Martin Jol has emerged as a front-runner for the Newcastle United managerial vacancy after parting company with Ajax.
Former Tottenham manager Jol left the Dutch champions by mutual consent on Monday, claiming that expectations were too high with the club fourth in the Eredivise, five points behind leaders PSV Eindhoven.
Jol said: “With pain in my heart I say goodbye to this wonderful club.
“We started something last summer that I would have finished. But I have come to realise that the expectations after last season were too high. We cannot meet such expectations.
“The amount of criticism that the club has had to endure daily has led to unrest in the club and among players.”
The Dutchman added: “The coming weeks are very important and I sincerely hope that something happens in the squad to make it in the short term a winning team.”
And Jol is now one of the names being linked with the Newcastle job after the club decided to sack Chris Hughton in order to find someone with “more managerial experience”.