Tottenham sack Jol - Ramos and Poyet to take over

14 April 2012

Tottenham hope to unveil Juande Ramos as their new manager next week after finally sacking Martin Jol amid astonishing scenes at White Hart Lane last night.

Amazingly, Jol was called to a meeting with chairman Daniel Levy and his fellow directors before the UEFA Cup tie with Getafe and told that it would be his last match.

Shocking end: crestfallen boss Martin Jol last night and (inset, clockwise) Sevilla No 2 Ramon Monchi (circled), Spurs chairman Daniel Levy (left) with sporting director Damien Comolli and Braulio's winner for Getafe

Shocking end: crestfallen boss Martin Jol last night and (inset, clockwise) Sevilla No 2 Ramon Monchi (circled), Spurs chairman Daniel Levy (left) with sporting director Damien Comolli and Braulio's winner for Getafe

A club statement, released only after the 2- 1 defeat, confirmed the earlier Sportsmail story that Jol was forced to stand down in order to get the compensation package he was demanding.

Tottenham's players knew nothing of developments until Jol told them in the dressing room after the match, even though news had spread by then to supporters who chanted the popular Dutchman's name during the game.

At the same time, Levy was captured on television laughing in the directors' box at the remark of a colleague who had just whispered in his ear.

On the eve of the match Jol said he had no intention of walking away from White Hart Lane but yesterday afternoon he was informed that his employers had Ramos - with former Spurs midfielder Gus Poyet as his assistant - lined up to replace him.

Jol's future had been in serious doubt since Tottenham chiefs were caught meeting Ramos in Spain earlier this season - which former boss David Pleat described as 'a tragic day' for Spurs - but when an agreement with the Sevilla coach was not then reached, Jol was effectively given a stay of execution.

Tottenham were believed to be on the verge of making an approach for Blackburn boss Mark Hughes but the club now believe they have the Spaniard, who is expected to take charge next week, with Poyet among his assistants.

Sources at Leeds said they knew nothing of Poyet's involvement but Elland Road's Uruguayan assistant boss watched Spurs' defeat at Newcastle on Monday with United manager Dennis Wise.

Ramos' assistant at Sevilla, Ramon Rodriguez Monchi, was at White Hart Lane last night but the fact that neither he nor Ramos speak good English has persuaded them to add the Spanish-speaking Poyet to the staff as well. There were suggestions that Tottenham may have to wait until the end of the season to get Ramos but insiders believe they can bring him in immediately.

Gone: Martin Jol has left Tottenham Hotspur

Gone: Martin Jol has left Tottenham Hotspur

Clive Allen, the club's reserve team manager, will be asked to take charge for this weekend's home game with Blackburn.

While Jol has guided Tottenham to fifth in the Premier League for the last two years, a breakdown in his relationship with Levy and the chairman's colleagues on the board has led to his departure.

It began when, against Jol's wishes, Levy brought in Damien Comolli as the club's director of football and continued when the board blamed Jol for a series of key defeats. Not least the Carling Cup semi-final defeat against what was effectively Arsenal's reserve team and UEFA Cup defeat to Ramos' Sevilla side.

Certain members of the board were keen to sack him during the summer but Levy hesitated and allowed Jol to spend £40million in the transfer market - including the £16m purchase of Darren Bent.

Sadly for Jol, the new signings have not helped his cause and when Tottenham lost to newly-promoted Sunderland on the opening day of the season the pressure immediately began to mount.

When that was soon followed by a not-so-secret meeting in Spain which Levy felt sure would result in the capture of Ramos, club officials even began to brief against Jol in the belief that he would soon be gone.

Stories emerged of a bust-up with Jermain Defoe and problems with others in the dressing room.

The Ramos deal was then put on hold - partly because Levy again hesitated and partly because the death of Sevilla player Antonio Puerta made it difficult for Ramos to leave - and the chairman gave Jol his public backing, although he did make it clear he would have to secure Champions League football to survive.

Since then, however, team performances have gone from bad to worse, even if a remarkable three-goal fightback against Aston Villa suggested the players were still behind their manager. They have won just once in 10 League games this season and remain in the bottom three.

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