Ramos determined to salvage Spurs' season

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Tottenham Hotspur manager Juande Ramos has spoken of hisdetermination to turnaround the club's dismal start to the season, itsworst for 53 years.


Juande Ramos: So far so bad.



Sunday's 2-0 defeat away to Portsmouthleft Spurs with four losses and two draws from their opening sixPremier League fixtures Spurs and questions over the Spaniard's jobsecurity.
Goals from Jermain Defoe and Peter Crouch, both formerSpurs players, gave Pompey a comfortable win at Fratton Park where alacklustre display from the Tottenham players drew howls of derisionfrom the travelling supporters who chanted ''You don't know what you'redoing'' at the 54-year-old.
''It's a situation we need to changequickly,'' said Ramos. ''I don't like it and we have to work hard tochange the situation and myself, the coaches and the players areprepared to do that. It's only possible if we work very hard, haveconfidence in our ability and the team is together.''
Ramosadmitted morale was low on the coach home from Pompey but has told hisplayers that it is down to them to drag the club up.
''Only theprofessionals on the pitch can do it,'' he said. ''All the people wantto help but I repeat, only the players and management can change thissituation.''
With just two points from a possible 18 Tottenhamare in a worse position than they were at the same stage last season, apoor start which led to Martin Jol's sacking by an impatient Spursboard. While Ramos remains phlegmatic about the club's current plighthe has admitted that he senses the pressure is mounting, saying: ''Myjob does not depend on me. We have a board and a chairman who decidethat sort of thing''.
Ramos,who won the Carling Cup with Spurs last season, also bemoanedrefereeing decisions which he feels are exacerbating the club'ssituation: ''Things are going against us and nobody is helping us.Everyone is quite upset about it.
''For example, we lost anappeal on a penalty here (at Fratton Park) and they got one in asimilar incident. We went 1-0 down but could have equalised before theygot their second. Against Wigan, too, critical decisions did not go ourway.
Attempting to put a positive spin on the situation Ramossaid: ''I feel I have the confidence of the board. We speak regularlyand we are working together to resolve matters,'' said Ramos.
''Thereis another game on Thursday in a different competition and the playersknow they must recover quickly. Does it hurt when the fans say thosethings? No, it hurts only when we cannot win games.''
Defeat inthe UEFA Cup against Wisla Krakow, when Spurs defend a narrow 2-1first-leg lead in Poland, could leave Ramos under unbearable pressure.