We can't score three every game rues Ramos as he searches for Spurs balance - Sport - Evening Standard
       

We can't score three every game rues Ramos as he searches for Spurs balance

Tottenham head coach Juande Ramos watched his side stage a stunning UEFA Cup comeback to defeat Aalborg 3-2 but warned his players that more mistakes will not be tolerated.

The Spurs defence was all over the place in the first half at White Hart Lane and goals from Thomas Enevoldsen and Kasper Risgard put the Danes in control.

Second-half strikes from Dimitar Berbatov, Steed Malbranque and Darren Bent put Ramos within sight of the last 32 of the competition he has won in the last two years with Sevilla - but the first 45 minutes highlighted his problems at the back.

"It is an area we need to work on," said Ramos. "The most important thing in a team is balance. Our defence is conceding too many and we have to find a solution because we won't score three goals in every game.

"A lot of the injured players are in the same position - defence. The team is going to suffer as a result. We always have to use the best players possible."

Younes Kaboul was sidelined with a groin problem which led to full-back Pascal Chimbonda playing in central defence.

Ramos also has Ledley King, Anthony Gardner and Ricardo Rocha out.

The makeshift defence were fortunate to go into break just 2-0 down, and Ramos's response was to take off full-back Young-Pyo Lee and bring on Bent.

The Spaniard insisted he stayed calm during the interval.

"We had a heavy scoreline and it was painful for the players and weighs heavily on the team, it didn't lie with one player," he added. "It was the whole group."

Tom Huddlestone was also brought on at the interval and he set up Berbatov for Spurs' first.

After 51 minutes Berbatov's cross found its way to Malbranque, who finished off the underside of the crossbar.

"Letting in two goals so quickly in the second half weighed them down," Ramos said. "But they were a team that ran tirelessly.

"The merit has to lie with the footballers who had a fantastic second half with a lot of intensity in the game, especially after the disastrous first half we had.

"The game is 90 minutes long and I told them it was possible to turn it around from the first-half mistakes. The two goals came quickly so it gave us time to get the third."

Bent added on ITV4: "We didn't get off to the best of starts but we showed what we're all about today and got the result.

"All season we've always looked like scoring and showed today what we're capable of, and you're going to have to score goals to beat us."

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