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Superstitious Ramos puts best foot forward

Premier League Tottenham Hotspur

by philmcnultybbcsport (U1816352) 26 February 2008

Juande Ramos has brought success to Spurs with a sprinkling of superstition and a large dose of attention to detail.

He is reputed to avoid using the telephone on the day of a game, puts his right foot first on to the turf before each match and would have avoided touching or looking at the Carling Cup until it was won or lost at Wembley on Sunday.

Football's history is littered with tales of the superstitious, such as Gary Lineker's lucky boots, but Ramos has proved there is so much more to his make-up than a reliance on Lady Luck.

Ramos has taken just five months to transform a talented but rudderless squad under Martin Jol into a collection of streamlined, driven winners.

A manager can claim a cup via the luck of the draw and twists and turns of a single games, but Ramos's speciality is also the result of meticulous planning.

He has also done it with an ability to spot the plainly obvious - namely that Spurs should have spent money on a commanding central defender in the summer rather than wasting �16m on Darren Bent then having to wait for Jonathan Woodgate.

So we've got superstition and an eye for the simple things in the game. What else has Juande Ramos brought to Spurs that has made the game sit up and notice?

While Ramos provides the tactical acumen, fitness coach Marcos Alvarez and dietician Antonia Escribano have got the players into shape - and how.

Jermaine Jenas was still pounding his Wembley beat with vigour at the end of 120 minutes and Spurs never looked like they would be outlasted by Chelsea.

Escribano is already gaining almost mythical status with his "Dr Baby Food" tag and his penchant for liquidised cocktails, including garlic and cointreau.

He also provides a dossier for hotels where Spurs players will be staying, ensuring every dietary requirement is met to the letter.

Alvarez recently revealed how he calculated that the Spurs squad was, in total, 100 kg overweight and 50 of those have already disappeared, with more to come.

But Ramos is the real mastermind behind the transformation that has brought a Carling Cup - and already showing signs that this can develop into so much more.

It did not take the trained eye to spot that Spurs were splendid at scoring goals but hopeless at defending them, but someone had to actually do something about it.

Ramos has paid special attention to defence in the double training sessions he introduced having originally been stunned by the eating habits and training regime at Spurs HQ.

He also has a better command of the language of his adopted country than he likes to display in public, taking his sessions in English and apparently communicating perfectly with his team.

It is fair to say that the Spurs defence of early season would have collapsed under the weight of pressure they came under, albeit very sporadically, at Wembley.

Instead, they were well-drilled, superbly organised by Woodgate and captain Ledley King, highly-motivated and barely breached throughout the game.

Ramos believes basic fitness allied to technique equals success, and one look at his achievements at Sevilla proves the point.

He may have sorted out the Spurs rearguard, but Ramos's philosophy is essentially one of attack, as he proved with a positive game plan that put Chelsea counterpart Avram Grant to shame at Wembley.

Steed Malbranque and Aaron Lennon are both progressive wide players, while Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov provide the spearheads.

Ramos could even put Spurs in contention for his third successive Uefa Cup before turning his attention to next season.

It seems almost certain that goalkeeper Paul Robinson, despite crucial saves to set alongside a serious mistake for Chelsea's goal at Wembley, will be shipped out in the summer.

Portsmouth's David James has been linked with Spurs, but surely Ramos will be looking for a more long-term solution, perhaps back in Spain.

He will also seek a powerful central midfield figure and a specialist left-flank player, so do not rule out a renewed move for Juventus' former Chelsea star Tiago, who almost signed in January.

Ramos may want central defensive re-inforcements in the light of King's continuing injury concerns, although the defender is at pains to dispel rumours of any threat to his career.

If Ramos and his fitness team can work their magic on King, what an asset Spurs have.

The thorniest issue may be the future of Berbatov, but why should the Bulgarian simply up and leave a club that fits his desire for a "big" stage and is going firmly in the right direction under Ramos?

If he keeps Berbatov, and I see no footballing reason why the Bulgarian should go, that will rank as one of his best summer moves.

Ramos has been linked with a move for Valencia's David Villa, for so long one of Europe's most coveted attacking talents, but his plan will surely be to use him with Berbatov rather than instead of him.

The next test of Ramos will be his working of the transfer market, but his attention to detail and vast knowledge suggests he will not be found wanting.

If the early signs are anything to go by, Ramos will be going through all his superstitions on many more big occasions in the future.

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comment by sleepingpoundman (U9458474)

posted Feb 28, 2008

Jol did take Spurs out of the dulldrums,but like most good managers he could pick a team and make the usual substitutions,ie Keane for Defoe !!But great manager he was not,when he came up against the greats,Fergie etc,he was always second best!Good luck to him in the future,but he took us as far as his ability could.The appointment of Ramos,however messy ,has been,and will continue to be a major contribution in the development of acheiving our ultimate goal,Champions League Football.Until then as a supporter for 50 years Im gratefull that for the first time since the 1960's Spurs are now in Europe for the 3rd year on the trot!

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comment by only trophy in town is a Spurs one.. (U10161516)

posted Feb 28, 2008

Cheers Alanrevo, reading that made me squirm too. Martin Jol did a wicked job for Spurs and we are forgetting that minus Hutton and Woodgate, it was pretty much Jols Spurs out there on Sunday. And we were always capable of it under Jol but for two reasons, which are probably the names i have just mentioned.
The defense was a major problem, now we have Woodgate - its exactly what we needed. Two months before we signed I told my lad that it was the best and most perfect signing Spurs could make. When we did it i was made up, saw him against United, unreal player.
Plus this, Ramos has got them fitter. But they were fit under Jol, and always worked hard, but I now feel the forward players have the motivation to give it that bit more with a solid defense behind them. Jol has been easily forgotten by some but I think we owe him for what happened Sunday too. The style of football hasn't changed, the players haven't, the philosophy is the same.
But this isn't to say I'm not pleased with what he has done. The players are confident and flying at the moment. But diet or no diet, if Spurs had have signed the same players under Jol, we might have had a different season.
But cant deny I like Ramos, the scenes after the game were great, he looked genuinely happy after the game, for the players and fans with no show about it at all (unlike say a mourinho), and I think he'll be a firm favourite at the Lane for a while.

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comment by chickencurry (U1879459)

posted Feb 28, 2008

Maybe if Jol had been allowed to sign the players he wanted then spurs would have been in the same if not a stronger position than they are now....it pretty clear that last summer Jol asked for centre back and was given Darren bent instead..what can a manager do when a 'sporting director', whom take no accountability for decisions is allowed to select the signings??.....if only the spurs board had given Jol the same freedom and respect they have given Ramos I believe the picture would look very different....

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comment by Grecian_Jeff (U2762143)

posted Feb 28, 2008

agreed chickencurry, let's not forget how Jol turned around Spurs miserable recent league record and got us two seasons of European football too. His position was made untenable by Levy in August, and once the situation hd come about, they should have got Ramos in then. Think where Spurs could be now if that had been the case? And I'm sure, had the board stuck behind Jol, and given him the players he wanted back then, we would have been doing as good if not better in the league that we currently are, if only because we could have avoided the misery of 2+ months of Jol stuck in a 'lame-duck' hole created by Levy.

That said, now it's happened, I'm looking forward to the rest of this season and the next under Ramos!

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comment by RobbiesJoy (U11149158)

posted Feb 29, 2008

Alanrevo and the other Jol-supporters - not Spurs supporters - on here, move aside and follow the progression of Jol's career.

You seem terribly confused. On the one hand you say they were 'Jol's players' on Sunday who won the cup, but then say it is the board who signs the underperforming, expensive players such as Bent. So which is it to be? Jol got the credit for signing the best players but not for the ones who didn't work out - these were signed by the board apparently. As for your serious amnesia, Spurs are only in the league where they are now since Ramos came in; Ramos lifted the club. God knows where we'd be had he not arrived, in with a relegation battle no doubt.

All by the by. Spurs have a great manager now, unlike Jol who was average. Spurs should have been finishing 5th with the quality of the players we have. We should have finished 4th in one of those seasons. Remember that? Oh no, that amnesia I forgot you had.

If you knew anything about football and the club you claim to support you'd know Ramos is famous for getting the best out of good, but not outstanding players suh as Kanoute when he was at Sevilla, who was one of the top scorers in La Liga last year. Jenas and Malbranque seem to fall into his bracket at Spurs currenty under this effect; good, not great players performing to the best of their potential. Ramos brought this out, not Jol. Jenas was a passenger earlier this season and much of last.

I cannot seriously believe there are some who still want Jol to be the maager of Spurs and can't see Ramos is a beter manager. Begone. I'm off to continue League Cup celebrations. You can go off to follow Jol.

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comment by dennisray (U11144058)

posted Feb 29, 2008

The difference between Jol and Ramos is that Ramos is working on developing the abilities and tactical awareness of individual players and as well as the performance of the team as a whole.

I was never impressed with the team under Martin Jol even during the good times.

Also, attention to detail is much better under Ramos.

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comment by TOPTOTTENHAMFAN (U11135318)

posted Mar 1, 2008

without doubt Ramos has changed the way spurs play. they are more exciting and fit than they were last season. and you can tell that the fitness is working as we were deinately looking stronger at the end of extra time than chelsea, they looked a little worse for wear.
I hope that his spanish contacts can help draw david villa to the lane next season as him and berbatov would be out of this world.

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comment by only trophy in town is a Spurs one.. (U10161516)

posted Mar 2, 2008

Robbies Joy wouldn't have responded but for your lack of studying the evidence. I'm a Spurs fan who pays to see his team and i do know what goes on mate. Martin Jol did a great job at Spurs and we would have had success under Jol given time. I never said I wanted the guy back, but I do think that some are getting a little carried away in the aftermath of last Sunday. Maybe yesterday refreshed a few peoples memories..
I think Ramos has done a good job at getting the players fitter and you are right to pay attention to Jenas in particular who has improved enourmously. But if you look at who he plays and when he uses them, its sometimes unwise, for example the other week against United when he substituted Lennon for the liability that is Boateng near the end of the game. He looked well out of his depth. How did that one finish? At Aston Villa when Boateng lost the ball then chased the player all the way back and gave away a free kick outside the area stupidly. What resulted from the free kick? How did we do that day? I could list more, and not just Boateng, but Ramos is no tactical genius by my reckoning so far. His attempts to get the team fit have impressed.
And I think it is real Spurs fans that appreciate what he's done and aren't just here to gloat about how great Spurs are and how great Ramos is. He's brought some glory back and its great to feel that, but a few times we got pretty close with Jol..

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comment by phantompain (U11157414)

posted Mar 6, 2008

I think jol was an excellent manager. he got us our 2 highest finishes ever, in executive seasons!! HOWEVER i think you are missing the point. jol got us the high finishes but never got us the silverware. for example take the carling cup in 2006 against Arsenal in the semi-finals, 2-0 up at half-time, final result, 2-2. that doesnt happen with ramos, his fitness regime means we dont let in stupid goals in the 87th minute (with exception to man-u). Ramos has got us the trophy, yes maybe we are getting a but caught-up in the whole thing but the fact of the matter is, we beat arsenal for the first time in 9 years, we beat chelsea, we nearly beat man-u and we are still in with a big chance of the uefa cup. ramos is an excellent strategician. i like his offensive style and although i miss Jol i think ramos i not just an excellent replacement but an excellent manager

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