Tottenham Troubles: What Went Wrong for Spurs and Martin Jol?

Newcastle took the spoils in last night's Premiership clash at St. James' Park, where Tottenham Hotspur looked like a shadow of last season's team.

In Spurs' starting XI, only Bale, Bent, and Kaboul were new arrivals—meaning most of the Tottenham lineup had been together a year or more.

Watching them play, though, you'd have been forgiven for thinking the club had met up for the first time half an hour before kickoff.

Jenas and Zokora in midfield were the main culprits in the conceding posession, but Dawson and Kaboul contributed their fair share of aimless long balls. All told, it was a far cry from last season—when the attacking trio of Keane, Berbatov, and Lennon played scintillating football on a regular basis.

Two of those three started on the bench last night. Berbatov has yet to find his old form in '07-'08, while Lennon hasn't performed to his potential.

Malbranque was the most effective midfielder for Spurs in the first half, but was the first player to be withdrawn after the break. Much has been made of Martin Jol's substitution decisions this season—especially after the capitulation against Fulham, in which he switched to a five-defender lineup with 15 minutes to go and Tottenham leading 3-1.

The game finished 3-3.

In defence, a lot has been written about Paul Robinson's howlers this season—but it was slack marking on a set piece early in the second half that accounted for Newcastle's second goal.

That collapse was evidence of something much more problematic than just individual mistakes.

Spurs' defensive record is abysmal. Not only have they conceded 21 goals in 10 league games—they've kept only three clean sheets in a run of almost 40 games.

I'm assuming the club is working on this on the training ground—but you wouldn't know it from their recent performances.

Last season Spurs were close to making the UEFA Cup Final, and clinched their second consecutive fifth-place finish on the strength of a brilliant run after Christmas. This season they've won one game in their opening 10.

I, for one, am at a loss to explain it.

Jol is obviously on his way out—it's just a matter of when. Until then, if Tottenham are to have anything to play for in the remainder of the campaign, they have a LOT of work to do.