EPL Manager Watch: Martin Jol, Jose Mourinho Face the Chop
As football has grown into a multibillion-pound industry in the U.K., club chairmen have become more "trigger-happy" when it comes to firing their managers.
So who will have the dubious honour of being the first manager fired this year?
Surely there are two strong candidates—not at the bottom of the league, as one would expect, but much closer to the top, where Martin Jol of Tottenham Hotspurs and Jose Mourinho of Chelsea seem to be favourites for the sack.
Jol has done wonders for his London-based side over the years, but has been undermined this season both by his director of football and by chairman Adrian Levy, who have together signed players like Darren Bent against Jol's will.
It was also reported that Spurs have already started hunting for a new manager. Juande Ramos of Sevilla in Spain told the media less than two weeks ago that he had been approached about Jol's job at Tottenham.
It's simply unacceptable for a club to conduct its business in a way that so demeans its manager. I personally would have handed in my resignation on hearing Ramos' revelation—and would have been more than willing to leave the club in the lurch.
A poor result at Fulham last Saturday was another nail in Jol's coffin...but Roman Abramovich's patience at Chelsea may ultimately determine whether Jol is the first man out of a job this season.
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho started the year under a cloud after reported bust-ups with Abramovich over Chelsea's style of play last season. The results thus far haven't helped the manager's cause.
Abramovich apparently wants pretty football and isn't happy just winning—I presume he wants to be entertained. Chelsea, I agree, are not the most elegant footballing side in the EPL, but at least they're winners.
With Abramovich and Mourinho losing patience with each other, a showdown similar to last season's looks imminent. This time round, there might be no compromise.
Both Jol and Mourinho are world-class managers, and will easily find work if and when the inevitable happens. That said, they shouldn't need too, as no club should be firing such valuable assets.
