Jol backs Tottenham title ambitions

Fulham manager Martin Jol believes former club Tottenham Hotspur are equipped to challenge for the English Premier League title.

Jol spent three years at Spurs between 2004 and 2007, narrowly failing to guide the club to Champions League qualification before being replaced by Juande Ramos.

Harry Redknapp has since taken over from Ramos at White Hart Lane, guiding Spurs into the Champions League quarter-finals last season.

This term the north London club are level on points with second-placed Manchester United and just three back from league-leaders Manchester City.

And Jol thinks his former charges have what it takes to push the top two all the way.

“I feel if you see them (Tottenham) over the last period, away from home, they are strong,” he said.

“The only thing is that you can’t drop points. You have to be there the whole time, but if you look at Man City, they are probably everybody’s favourite (for the title).”

“They are out of the cups. They want to go for the title, so that is pretty good situation for them, but I would put my money on Spurs to be honest. I think they are candidates for the title.”

With Redknapp tipped by some to take over as England manager following Euro 2012, Jol could be a candidate to succeed the Englishman at White Hart Lane.

“I would say that I am very happy here (at Fulham),” he said when asked about a possible return to Tottenham.

“I live here … My girl is going to school so I am very happy here. As long as they are happy with me I will remain here.”

Fulham travel to face struggling Blackburn in the league on Saturday, with Jol expressing his sympathy for the plight of under-fire counterpart Steve Kean.

“I feel for any manager who is under pressure,” he said.

“He (Kean), of course, needs time. He has a really young team … and I think they have been a little bit unfortunate.”

“But they did very well with a different system against Manchester United,” he said, referring to a shock 3-2 win away to the champions on December 31.

“Hopefully for him they will let him get on with his job and then you will see that with his younger players and with Yakubu up front, I think they will be fine.”