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Harry Redknapp faces up to a defensive nightmare
Tom Collomosse and Simon Johnson25.11.08
Harry Redknapp will be forced into a defensive shake-up for Tottenham's UEFA Cup tie against NEC Nijmegen on Thursday.
Redknapp will be without skipper Ledley King, who can play only one game a week due to his knee problems, and right-back Alan Hutton, who underwent a scan on a foot injury yesterday, for the Group D fixture in Holland.
To make matters worse, Vedran Corluka is cup-tied having already played for Manchester City earlier in the competition, while another defender, Paul Stalteri, cannot play because he was not registered in the UEFA list by former manager Juande Ramos.
Redknapp could give a chance to Chris Gunter but he has not started a game since the 1-0 home defeat by Hull on 5 October.
That start came under Ramos who admitted today he has been left stunned by the way Tottenham players turned on him before and after he got the sack.
David Bentley and Jonathan Woodgate both undermined Ramos just before he was fired by making outspoken attacks on how things were being run and Darren Bent has since claimed that the Spaniard only "spoke four words to him in a year".
Ramos said: "Honestly, I have been surprised but I have a clear conscience regarding myself and the coaching staff's work.
"We gave our all, managed to win a title, but I felt sad for not being able to run my project.
"Right now all I do is watch football through television and the internet and spend time with my family [in London]."
Ramos agreed a pay-off with Spurs last week and insists he is not in a hurry to return to management just yet.
Reader views (8)
What is Ramos and Jol's payoffS by Spurs?
- Martin Geronimo, Sussex, England
the 20 or so games i have seen at the lane in the year.Jenas has only played well in a handful of them,he certainly is overated and frustrates the fans wit hhis relaxed approach..Hutton will not be missed,Gunter is an ample replacement as he has been outstanding for Wales in the few games he has played this season..The uefa cup is important as it gives the team more confidence as they paly toether under Harry,and can keep our season going,as momentum is important.
can some people stop going on about jol and ramos,they are long gone..so lets get behind the new crop and give total support and stop dwelling on past stories.
- Sparky, herts
I am not too concerned about this match as its only the UEFA cup.
- Rob Hotspurs, South London
are you sure ?
- Steve, braintree ,essex
Spot on JD except for Corluka. I rate him and view him as getting better all the time. It is time for a swap deal with some French club for Assou Ekotto. Him for a litre of cheap red wine. At the very least a used bottle opener.
- London Mark, London UK
Ct, do you watch the matches? Jenas is a joke - he goes missing for large parts of games and only picks and chooses when he's "up" for a game... few and far between.
And I'm sorry to say it - but King is not what he used to be - the lack of regular games and continuous injury is beginning to take its toll.
Also the way Hutton has been playing lately - he won't be missed that much!
- Db, Belfast
I am not too concerned about this match as its only the UEFA cup. Our real mission is to keep out of the bottom 3 & ideally to move up the league into a UEFA cup place, which is the best we can realistically hope for after the shambles of sacking Jol & replacing him with the inept Ramos. The true cost of this will be realised in future when our finances are hit by the payments to Jol, Ramos, Comolli, etc. In addition we need to spend significant sums in balancing the team with the aquistion of a keeper, centre half, left back & possibly 2 strikers when Campbell returns, possibly in January.
- Rob Hotspurs, South London
JD, the fact you put cup-tied Pav in the team proves you know very little. But that was obvious by your thinking King is slipping, or that the very very solid Corluka is a def nightmare.
Jenas does a lot of work, and turned the Arsenal game a few weeks back.
The defensive shortage wont be a big problem with both Zokora AND THudd able to play defensively.
Hutton will be missed, but we'll survive.
- Ct, London, England
We allways start games with defensive nightmares when Harry picks Ekotto , Corluka , Gomes ,and Kings slip is starting to show , Jenas is a joke , this is Harry`s team what`s the fuss ! GOMES GUNTER BALE DAWSON WOODGATE ZOKORA LENNON HUDDLESTONE O`HARA PAVLYCHENKO BENT
- Jd, BELFAST N . IRELAND
