Interesting article on Jol in today's Sunday Times

[NorthernWhite]

I hope he does sign an extension, with the right signings, I really do think we could get in the top 6. I'm not sure about his feelings about the fans, most I know are totally behind him but you'll always get negative views whatever you do.


When he first arrived in the capital, to coach Spurs, Chigwell was home. "And I thought Chigwell was Hollywood," he grins. "Of course it isn't, but it's like the song: London is the place to be." Now, with Marit, his daughter, and Nicole, his wife, Martin Jol rents a farmhouse near Esher on Henry VIII's former hunting estate. There are deer in the woods and idyllic views. "It's the best area. People are nice, it's almost the city but still green.

"Sometimes I go to Richmond — Keith Richards and all those people living on the Thames. It's unbelievable. If you're here for five years you can ask for an English passport and I think about doing that," Jol jokes. "That's how I feel."

He enthuses equally about Fulham. "The academy's fantastic, champions of England. The chairman, he's the best. He said one thing to me, 'Here are the keys.' Actually Alistair [Mackintosh, Fulham's chief executive] has the keys but that's okay because he's very clever at his job."

So, love is all around. Well, not quite. There's something nagging at Jol, a feeling that, 16 months since arriving, despite being Fulham's most successful modern manager (statistically), despite blooding youngsters, overseeing vibrant football, revamping an ageing squad at a net transfer profit of £10m, he's not accepted in every corner of Craven Cottage.

"I get on with the people here. The only thing is this is an old-school place. Sometimes I still don't feel all the supporters are behind me. It's my weakness. I get too involved. It gnaws at me if some aren't proud of me or take me here." He pats his heart. "I'm a fighter and want everyone behind the cause."

There's veneration of the players Roy Hodgson led to the Europa League final in 2010; regret that many are gone. Jol understands that, but feels it's time to move on. "Bobby Zamora scored five [league] goals the year before I came. Under me . . . he scored five goals. One year he scored eight goals, the most in his life [in the Premier League]. And everyone's happy. But that's Fulham.

"Other strikers scored four goals between them. People feel, because it was in the paper, I let all these star players go. But they don't realise that for all these star players, who scored four goals and five goals, I got players like [Dimitar] Berbatov from Manchester United. Mladen Petric, 44 caps for Croatia, one of the most reliable players I've seen. [John Arne] Riise, [Mahamadou] Diarra. [Bryan] Ruiz. Sascha Riether. Maybe we're a bit better now? But maybe I'm wrong.

"Everyone thinks it's a big transformation but it was a natural process. The older players wanted long deals and we couldn't afford that with everyone. And if your club wants to be top 10, you need strikers such as Darren Bent, who'll score 15-20 goals a season. We haven't had that since Louis Saha but now we've Berbatov and Petric."

He wanted to keep Danny Murphy ("one of the best five No 4s in England over the past five years") but Blackburn offered a longer contract. He fought — unrealistically, he now accepts — to retain Clint Dempsey, who had Champions League dreams. Andy Johnson and Dickson Etuhu left with his best wishes. The only beef was Zamora, who upset many inside Fulham (not just the manager) last week by declaring the "vast majority of players" don't like Jol.

"Only Bobby really wanted to go. He doesn't like the press. He told me, 'I hate fans'. Obviously, he didn't like me. A technical thing: after two weeks I said, 'Bobby, I need you in the box to get on the end of crosses'. He said, 'I hate crosses'. So he hated the fans, he hated the press, he hated crosses, he hated me. I thought, 'What can I do?'

"Berbatov isn't here because Fulham's on the Thames. Nor Petric, Diarra, the others. They came because they knew me. Maybe, despite what Bobby says, there is a little advantage I'm here."

Evidence he benefits at least some of the old guard, as seen in Damien Duff's resurgence. "Four per cent body fat, it's almost unnatural. The best professional I've ever seen," Jol marvels. Berbatov can be transformative. Magisterial in his two Fulham starts, wins over West Brom and Wigan, he's 50:50 to return from injury for the match at Southampton today.

"We needed a signing like that. Because the big players already here, like Brede [Hangeland] or Mark Schwarzer, saw Dempsey, [Moussa] Dembele go, and thought, 'What? Aren't we ambitious?'

"I remember coming on the team bus and Charlie Nicholas was saying on TV, 'Yeah, Berbatov, different class'. Everyone on the bus was cheering. At another club, players would feel jealousy. I knew, then, Berba would work out just fine because the other players would accept him as The Man . . . He's not The Man, of course, because he's quiet!"

Jol, who first brought him to the Premier League when he moved to Spurs from Bayer Leverkusen, doesn't see Berbatov as the enigma other managers describe.

"The thing you've got to understand is even when he's happy, he doesn't always look it. His body language . . . but I know him.

"Berba's no extrovert. But he loves people, you know? Like him, I can be quite introverted. If you're my friend I'm totally different than with someone I know won't like me. He has some of my mentality so I say, 'Come into the office, Berba, let's talk'."

Berbatov has played as No 10 behind Hugo Rodallega, who was signed from Wigan in July, but Jol envisaged him as a No 9 in the 4-3-3 he was moving towards, before Dempsey and Dembele departed. "I've had to take a step back with my style and play 4-4-2 again, because we lack midfield numbers. I've mixed feelings.

"We had a good team last year, the first time Fulham had more than 50 points while also playing in Europe. I thought, with Berbatov, top seven. Then . . . bang . . . Spurs paid the release fee for Dembele [£15m] and got Dempsey. Now we're rebuilding again.

"Someone said, 'You've got the top six, then Everton and Fulham'. I thought, 'Really?!' If you look at Stoke, with six strikers, Aston Villa, West Ham, QPR, Sunderland spending . . . how can you say Fulham should be top 10?"

Yet he adds: "I still feel outside of the top four, vision, philosophy, a bit of luck, development, good scouting, can make the difference."

A dream for Jol is opening a gallery for his 350 paintings. Recently, he was in Leipzig on a buying trip. He has collected from New York, Canada and Vienna. The gallery would be in London. "I'm 56, it's time to settle."

Does that mean staying at Fulham? "I'd love to. And my missus would. But I'm too sensitive for this business," he smiles.

He means he's not counting chickens. Fulham plan contract extension talks but after leaving Spurs and Hamburg despite overseeing both clubs' best seasons in 25 years, he's cautious. Which brings us back to his unease.

Everton were hailed for finishing seventh last season. Fulham were joint-eighth with Liverpool but nobody seemed to notice. "I like to be recognised," Jol admits. "That's why I'm a sportsman.

"I work not only for money but because I want people to see me and my club are doing well. When I was in Waalwijk, at my first club, they named a street after me," he adds wistfully. "Is it a nice street? No. But never mind."



Striking sums add up for Jol

Martin Jol has done the maths and knows what he needs to succeed. He says: 'To finish in the top 10, you need 50 goals. We've lost our top scorer, Clint Dempsey, who got 17 last season, but I know Berbatov can score 14-15, Petric 10 and Rodallega can score seven or eight.'Mladen Petric: averaged 10 league goals/season in five years in Bundesliga.Dimitar Berbatov, left: averaged 14 goals/season in five PL years (not counting 2011-12 when, restricted mostly to substitute appearances, he still scored seven in 12 games).Hugo Rodallega: averaged seven goals/season in his three full seasons for Wigan.Bobby Zamora hit two, eight, five and five goals in his 3½ seasons with Fulham (20 league goals in 91 appearances) while Andy Johnson, in three complete seasons, scored seven, three and three.

[Jambo]

Brilliant article and a great insight.

In Jol I trust.

[Fletchino]

Give him an 8 year contract. Top bloke and great manager

[Jambo]

Love this line  'Bobby, I need you in the box to get on the end of crosses'. He said, 'I hate crosses'. So he hated the fans, he hated the press, he hated crosses,

[alexbishop]

Wow this is a great article isn't it? He certainly knows the right things to say.

[General]

can he get the recognition he strives for whilst at Fulham seems to remain the most important question here... It seems to be what motivates him and fair enough.

I'm a bit suprised that he doesn't feel that loved by the Fulham faithful, I'd like to think that he's aware enough to realise that Fulham fans are quite an aware bunch and realise that he has the undoubted potential to take this club to the next step but that we've had to sell for reasons out of our control and cope with numerous injuries. When everyone is back and we have the squad we have competing against each other for places, it'll be a very competitive club both internally and I can see us winning a lot more games.

I want Jol to sign a longer contract, he seems settled in London but he needs to realise that Fulham can be his best project and if he does get us where his reputation and ability can take us then this club and it's fans will love him for a long time and support him too. Fingers crossed he stays longer and gets financially backed by MAF, even if it's just for this Jan and next summer as I believe if he is this club , especially with the young talent we've got coming through (trotta could be something to keep an eye on) and hopefully getting into Europe then we could be doing well! Really well.

[General]

Wow this is a great article isn't it? He certainly knows the right things to say.

Reminds me a bit of Roy in that sense.

[Count Berbatov]

He says what's on his mind. Very realistic too.. Hope he stays.
Also, Berba is 50/50. That's great news. Last we heard was 90 percent- no

[MJG]

Well if anyone had any doubts that there is some kind of plan should read this article.

He must read the message boards to get the feeling that he is not liked because at games I have not heard any dissent by all.

Top article and love the Zamora comments.

[A Humble Man]

If the fans stop sniping at him he will stay as long as he is needed.  That is the main message.  I wonder if that is the real reason that the official Cottage Corner was wound up as the constant sniping at the manager and the players was too painful.

Duff has only 4% body fat, that sound impossible, well done Damien a model professional in every way.

[Riverside]

Agreed about Cottage Corner . Was always amazed how negative it was - and at times abusive. FoF is at least more positive .

Last season was my 1st going to Craven Cottage and I was thoroughly entertained. Which is why I am back . Jol I think is doing a fine job .

Maybe at the next home game we should be more demonstrative in our support. Is there even a Jol chant ? ( only one I can think of is " who let the Pog out ..... Jol Jol Jol" ) .

[VicHalomsLovechild]

I'm surprised he's a bit sensitive to the fans views. He seems such a tough lump. Historically we're a more mature (in age) bunch of fans and don't adjust to change quickly. We've been there before and we've been jilted along the way. For me of the three Roy, Mr Ambition and Jol. Jol comes top of the list. Roy got us out of trouble and to a final but he used, in the main, tried and trusted pro's and a defence based strategy. Jol seems to be doing something more attack minded and isn't afraid of parting company with our "big stars" (lets not forget either that Roy did the same with JB) So I'm 100% behind Jol.

[Burt]

Just finished reading the article over my breakfast. An interesting read, with some good insight in to him and what has been going on.

[Lighthouse]

Not shocked that not all of us bought into his philosophy of changing the style of the team without having the players to do it. Do you play to the players strengths or play to the style and formation you like? The inconsistancy of the team even within the games in much of last season was frightening.

The problem he has now is that he made it clear he wanted to bring the age of the team down. But persists with a 40 year old keeper and circumstances have forced him to bring in older players. As for the more attacking  style of football. I don't see it yet. We did have a barrier at the edge of the area we had trouble crossing. With only playing one up front that may continue.

But as time goes on it becomes more Jols team. After a poor transfer window (not his fault) Jol must use what he has. Injury is comman in older players. Inconsistant performance is comman in younger players. Jol will be more popular as time goes on because our hopes for the team have taken a knock. This is not a squad to do great things. Jol said it himself when he wanted 'three of four more players' and we sold the Dems and Halliche and Berbatov came in with only a few other addittions. Hence the two non contract players coming in late.

Nice article but as Jol says 'We are rebuilding again'. So the jury is still out and will remain so until Jol has the team he can truly claim is his. Not his fault he hasn't got closer to that team already.

[jarv]

Good piece. realistically, he is looking at top 10 and not top 6. Anything in between is a bonus. At least he will keep Fulham up there to fill the new stand.
Rebuilding? It seems a constant these days with all clubs. The likes of Fulham and Everton have it a bit harder, The top teams are always going to poach their players.

[west kowloon white]

Give a huge cheer from me -please-can't think of a better option for Fulham manager at this time-suggestions from his critics please...

[MasterHaynes]

Read it on the Train this morning, brilliant article, great job Northern White re-typing it for everyone to read
Loved these two bits, just hope Alistair and Mo read it and pick up the hint he wants to sign a long extension.

"I still feel outside of the top four, vision, philosophy, a bit of luck, development, good scouting, can make the difference."

"I'm 56, it's time to settle." Does that mean staying at Fulham? "I'd love to. And my missus would. But I'm too sensitive for this business," he smiles.

yee-haw!

[MikeCdawg]

how is Jol statistically our greatest modern manager?

[tommyffc]

how is Jol statistically our greatest modern manager?

Highest points total in the Prem?

[Bertie Wooster]

I think Jol is a very wise man and a great manager. long life to him al fulham.