Tonight:
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Ramos has his work cut out to stop Spurs’ struggles
David Smith, Sports Correspondent16.09.08
Tottenham 1
Aston Villa 2
In his programme notes for last night's Premier League game against Aston Villa, Tottenham manager Juande Ramos wrote: “I am confident when I say that I believe this crop of players have the potential to better what we achieved last season.”
To refresh a few memories, last term Spurs beat London rivals Chelsea to lift the Carling Cup, finished 11th in the League table, and reached the last 16 in the UEFA Cup.
Yet such was the dire nature of a 2-1 defeat, leaving Spurs stuck at the bottom of the table, that Ramos might feel the need to offer a revised target. Offering the hope of mere League survival would be more appropriate. Though even that target may stretch what, at present, is a very poor Spurs side.
Gus Poyet, Ramos's right-hand man, was brutally frank in admitting: “At the moment we are not good enough.
“It is going to be tough, but I love that as a manager. This is when I want to see my players performing at their best, so let's see what their reaction is on Thursday.”
Poyet could ignite a reaction by showing last night's line-up a recording of their third 2-1 defeat in four Premier League games, the defeat coming despite the debuts of Croatian defender Vedran Corluka, an £8.5million signing from Manchester City, and tall striker Roman Pavlyuchenko, bought from Spartak Moscow for £14m.
They should note how Martin O'Neill's Villa played like a well-drilled unit. Spurs, by contrast, played like a team of individuals with not a hint of cohesion.
Perhaps that was not so surprising given a line-up that did not feature Ledley King, even on the bench, while Jermaine Jenas and David Bentley were among the substitutes with Ramos clearly casting one eye on Thursday's UEFA Cup encounter with Wisla Krakow.
That plan backfired first when Jenas was forced to come on after just 29 minutes to replace the injured Luka Modric, and again straight after the half-time break when Bentley appeared in place of Didier Zokora.
Poyet was quizzed about the selection policy. He simply shrugged and replied: “We cannot make an excuse. It's about decisions. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't. There are so many things to put in the balance.”
In truth, Spurs were so off balance that they tipped into desperation, mediocrity with balls being pumped long distance towards a somewhat bewildered Pavlyuchenko.
As for Corluka, he was wandering way out of position in the fifth minute when Tom Huddlestone was twice beaten on the right, first by the excellent Gareth Barry and then by Gabriel Agbonlahor whose low cross, deftly touched on by John Carew, was steered into the Spurs' net by an unmarked Nigel Reo-Coker.
Villa might easily have gone three up but for two stunning saves by Heurelho Gomes, first when the diving Brazilian clawed a Barry effort from off the line, and then when he got fingers to an Agbonlahor header.
But then Gomes spoiled a fine personal performance in the 53rd minute when he allowed Ashley Young's speculative long range shot to slip beneath his body.
“That's football,” said Poyet. “You can do nearly everything right in a game but if you are unfortunate in one of your actions then you are going to feel responsible.”
Michael Dawson was lucky to finish this game after a dreadful block on the flying Young which earned only a yellow card.
That incident came just before Jenas lashed at the ball from fully 30 yards, the low shot heading wide of the post when it glanced off Darren Bent's legs and into the net.
The consultation goal was more than Spurs deserved. Ramos admitted: “We've made an irregular start to the season, having lost three games, which means it's an uphill struggle for us.
“But we are fairly far behind in our preparations. We've had Corluka, Pavlyuchenko and Fraizer Campbell who are new to the squad and we haven't really had time to prepare.
“What is important now is to keep the spirit going and hope to climb as far up the table as possible.”
Spirit? There was little evidence of that against Villa until Giovani came on in the second half to add some individual wizardry to Spurs' game.
At least Ramos was sufficiently bothered to vent his frustrations. “I am always angry at the end of games like this which we lose,” he said. “Not just with the players but with myself as well. We're all responsible for these results. Victories are won by everybody, and defeats are lost by everybody.”
At the end, Villa fans taunted their rivals with chants of “Martin Jol, Martin Jol, Martin Jol.”
Now there is someone who knows a thing or two about the blame culture at White Hart Lane. Ramos should take careful note . . .
Reader views (6)
Spurs fans are easily pleased. I thought they were truly shocking last night. The team is totally imbalanced & I cant see how Ramos is going to get this lot into Champions League contention. Their current position is false, but even a top 6 place looks remote. I still cant understand for the life of me why they sacked the excellent Martin Jol who had brought them to the brink of Champions League qualification for the first time in their history & is sitting top with Hamburg.
- Rob Gooner, North London
Life at WHL wouldn't be as much fun(?) if things were simple. The problem last night was a lack of balance untl Jenas and Bentley arrived and a lack of organiation and leadership at the back.
If you look at the back 5, we started with Bale who thinks he's a left winger and not a left back, Woodgate who manfully had to cover for the lack of positional sense of Bale and Dawson. Choluka who arrived a few days ago and a Brazilian goalkeeper who espite his own flashes of brilliance has no comunication skills at all.
So we had a Welshmann, two Englishmen a Croat and a Brazillian - wonder which language they all spoke to each other in?
I sit behind the goal - front row of the Paxton. Couldn't hear any of the defence (?) talking to each other in the first half. In the 2nd half, BradFreidal was bellowing at his defenders who were well drilled and organised. They somehow got a boot a leg or something in the way of our frequent attempts at goal.
Unfortunately without Ledley King, we don't hav a leader at the back. Midfield is all nice flicky flacky one touch passing, but with no defence to pick up the pieces and do the dirty work, we will be caught on the break like Villa did to such effect twice last night. HOw can Spurs have 65% of the possession, but never look like winning the game?
UNBELIEVABLE - but hey ho - we'll all still turn up for more on Thursday and Sunday in the vein hope of a miracle.
- Tony Silver, Dartford Kent
you lot need to take those rose tinted glasses of sharpish this isnt a over night ocurance ramos has been making the same mistakes since we won the CC ...me, you and the rest of the football world know what Spurs 1st 11 should be. We can all see where the team needs improving in terms of positons ...why cant ramos? i was at the lane last night and as soon as i saw the 1st 11 i knew we were going to struggle. it doesnt make since to me how no matter how early in the season it is ramos keeps our in form if not best players on the bench?? we've just got ourselves a new targetman in Pav and what does ramos do leaves prob our best crosser of the ball (bentley) on the bench..WHY!!! Ramos is living of the 2 uefa cups he won and seems to me thats all his interested in how else do you explain leaving out bentley, Gio and Jenas for a game against some part timers from eastern europe if we were playing Hull or Stoke i could understand but with Martin O'neil Villa are fast becoming a top 6 side. may i just add we got rid of Martin Jol for a lot less and Ramos's record in the EPL is worse then prob our worse ever manager Mr Gross and if it wasnt for the CC win over Chelsea i dont think anyone would shed a tear if ramos went right now, Martin is Sitting top of the Bundesliga with Hamburg, Ramos and Spurs Bottom of the EPL. i Thought the idea of changing manager was to improve us ....doesnt seem like the message has got through to ramos yet. how do you say ''sort this crap out'' in spainish
- Mensah, White Hart Pain, London
Can someone please explain why Ramos felt it was O.K. to rest some players for Thursday's E.U.F.A. Cup match. One point from 3 games & so early in the season - Surely our Professional Athletes are not tired already?
- Des, Dublin, Ireland
whatever. wise up please. get off Ramos' back. The bloke has not even had a season yet! already has one cup in the cabinet. Fair enough its a bad start, but its fair to say that its been hampered with the transfer situation over Berbatov etc.
The side needs time to gel, so, get behind the team, be patient and lets see what happens.
Come on you Spurs.
- Scott, Tottenham
All this blah, blah about poorest start for 40 odd years and better under Martin Jol is unbelieveable. There are four games played and we have 1 point. Its still far from the whole relegation scenario being bandied about. If after ten games we're in the same position I'll start panicking.
The reality is, it's a terrible start and things need to change and they will. We may come to rue losing Keano and Berba, but at the end of the day those players wanted out and they got it. Its time for the current crop of players to step up, its a transitional period.
Grow up and stop declaring armageddon at WHL.
It's a slow process but things will turn around, where's the belief. There's no such thing as instant success.
- Sully, London, England
