Can hard man Ramos pass toughest test yet at Spurs?

Spurs' workaholic Spanish boss is first on the training field and last off it.

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The sixth manager under the current White Hart Lane board takes the sessions himself, speaking in English to the club's myriad nationalities, demanding total commitment and concentration.

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He has also impressed chairman Daniel Levy with his ruthless approach, scoring highly when Dimitar Berbatov's agent broke a gentleman's agreement to make noises about his client's future on the opening day of the transfer window.

Since then, there has barely been a murmur.

Paul Robinson, dropped from the Carling Cup semi-final first leg against Arsenal and back on the bench on Tuesday evening at White Hart Lane, has been told that his transfer request has been accepted. Stay and fight or be shown the door. It was that straightforward.

Suddenly there is even a swagger about Jermain Defoe, angling for a move one minute and telling friends he will run down his contract the next, after he was handed the captaincy for Tottenham's 2-0 win over Sunderland on Saturday.

Levy believes he has finally found a manager unafraid to make big decisions.

The players are put through double sessions most days — fitness in the morning, technique in the afternoon — and they have responded. Statistics show they are leaner, fitter and faster.

There are no favourites under Ramos and there is no better illustration than Jamie O'Hara.

The midfielder, once beaten up as a youth team player by ex-Spurs winger Stephane Dalmat, was loaned to League One strugglers Millwall at the start of the season but has been shuffled up the pecking order under the new manager.

He impressed during Tottenham's 2-1 Barclays Premier League defeat at the Emirates in December, demanding to take free-kicks and matching Cesc Fabregas in midfield.

So far so good for Ramos. But impressing the board is one thing, making a mark in the minds of fans quite another.

Success is the only way to achieve that and Ramos can take a huge step with tonight's visit of Arsenal, unbeaten by Spurs in 21 games, for the second leg of their Carling Cup semi-final, locked at 1-1.

Ramos is not even contemplating a Wembley final. He said: 'It's not something I've thought about. I'm completely focused on the semi-final. If we get past that, I will have other things to think about.'

Tottenham had the edge in the first leg, denying Arsenal's youngsters space and creating chances of their own, but they had to make do with a draw after Theo Walcott's somewhat fortuitous late equaliser.

But Arsene Wenger's side under-performed that night and are unlikely to play as poorly at White Hart Lane.

Ironically, injuries and Africa Cup of Nations calls among his central defenders mean Wenger will field the influential Williams Gallas. Walcott will play through the middle and playmaker Fabregas may be involved at some stage.

Fabregas was instrumental when Arsenal recovered from a 2-0 deficit to draw at Tottenham in last season's semi-final first leg on the way to victory.

Jermaine Jenas, who scored the opening goal at the Emirates two weeks ago, said: 'It was a horrible feeling last year because we were 2-0 up and we knew we had slipped up.

'We missed that winning mentality, that aggressiveness to shut up games and have that killer instinct. That's what we need to have. Fortunately, the manager has experience of winning cups against big teams.

'That could be the difference between reaching stages like this,reaching finals or even being successful.'

With five trophies in 15 months with Sevilla, Spurs may have finally found their man.