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Can it get any worse for Ramos at Spurs?
Tom Collomosse06.10.08
The problems were piling up for Juande Ramos at White Hart Lane today after yet another defeat left Tottenham languishing at the bottom of the Premier League.
The team were booed off the field following their 1-0 loss to Hull City, leaving the Spanish manager with a mountain to climb.
Hull's 1-0 win at White Hart Lane means Ramos has overseen Spurs' worst start to a League season since 1912 — the year the Titanic sank.
Ramos insisted that he still has the support of chairman Daniel Levy, but midfielder Didier Zokora admitted that his boss is facing a “difficult” future while assistant Gus Poyet said things had to change quickly.
Accepting that Spurs' dire performances on the pitch this term had left his boss under intense pressure, midfielder Zokora said: “When he came in, we beat Arsenal and then won the Carling Cup, but at the moment it is difficult for Ramos because, after seven games, we have only two points.
“At the start of the season, Tottenham were tipped to finish in the top five or the top six. When we win a game, I am sure the confidence will come back, but yesterday was a very bad day.
“The manager wants to help the team and wants to give motivation, because when the manager does not give players motivation, they do not play very well.
“We need the manager to help the team, and he talked very well after the game. We worked hard, we ran a lot and created chances. We have to try again in the next game.”
Director of football Damien Comolli will also see his position come under increasing scrutiny if results don't change and Poyet admitted that everyone at the club had to take the blame.
Poyet said: “The whole club, including the chairman, decided the system we put in place, so what's the problem?
“When you are in this position everyone is responsible. We have to accept we made the decision to bring in all the players and you can't blame anyone else.
“Dimitar Berbatov is gone and I don't want to blame him, he is not responsible for what is going on. The situation is not the best and it is difficult because at the start of the season we weren't thinking about being here and we have to change things quickly and we have a lot of work to do.”
Spurs were much more threatening in attack than they have been in recent matches, but bad luck and poor finishing meant they were beaten yet again.
Geovanni's brilliant free-kick secured Hull's second win in north London in nine days, but Gareth Bale and Jonathan Woodgate hit the woodwork for the home side, while referee Rob Styles failed to give a penalty when Luka Modric was upended inside the box.
To make matters worse, striker Roman Pavlyuchenko limped off with an ankle injury after 35 minutes, and will have a scan today, while winger David Bentley has been dropped from the England squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Kazakhstan and Belarus.
But Ramos, who signed a four-year £4million deal just under 12 months ago, said: “I am the same when we win or when we lose. Any decision on my future will not be made by me.”
Reader views (10)
Taarabt is the cutting edge !!!! He is blunter than an already blunt Aaron Lennon!
- Paxton, N17
Why isnt he playing Taarabt and Ghaly, Taarabt is the cutting edge we are missing in the final third.
- Mike, JHB, South Africa
"Can it get any worse for Ramos at Spurs?" Yes, hopefully. Bring in Venables, sack Comolli. Bring in Kinnear, sack Venables. Bring in Robson, sack Kinnear.
As a non-league football fan, I'm enjoying this immensely! I have been getting thoroughly bored of Prem football in recent months and years, but sagas like this brighten up my day no end!!
- Doug, Wimbledon
I think that WE MUST make a public announcement that JR and DC are both staying at WHL. Then the team will feel more comfortable and this terrible deterioration that we are all witnessing will stop. Either that or we need to be bailed out with a new manager and an Abramovich type. That is if anyone has got any money left after Meltdown Monday Part 2! It is quite a juxtaposition when compared to Spurs, however the money markets do seem to go up some days. Tottenham Hotspur just seems to be permanently haemoraging funds, goals and sadly so belief.
Once we were great. Those days will return, like the money markets, but at this rate it will take ten years.
- Jonathan, London. UK
Bring in Venables and sack Comolli.
We need someone who knows how Spurs works and the players we need.
A coach can't work with players he didn't signed!
- Adrian, London
Amen, Rob!
- Neil Blatt, L.A. California
Wenday (going to win) Ramos song
3, 6, 9
Levy drank wine
He and Juande screwed Tottenham on Victoria line
The line broke, the fans got choked
and they all went to Championship on a little leaky boat
Clap pat - clap pat - clap pat - clap slap
Clap Pat! Clap you hand....
Levy, what did you learn?
- Colin Stevens, USA
I keep on hearing that all we need to do is win a game and things will get better. How did we get through to the next round of the Carling Cup and the group stage of the UEFA Cup if not by winning a game? And did things get better? It's obviously a lot more fundamental than merely an issue of confidence and winning one game won't address the basic needs, which I can't see disappearing until after the January transfer window - our squad is not fit for purpose. Unfortunately, however, by this time it might be too late to save our Premier league career
- Brian Capaloff, Falkirk, Scotland
Yes it can only get much worse cos we have Arsenal (a) Liverpool (h) and Man City(a) after the Bolton game.
It's all very very depressing and desperate at the moment.
- Steve, Kent
It sums things up, we are bottom with Ramos & the superb Martin Jol is top in Germany. Ramos has to go and for the rest of the season put Poyet in charge with Dennis Wise as his assistant. The longer we keep Ramos, the more danger of being relegated.
- Rob Hotspurs, South London
