Tonight:
8°c
Ramos looking to end his raw deal
Tom Collomosse, Evening Standard18.09.08
Juande Ramos is rapidly coming to learn that patience is not a word often associated with English football. The Spaniard has been given some slack by the Tottenham board and the club's fans because it is never easy settling into a new environment.
He has now been in charge for 11 months but with his team sitting bottom of the Premier League with only one point, the pressure is starting to build.
There have been 13 managers in charge at White Hart Lane since the successful reign of Keith Burkinshaw came to an end in 1984; Terry Venables is the longest serving and he only managed four years.
So UEFA Cup football arrives at the Lane tonight as a welcome distraction for Ramos and he used the occasion to be heard in English for the first time yesterday. Answering questions at the pre-match press conference with humour, it was difficult to detect any sign of a problem.
Yet, it has taken nearly a year for Ramos to begin to master his new native tongue in public; chairman Daniel Levy will be hoping it doesn't take another 11 months before he starts to master the art of management on an English pitch.
Ramos forged his reputation with success in knockout football and the Tottenham manager knows that progress in cup competitions may now represent his best chance of maintaining it.
Ramos's team face Polish champions Wisla Krakow in the first round of the UEFA Cup won twice by the Spaniard at Sevilla in 2006 and 2007.
Levy's decision to sack the popular Martin Jol and appoint Ramos seemed to have paid off when the Spaniard led the side to the Carling Cup in February, their first trophy for nine years.
But Ramos is nothing like as effective in the Premier League, as just three League wins since that Wembley win over Chelsea demonstrate.
The cards seem to be stacked against the manager. Spurs are bottom; leading strikers Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov have been sold; main transfer target Andrei Arshavin unsigned; Darren Bent continues to struggle in front of goal; Ledley King is still missing more games than he plays and new signing Luca Modric is out injured.
Ramos, then, must hope that his team come alive in the UEFA Cup, after they were eliminated on penalties by PSV Eindhoven in the last 16 of last season's competition. The 53-year-old said: "We want to win all the games, but it is hard to finish above Chelsea, Manchester United or Liverpool over 38 matches.
"In the cup competitions, you can win far fewer matches, and still win a trophy, so this is easier. We need to start at the beginning again. Last season, we played with Berbatov and Keane as the regular forwards, but now they have left the club. We need to understand this situation, which is a new one for the team and all the players."
Ramos took the questionable decision to leave Jermaine Jenas, Giovani dos Santos and David Bentley out of the starting XI for Monday's 2-1 home defeat by Aston Villa.
All three players are expected to be restored tonight, although Spurs will be without defender Vedran Corluka and striker Roman Pavlyuchenko, who are cup-tied, as well as midfielder Modric.
Pavlyuchenko's situation, in particular, is a worry for Spurs. The early rounds of the UEFA Cup would have been the ideal environment for the £14million signing from Spartak Moscow to find his feet, but he cannot do so having already played for his former club in the Champions League preliminary-rounds. Pavlyuchenko's ineligibility piles more pressure on first-choice striker Darren Bent, leaving sporting director Damien Comolli to lament the failure to sign "another experienced striker" before the transfer window closed.
Earlier this week, Comolli said: "I am disappointed that we were unable to make one additional signing, another experienced striker. The deal was agreed but fell through in the final moments due to agent activity."
King is, at least, likely to return as Ramos' team seek to establish a commanding lead ahead of the second leg in Krakow in two weeks' time.
Time and patience will be in even shorter supply if his team do not beat Wisla convincingly, tonight and Ramos may discover the cards he has been dealt are stacked even more against him.
Reader views (10)
rob hotspurs is right...comolli needs to go..he didn't sign any of mr ramos players he wanted (garcia and milto)..instead he tried to sign heskey and doyle.this man is a t$£t!! players that need to stand and be counted are bent, lennon, dawson and jenas..
- Jay Wilson, hampshire..uk
Year in, year out, we Spurs fans are made to believe that our "new" team would go places. We have never succeeded! I agree to a certain extent that the manager should be given a chance to ride out the storm (have a longer period of control) for him to achieve success. Whether it be Juande Ramos or somebody new but Mr. Levy should just stick it out with the appointed manager and give him time to build the team. I know many Spurs supporters might not agree with me but "hey, what the heck, we've been disappointed year after year anyway! What's wrong with enduring this season." I say take this season to build, gel and get the team in high morale. Get the right players for the right positions and KEEP OUR KEY PLAYERS and we should be in better stead for the next half of this season. Let's see what the January Transfer window brings in. As for now, I'll just back Juande Ramos, Comolli and Mr. Levy. I just hope they are already preparing the funds for the players they need to sign when the transfer window opens. Best of luck guys, let's try and still qualify for UEFA next year at least.
- Chris Gaspar, Manila, Philippines
Mr Dale. I am not a Gooner, I am a realistic Spurs fan. I predicted the problems before a ball was kicked this season. We are bottom with 1 point, Jol is top. Comolli is hopeless & so is Ramos. Other than a great result against Chelsea in The Carling Cup Final, our results under Ramos have generally been poor.
On the positive side we will win tonight & will finish in the top half of the Premiership, but not in the top 6.
Wake up to the reality, Levy has messed up the excellent work done by Martin Jol in getting us to the brink of Champions League qualification.
- Rob Hotspurs, South London
Ramos will not get the sack.
Jol won't be coming back, even if Ramos leaves.
Poyet is too inexperienced,
Rob Hotspurs is a Gooner.
Need I go on?
- Steven Dale, London, England
give him time
- Vidar Bjerke, råholt Norway
Comolli is some tulip blaming 'Agent Activity' for his failure to capture a replacement for Keane and Berbatov.
He should have had that situation sorted in July when we all knew the duo were leaving.
Levy is a smug litle business man reaping £90m in the close season and spending less than £50m.
He doesn't give a hoot about the fans and the club, just ENIC.
He cannot procure a new site nor will he take the chance on expanding WHL, he's a wheeler dealer, no better than his pre-decessor.
Between he and Sir Alan Sugar they have steered Tottenham backwards since Keith Burkenshaw stood across the road the night he was leaving and said to a reporter 'there used to be a football club over there'.
Nothing has changed, sweet nothing.
Had Irvine Scholar not had the difficulties he did have with finance and held out THFC would be big four material.
Alas the 'saviours' since have turned out be a couple of nearly men who have one aim, 'Personal Wealth'. Sugar took millions more than he invested out of the club and when Mr Levy finds the right buyer, he will do exactly the same.
A feeder club indeed.
- Kevin Crossan, London
"Comolli, should of got majority of these players in early, then they could improve their english ..."?
...as long as they don't go to the same English teacher that you had, Adrian!
- Russell, London UK
You cant build a team with players coming in at the last minute. Losing Keane was a blow, Comolli, should of got majority of these players in early, then they could improve their english and have a good preseason. Losing your main forwards after these years, will take time.. We lost Sheringham and it took the team to get used to without him...Back to Basics Juande for now...
- Adrian, London
We will win tonight, but I have a feeling we will draw against Wigan on Sunday, followed by a defeat away to Portsmouth the following week. Leaving us with 2 points from 6 games. Please sack Comolli & Ramos and put Poyet in charge. Give him the funds to sign 2 more forwards, a left sided midfield player, a decent centre back & holding midfield player in the January window. Failing which I cant see any chance of a top 6 finish.Why oh why didnt Levy back Martin Jol ?
- Rob Hotspurs, South London
Surely if Spurs dont win tonight Ramos leaves. The man has had plenty of money and time to get a squad ready for the season and they've so far failed to deliver.
Bring back Martin Jol!
(I left a comment when they first sacked him saying they shouldnt have sacked him and look now at what hes doing in Germany/ top of the table and look where Ramos has taking us. Bottom!!!
Get him out
- Keiran Smith, Aberdeen Scotland
