Sometimes winning is only thing

English League Cup semi-final/Tottenham v Arsenal:Martin Jol has been urging his players to ensure their careers have at least one memorable highlight with triumph in this season's English League Cup. The Tottenham manager feels the squad are happy in the environment he has created, but stresses to them that there is more to being a professional footballer than fans' adulation.

The Dutchman enjoyed success as a player and already as a coach, but feels that victory in tonight's semi-final first leg against Arsenal would lay down a powerful marker for his squad.

"It's the only thing for my team. What do we want - to be potential winners? Robbie Keane, Jermain Defoe and Paul Robinson, they all want to play here. But winning honours is the only thing in football.

"The only thing I am really proud of is that I was coach of the year, player of the year and that I won the Dutch Cup. I won it as a player (with Den Haag) and as a coach (with Roda). It's the only thing you think about because what else is there? So they have to win something, otherwise you are sitting there at 35 or 40 and there is nothing to come up with. The medals are not important - it's memories of the achievements."

Jol recalls with regret his semi-final defeats in both of England's cup competitions, while he was a midfielder at West Bromwich Albion. The 1982 FA Cup semi-final, played at Highbury, saw them knocked out by QPR, whose then striker Clive Allen is now a coach at Spurs, while his experience of the League Cup semi-final, coincidentally against Tottenham, ended with a kick from their winger Tony Galvin.

"I had to have a cartilage operation," said Jol. "We had a very good team - Cyrille Regis, Derek Statham, Alistair Brown, Gary Owen and Steve Mackenzie, Andy King - a good cup team."

But Jol is anxious his side, likewise a good cup team after advancing in all three competitions this season, should make more of their talents. Having won all their Uefa Cup group games and made the League Cup semis, this is Spurs' best chance of a trophy under Jol.

Last year's promise of a Champions League qualifying-round place was dashed on the final day when defeat at West Ham allowed Arsenal to claim a fourth-place finish. Jol admits that it is the expectation of breaking in to the Premiership's elite that draws players to his club - the Benfica defender Ricardo Rocha joined for an undisclosed fee yesterday - but he senses the excitement of a semi-final will bring something fresh out of his team.

"We are developing, but some people do not see that as an achievement. The league is probably the most important, but if you can assure me I'll end up with a trophy, I would go for it."

First, though, Spurs must beat an Arsenal side who routed Liverpool in the last round and who will include Abou Diaby for a first start since he fractured an ankle and ruptured ligaments at Sunderland in May. "Everyone knows they scored six against Liverpool, so you can go on about a kids' team, but they have played with lesser teams than that and won in the Carling Cup," Jol said. "I feel their reserve team are as strong as any Premiership side outside of the top four.

"(Julio) Baptista last year was worth £24 million and he is playing for that team. Two years ago we went in for him but it wasn't close to happening because he didn't have a European passport."

Tonight Jol wants his players to make it happen for Spurs.