Martin Jol has revealed in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport that he warned Daniel Levy about the cost of Tottenham losing Christian Eriksen.
Levy felt forced into selling the Dane to Inter Milan in January, recouping only £16.9m to avoid losing him on a free, fee according to BBC Sport.
Based on his chat with the Italian press, Jol is a huge admirer of Eriksen, describing him as a “leader” whom he told Levy Spurs cannot do without.
Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, Jol said: “There are many players at Inter in his position: if you think he is the best, then he has to play. If he is just one of the 24, then this is a problem.”
“I always said to the Tottenham president, Daniel Levy, ‘if you sell him, it will be a problem’, because Christian was the leader and the extra man for Spurs. Now he can be that at Inter: Conte is a top manager. He will know how best to use him.”
Jol’s advice to Levy must be dated, as the chairman had no choice but to sell in the last transfer window, and even Jol would have to admit that. If it was a forewarning going back a couple of years, Levy failed to heed it.
I’d strongly argue with the Dutchman’s description of Eriksen as a leader, especially as he goes on to justify this by implying the 27-year-old needs to be made to feel special to get the best out of him. That’s not leadership.
We haven’t felt the loss of Eriksen yet; we’ve been too busy feeling the loss of Harry Kane and Son Heung-min. Only time will tell if Jol was right.
Plus the league cup final. Plus squeaky bum time when the foxes won the prem. Maybe one final is understandable, but true leaders/winners would make up for it the next time.
Watch the league cup final against the chavs again.. Also when leicester won the league watch him in our crunch games we should have won. When the 💩 hits the fan the guy folds in spectacular fashion. His body language reflects his play. He gives up. Gives in. Tintin was the true definition of ‘spursy’.
Tony soprano ringing up levy for chats sounds strange. Good friends are they?
Rose and trips too.. And no second striker.
He wasnt a good passer at all. For a centre mid his passing stats were decidely average in the prem. He went sideways and backwards too often and lost the ball often going forward. Compared to top midfielders like de bruyne his passing stats were no where near. He didnt score enough. His free kicks stats are poor. His corners are shocking… What annoyed me the most was against rough tough opposition, or against quality opposition, or a crunch game, then his snowflake loser mentality would come out…. Whenever we needed tintin the hero then his head would go down and he would go hiding every time without fail… Most overrated player ever…. Only impressive stats he achieved with us was his assists… He can thank kane for that. So glad hes gone, we were winning nothing relying on the great pain.
Dembele was finished
Think you’re being a bit harsh on him, yes he stopped trying when he decided to leave, but the stats show he was one of the best passers and assist makers of his time, and a good free kick taker. Yes he wasn’t a leader but that was down to a reserved personality. Also Tottenham weren’t exactly snowed under with leaders on the pitch, goalkeeper as captain for starters, wtf. He’s struggling in Italy but it’s a new country, new culture, give him a chance to prove himself.
Recouping only 16.9 mil. We only paid 17, I think, for him & had the best years of his career so it’s a stupid article. The silly figures of 150 – 170 mil imagined by the press last year were headline makers. Anyone who saw him play over the last year will know 16.9 is a result for us – he’ll be rubbish & subbed a lot once they realise his corners don’t get passed the 1st man & his free kicks are not as good as people think. It is a sad time to be a Tottenham fan – Levy has made sure of that. The players will have been told by their union not to give up their wages & the clubs are forced to pay them. All contracts from now on in will include a clause that says they won’t get paid if this happens again. All it takes is for one player to break ranks …… he’ll be a leper after that though.
The loss of Dembele was more notable. Eriksen has too many limitations, definitely wouldn’t class him as leader. Even with Eriksen, Kane and Son we were a shadow of what we once were. Losing Dembele was the start of the downfall for me. We all knew Dembele was slowing, but he was ‘irreplaceable’, but Levy didn’t even try. Pitiful from a chairman where there is always an excuse not to spend.
ps its our current leader Harry Kane we have to keep now. What are the odds there?
Walker, Dembele & Eriksen were never replaced and there in lies the problem we have today.
With recent events I’m ashamed to even be associated with Spurs right now.
Leader? Really. Even on form hes not that sort of player. He could have done more with his ability. What did he ever do at Anfield, OT, Emirates, SB or Etihad. Yes on a couple of occasions but overall. Like the team. 1 win at Chelsea & Arsenal in 30 odd years. Leaders are Souness, Keane, Adams & dare i say Dave Mackay.
No signings over 2 transfer windows told Eriksen everything he needed to know about the clubs ambition. Like Kane, Eriksen was flogged because of our stretched squad. Instead building a squad we built the Millennium Falcon. Eriksen did not show up in the CL final but to say he went missing in big games is rubbish.
Eriksen left about 18 months ago, when his heart was no longer in it. It was another utter failure by Levy not to sell him in summer 2018 for substantially more than the sum received in January 2020. It was all so predictable to all except our ‘shrewd’ chairman.
Leaders don’t disappear in a CL final.
Leaders don’t shy out of tackles but lead by example,Eriksen went missing in big games and offered little to the cause in his last season.