Spurs players mustn't let their heads go down now, says Ramos

Ramos' hopes of a hat-trick in the competition ended at Philips Stadium, where he won the first of his two cups, when Pascal Chimbonda dragged his spot-kick wide and PSV won the shoot-out 6-5 last night.

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With European qualification secure after the Carling Cup win there appears little to play for now, although Ramos will be assessing players he wants to keep at the club next season.

"We have two months left in the Premier League so I hope the players are able to get up and do their best for the rest of the season," the head coach said.

"They need to get themselves together again and charge up for the next game against Manchester City at the weekend."

Trailing to Jefferson Farfan's goal a week ago at White Hart Lane, Dimitar Berbatov sent the game into extra-time with a spectacular volley from the edge of the area with eight minutes remaining.

Steed Malbranque, who had wasted Spurs' first chance of the game when he shot wide at the near post, almost put Ramos' men in the quarter-finals but his effort was tipped over by Gomes.

"Our objective in this match was to win it and we did that. Unfortunately we had to go to penalties but I don't regret anything," Ramos said. "It is then like a lottery."

After 120 minutes, Paul Robinson saved Danko Lazovic's penalty to put Spurs in the driving seat.

Jermaine Jenas could have won the tie but Gomes saved his effort, then Chimbonda had to score to keep Spurs alive. Jenas revealed before the Carling Cup final that Ramos rarely has his players practising penalties in training.

Ramos added: "Every player in the Premier League is capable of scoring a penalty but the pressure in a match like this is something you cannot train so that is what happened."

Aside from pre-season matches, it was the first shoot-out defeat Ramos has suffered. The Spaniard, though, was not aware of the heartbreak English teams have suffered with penalties.

He said: "I didn't know about it. When it comes to the fifth penalty it's heads or tails. If it went in we would have been through. That is the way it is.

"Every player that takes a penalty is courageous. I can only congratulate them on having that courage.

"Of course everybody is sad because we came so close and did everything we could. But unfortunately we didn't go through so everyone is sad."