Jol's fixture pile-up fear

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Tottenham chief Martin Jol fears their European ambitions could be hampered by a busy end-of-season schedule.

 
Spurs face playing three games in the final week of the campaign as they have to take on Charlton, Blackburn and Manchester City.

 
Jol's side are battling it out to finish in the top seven in a bid to secure a place in next season's Uefa Cup.



However, Jol feels their European rivals may have an advantage because of his side's fixture congestion.  


"I asked the club but the problem was Monday is a television game and Thursday against Blackburn was squeezed in because it was a game in hand," said Jol.


"If you played it the week after it would be awful as well so I guess there was no other choice.  


"The only thing is the Monday game, I would like to have played it another day, Saturday for example, because we had eight or nine days off.


"The advantage is that they (their European rivals) play one or two games in seven days, we play three in six days. They have a little advantage but you never know in football.  


"Sometimes you have to play two games in 36 hours like we did against Chelsea, sometimes you don't play in eight days, it's strange."

To be honest i don't like it when manager complain about fixture pile ups and its always the foreign ones as well. that what they get paid all that money for and money to but players so there going to have to deal with it

[ShelfsideSpur]

We are in the situation of having a game in hand because of our good cup runs.  The size of our squad should see us through this fixture congestion, but injuries in any of the games could ruin our hopes

[Dj Frisky]

We have had this problem for most of the season due to our successful runs in cup competitions. But if any players get injured this will ruin our chance of getting a UEFA Cup place next season.

[SpursManDan]

This is ridiculous.  For starters, why cant we play Charlton today!!!??

[ventriloquist]

For starters, why cant we play Charlton today!!!??

Even though we should be able to beat all 3 teams no matter how much rotation we do, i think its a disgrace that we play Charlton on Monday.

I mean 7, 10 and 13 May.

It would make so much more sense to do 5, 9 and 13 May.

But whatever, we should beat all 3 comfortably. Maybe Blackburn may trouble us slightly

[Berba's girl]

This is what I'm worried about. Sky contracts - pah! It should be more flexible when teams find themselves in this situation. The date change for the Blackburn game was not the right choice in my opinion. I'm sure they could have negotiated a better one. However, I'm really looking forward to being at WHL for the last two games of the season & I'm hoping we can do it.

[keane on berbatov]

its a joke!

Our chances are being scuppered by the f.a wanting make a few extra quid.

[taimedowne]

This week has been free of games as we may, had things gone better, been playing a UEFA cup semi final. Why could Sky not have re-scheduled the Blackburn game for Thursday of last week giving us 3 days before the Charlton game which would have been fairer all round. This fixture congestion is artificial, manufactured to serve the greed of Sky Sports with no regard whatsoever for the ambitions of the clubs who at the end of the day are the main reason they have so many subscribers.
On the plus side I was pleased to see that next season Sky are no longer having pay per view matches.