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Juande Ramos: Worst start for 34 years is no reason for concern
David Smith, Sports Correspondent16 Sep 2008
Tottenham manager Juande Ramos today refused to press the panic button despite a defeat at home to Aston Villa that condemns the north London club to their worst start to a season in 34 years.
Since lifting the Carling Cup in February, Spurs have won only three Premier League games. And with just one point from four fixtures in the current campaign they are rock bottom of the table, two points adrift of Stoke City.
The omens are not good either. Back in 1974, Terry Neill took over from Bill Nicholson and Spurs only avoided relegation from the old Division One by a single point. Even debuts last night for striker Roman Pavlyuchenko and right-back Vedran Corluka, representing a combined investment of nearly £23million, failed to stop White Hart Lane ringing to jeers at the end of the first half and at full-time as Spurs lost 2-1.
Villa, having claimed their first away win of the season, are now where Ramos has ambitions to take Spurs, namely a place in the top four. But the 53-year-old Spaniard believes such a lofty position is still attainable.
“We've only played four League games,” he said. “It has really only just begun. I still think there is room for us there. We've got a young squad with quality. Hopefully, we'll get a positive result soon and after that things could well change for us.”
Ostensibly, Ramos has just two days to turn things round before Thursday's UEFA Cup first round first leg at home against Poland's Wisla Krakow. Yet he insisted the Villa result will not affect his planning for Krakow or the visit of Wigan on Sunday.
Ramos said: “I'm not going to carry out an assessment after just one game. Don't forget this is the same squad which managed to beat Roma 5-0 and beat Celtic.
“I know they were friendlies but they were great games and we've got very good footballers.”
Reader views (7)
Spurs don't have a team they have a bunch of gifted individuals and are heading nowhere so I guess that Ramos had better start dusting off his CV.
- John, Birmingham, 17/09/2008 10:59
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Based on his record since the League Cup, Ramos has been singularly unimpressive and that goes for Levy too. Their lack of ability to convince the likes of Keane and Berbatov to stay and make Spurs a great side is all too apparent.
I see no light at the end of the tunnel, oh wait, I do, its a train coming right at us! Avoiding the drop will be mission one this year, they looked so awful against Villa. I can't imagine anything better.
Sorry, Juande and Danny, your time is almost up, I see departures coming very soon.
- Neil Blatt, L.A. California, 16/09/2008 15:54
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Time Spuds fans realised they are nothing more than a mid table team and changing manangers and throwing loads of money trying to move up the table isn't alwasy the answer.How many years are their fans going to keep thinking they will get into the top4?
- John From Essex, Essex,England, 16/09/2008 13:30
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Give the team a break. Otherwise we'll be going through the chopping and changing management merry go round that weve done in the past and alot of other clubs are going through right now. Lets see where we are at Christmas before we get the knives out. Remember we didn't play well and we could have knicked a draw !!!!
Continuity... Consistency... Stability...Success.
Come on you Spurs.....
- Glennda, England, 16/09/2008 13:18
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This defeat was all done to Ramos. The team played well against Chelsea and what does he do. He changes everything. I missed the start of the game and went hunting around to see if Bentley was injured. Is Ramos crazy - surely the best thing to do is choose a format and then let the players do their thing. All this tinkering. I thought we got someone who knew exactly what he wants. it also seems like Poyet knew this hence his comments about taking responsibility.
- Abe, South Africa, 16/09/2008 12:12
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The force of the first comment here is the final point made. Everyone accepts this charade, year in year out. There should be screaming at the gates, demonstrations in the streets and in the grounds.
Its the new Spurs fans who are responsible, those who have come to the Lane over the past 15 years - all they know is this rubbish and they accept it.
- Stratty, Doha, Qatar, 16/09/2008 11:56
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It's just like a pantomine..the same fun each year, just the name of the "stars" change 
Daines,Aleksic,Thorsvedt,Robinson and now Gomes with a quality supporting cast over the years inc Ruel Fox, Rebrov,Atouba,Blondel,Ghaly,Kaboul,Prince Boateng,Bent,Corluka and now Pavlyuchenko & Modric. The amount of money we have spent over the years by clowns like Gross,Jol and now The Chuckle Bros makes me weep. Big club,we are having a laugh...the mismanagment is of Lehman Bros proportions and as long as we beat The Arsenal reserves once in a blue moon everyone is happy.
- F. Orty - Oneyears, London, 16/09/2008 10:21
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