Martin Jol says Dimitar Berbatovs keep calm shirt was a bit stupid

Dimitar Berbatov broke a seven-match goalless streak by scoring his sixth goal of the season for Fulham in the eighth minute of their 1-1 draw against Southampton on Boxing Day. After he did so, he pulled off his jersey to reveal the words "keep calm and pas me the ball" written on his undershirt -- an act that earned him a yellow card. It also earned him a talking to from manager Martin Jol, who was a bit more concerned about the disciplinaryrepercussionsthan how enjoyable the message was.

From the AAP:

"It was a bit stupid and I will have to have a word with him," Jol said.

"He probably thought he would get away with it as he never gets booked. It wasn't the brightest thing to do but he wanted to make a statement.

"He tells the youngsters every day to play with confidence, keep the ball and don't be afraid.

You need confidence and self-belief to play your football. He wants us to play in a certain style and that is the message he's trying to get across."

In 14th place and holding the distinct embarrassment as being the only side QPR have beaten so far this season, Fulham have not been playing up to The Berba's debonair style. So that message of confidence is one his teammates desperately need. Except his shirt didn't appear to be telling his teammates to believe in themselves as much as it was instructing them to believe in The Berba. And that's a message we should all observe.