there was a need for another able striker, both Jol and Comolli were agreed on Bent and Comolli agreed a deal at £8m rising to £10m .  When West Ham's involvement jacked up the price, Comolli preferred an Italian whose name escapes me, he was late 20's costing £7m or so.  Jol preferred Bent as he was proven in the Premiership and Levy agreed as he fitted in with the strategy of buying young and English with a trade on value and that in the end that was the way it was agreed to go forward.

 

Petrov had been on and off for about a year, left winger and quick, true, but had a cruciate and there were question marks about his pace being maintained.  Comolli had reservations, Jol had no great desire that Petrov was the one so it all fizzled out.  Elano was never on the radar as far as I'm aware.

 

As for Robinson, Jol always maintained he was one of the team's untouchables and will always play if fit irrespective of his form.  I'm not saying anything new, I said it all here before in previous threads.

 

No offence but I prefer to believe the ex-Spurs manager than his namesake.

 

If you care to research it a bit, you'll see that the ex manager said on numerous occasionsin press conferences that Darren Bent was his number 1 transfer target etc.