Ramos: I spurred players into action

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The Spaniard, who took charge of Spurs in October following the disastrous start to the season overseen by his predecessor Martin Jol, admits he was faced with a depressed dressing room when he began his new job with the north Londoners.

"I was taking charge of a great club but there was a despondency and a tremendous lack of motivation," Ramos told The Sun. "There was no hope or ambition."

He added: "There was so much self-doubt in the dressing room. That was the most critical thing we had to change.

"I noted an air of abandonment and resignation like it didn't really matter. It was a worrying situation as I realised my players were resigned to losing and to disaster.

"They got used to defeats and looked to be in a daze. This alarmed me enormously as we had to change it radically."

Ramos appears to have succeeded in his bid to lift the players, spearheading a climb to mid-table in the Barclays Premier League and progress to the semi-finals of the Carling Cup.

But the former Sevilla boss has revealed his ambitions go far further and he insists that, given time, he can turn Tottenham into a competitive force at the highest level.

"Our club deserves to fight against the best and challenge for the Premier League and the Champions League. That's what I will try to do with all my energy and strength," he added.

"We have the potential to do it. But it doesn't just depend on one person, it's not all about the coach. The manager has to have the collaboration and the support of the club."