Jol needs to steady ship as finishing line nears

On The Premiership: Martin Jol could never be accused of conforming to tired stereotypes, but it would be a rare Dutchman indeed who did not know how to relax.

"I can switch off," he claimed. "I go to the city and look at paintings in the National Gallery, particularly those by Rembrandt. I feel quite at home there and I also collect paintings. I can unwind and forget about football."

Expect Jol to be a regular visitor to Trafalgar Square over the coming weeks. The Tottenham manager does not come across as the nervous type, but even his palms might become sweaty as his stuttering team attempt to secure Champions League football for the first time in their history.

It would be a remarkable achievement and a notable personal triumph for Jol, whose appointment as manager in 2004 was not greeted with unanimous enthusiasm at White Hart Lane. Spurs fans chastened by the tedious football and impenetrable ramblings of Jacques Santini were wary of this virtual unknown who had only ever tasted management in his native country. True, he had achieved the notable feat of taking RKW Waalwijk - a club which would not look out of place in League One - into Europe but Spurs was a very different proposition.

The north Londoners may have spent most of the last decade wallowing in mediocrity, but expectations have not been deflated. Trophies are expected rather than appreciated, but it is not merely enough to accumulate silverware. Supporters steeped in the tradition of Bill Nicholson's glory game in the 1960s demand champagne football.

That was another reason for the fans' suspicions in the wake of Jol's arrival. If the Dutchman had any reputation prior to his appointment as manager, it was as a gnarled, rugged midfielder who had spent three seasons at West Bromwich Albion in the 1980s terrorising the sort of fancy dans so beloved of the Spurs faithful. Jol had the appearance and reputation of an interloper, and Tottenham braced themselves for another rocky ride.

They have been pleasantly surprised. Jol silenced the doubters by hoisting Spurs from also-rans to European contenders in his first season and they are now on the cusp of breaking into the Continent's elite, but perhaps his greatest achievement is in making Tottenham's demanding supporters appreciate his brand of polished, but pragmatic, football.

For Spurs, functionality now comes before fantasy. Their success has been based on a sturdy central defence, marshalled by the exceptional Ledley King, and a canny midfield whose fulcrum is the elegant Michael Carrick. On the flanks, Aaron Lennon and Lee Young-Pyo supply pace and zest, while up front Mido, Jermain Defoe and the under-used Robbie Keane provide equal measures of strength and subtlety.

It is an invigorating concoction, rather than a heady one, but Jol is acutely aware of the limitations of his young, improving squad. He has already acknowledged that while he would be thrilled to become the natural heir to Nicholson - hardly a media briefing goes by without him footnoting the achievements of his predecessor - this is not an age where pure football can flourish.

This is now the era of Chelsea's supremely efficient brand of power soccer rather than the free-flowing, total football of Nicholson's day. Arsenal, the last English team to enjoy success with that vibrant approach, are now having their lack of alternatives brutally exposed by hardier, nastier opponents, and Jol has clearly taken note. He may be Dutch, but he is not prepared to sacrifice success on the altar of philosophy.

The challenge for Jol now is to manage Spurs' growing expectations. Tottenham have been firmly ensconced in the top five for months, but now the finishing line is in sight, they are visibly beginning to flag. They produced an alarmingly laboured performance yesterday against a dynamic Wigan Athletic and were fortunate to snatch a point having twice fallen behind.

Jol admits that his side are jittery, and that is understandable. Qualification for the Champions League group stages is worth around £20 million. Progress beyond that guarantees £30 million. The bounty is staggering, and those figures do not even include the knock-on benefits of increased sponsorship and advertising.

Spurs may already be officially ranked in the top 10 of the world's richest clubs, but their wage bill is still restricted, hence Jol's preference for signing young, home-grown players with something to prove. Sustained participation among the European elite would raise Spurs' profile and also the calibre of player they could attract, which is a tantalising prospect for board and management team alike.

Now they need to hold their nerve, and that is where Jol comes in. The 50-year-old prefers a pastoral approach to the hairdryer treatment, and he will need all his wisdom to guide his young charges through the most taxing 10 weeks of their careers to date.