Football has changed massively over the last ten to fifteen years from being a sport to being a multi-billion pound industry. With such huge finances at stake the pressure to get results is similar to that of running any other global business. Yet those CEOs have the ability to run their business as they see fit, spending money and making cut backs diversifying.

Football: Entertainment Business or Results Business?

Business is all about growth and improving efficiency, Martin Jol has done just that. He has taken Spurs from mid-table mediocracy to Fifth in the Premier League in his first full season. In his second season he repeated the same feat, this time he added three lengthy cup runs. Each extra home game played was worth around £1m to the club in additional revenue, which saw the share price rocket last season.

Martin Jol Has Improved Both Performance & Results

This season so far he has not greatly improved on last years performance, but after five games his authority has been diminished by a disgruntled board who are more short sighted than the customers of specsavers. If there is direct comparison to last season the performances are greatly improved and although the points are the same from the same fixtures the goals scored and goal difference is improved significantly; even with all of the injury problems especially those to key players King, Dawson, Kaboul, Lennon and Bent.

Results Comparison 2006/07 v 2007/08

2006/07 Spurs 0 v 2 Everton
2006/07 Reading 3 v 1 Spurs (Championship Champs)
2006/07 Fulham 1 v 1 Spurs
2006/07 Spurs 3 v 1 Watford (Playoff Winners)
2006/07 Man Utd 1 v 0 Spurs

2007/08 Sunderland 1 v 0 Spurs (Championship Champs)
2007/08 Spurs 1 v 3 Everton
2007/08 Spurs 4 v 0 Derby (Playoff Winners)
2007/08 Man Utd 1 v 0 Spurs
2007/08 Fulham 3 v 3 Spurs

Same Points Better Performances

2006/07 Pld 5 W1 D1 L 2 F5 A7 -2 Pts 4
2007/08 Pld 5 W1 D1 L 2 F8 A7 +1 Pts 4

Give Jol some scope or rope, but allow him to do his job if he fails to improve then it is time to look elsewhere. Five games in a season of nearly sixty game season is not enough to remove a manager from his post, fifteen or twenty would be a more accurate guide, with still enough scope to allow the new man to rescue the season and prepare their assault on the next season. However with the support of the players in the dressing room and the fans in the stand, Martin Jol will have to make some huge tactical mistakes to stop him improving on the results of last season. So far Martin Jol’s men have played the Champions off the park losing to a deflected wonder strike from Nani, thrashed hapless Derby County. Drew with Fulham by virtue of a nasty deflection and a hit and hope effort in the last minute. The Sunderland result was also unfortunate Chopra striking the winner deep in injury time. The only game where Spurs were bad was the Everton game and even then they were only momentary lapses from a makeshift defence.

There is no doubt that the best is yet to come from the Class of 2008, all we have to do is watch and see.