Tottenham Hotspurs
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Robinson confident over goalkeeping spot
Paul Robinson is confident of remaining Tottenham's first-choice goalkeeper, with Juande Ramos promising to give his players every chance to prove themselves before the transfer window opens.
Ramos admitted improvement is needed in all areas following the unconvincing Carling Cup win over Blackpool but he has two months before he can recruit players.
Robinson has made a series of mistakes this season but produced a stunning save in Ramos' first game in charge, while also looking shaky with his handling and kicking at times.
'We will see what happens and if he makes any signings,' said Robinson. 'I am confident I am number one and that it will stay that way.'
Goalkeeper Andres Palop and former Spurs striker Fredi Kanoute have been linked with moves to White Hart Lane after their success under Ramos at Sevilla but the new boss told Spanish newspaper AS that signings were not on his mind.
'Neither from Sevilla or any other team,' he said. 'I have to know what I have here.'
That could prove to work in Robinson's favour after a season where he has been guilty of errors for Spurs and England.
The 28-year-old's form has been part of Spurs' dismal start to the season where they have won once in the Premier League, but he has seen a bit of confidence restored since Ramos took charge of team affairs at the start of the week.
'We have been working defensively the last few days and trying to shore up at the back,' he said.
'The clean sheet against Blackpool reflects that but we have a lot more work to do.
'I think everyone saw a Tottenham team starting to get a bit of confidence and play with a bit of freedom, that is the way the manager wants us to play.'
Robinson and his team-mates were in for training on the morning of the Blackpool game and Ramos comes with a reputation as a disciplinarian.
A lack of stamina, however, has not been a factor behind their drop into the relegation zone, according to Robinson.
'I don't think our fitness has been behind the disappointing start to the season,' he said. 'There are a lot of factors that contribute to a team losing.'
There has been off-the-pitch chaos since the start of the season that has not helped either, and Spurs are still battling to win back credibility following the messy manner of Martin Jol's dismissal.
'You don't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs, we needed to make changes and they were made,' explained non-executive director Sir Keith Mills.
Ramos has been drafted in and is already speaking to his players in English.
'Juande has communicated very well, a lot better than people think he can,' said Robinson.
'He has an aura and confidence about him and hopefully that will breed through the team.'
The Spaniard admitted it was a good time to move clubs after consecutive UEFA Cups, Champions League qualification but a string of poor results this season.
'After some erratic games with Sevilla there was a certain unease and I felt that the people were tired and that it was convenient to have a change of air,' Ramos added in AS.
Ramos also comes with a reputation of attacking football using width and he has also stated he wants to win with 'panache', although he puts emphasis on having the right players.
'Systems do not win matches,' he said. 'You need to find a system that will get the best out of the footballers.
'I want to see the team competing so that we can go on to improve and change things.' -
Middlesbrough 1
Young (52)
Tottenham 1
Darren Bent (35) -
Super goal by Young
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Jol slams Tottenham's transfer policy
Martin Jol has blamed Tottenham's summer transfer policy for the club's current plight and his own exit from the club.
Jol, replaced by Juande Ramos last week, believes the signings made by Spurs sporting director Damien Comolli were a major factor in the club's poor form this season.
Instead of strengthening the midfield, Spurs bought striker Darren Bent for £16million and recruited youngsters Younes Kaboul, Kevin Prince-Boateng and Adel Taarabt.
Jol told The Sun: 'I felt the squad would be unbalanced with these signings and it proved to be the case.
'The funny thing is the new manager will probably come to the same conclusion and the club will go out in January and buy the two players I felt we needed.
'When Frank Arnesen was director of football we spoke together about the players to bring to the club.
'But I did not have the same relationship with the next man (Comolli).
'I think the club wanted to invest in younger players because they wanted to make money on them in the future. The decisions were not being made for footballing reasons.
'I knew that in the summer and I realised my position was becoming very difficult.' -
indeed.....
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Ramos eager to put Spurs in their rightful place
Juande Ramos hopes to be the man to transform the fortunes of ailing Tottenham and believes the club must turn their prestige into prizes.
The former Sevilla coach claimed the north London side have to live up to their enormous history.
'Tottenham is a big club. On one side, the history of the club is enormous. But on the other, is the reality of the results,' he said. 'They haven't won anything in a long time. I compare them to Atletico Madrid in Spain. They have a tremendous prestige but show difficulties to compete.'
Ramos has only been in charge for a week and has yet to get to grips with the problems which have left Spurs fourth-bottom of the Premier League.
'I wouldn't dare to speak of something I don't know about. I don't know the reasons behind the situation,' he told Spanish sports daily Marca. 'I have the advantage of having deeply analysed the team. I know where I'm coming to and Tottenham have the potential to move up.
'I gained a lot of experience (at Sevilla) from the big games. I have also learned to fight for the titles. One of my best memories is playing six finals and winning five of them. Those type of things greatly help a coach,' said the man who guided the Spanish side to back-to-back UEFA Cup successes.
In the meantime Ramos insists he is concentrating on `saving Tottenham's season' and has not considered what additions he needs to make to his squad.
'I won't ask for signings until I have more information on the squad,' he said. 'We have to save this season. For next season we will be able to make more modifications and without pressure.' -
they need a left winger definitely.
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Hapoel Tel-Aviv 0
Tottenham 2
Robbie Keane (26)
Dimitar Berbatov (31) -
'I'm not going anywhere' - Berbatov
Dimitar Berbatov has criticised reports linking him with a move away from Tottenham, saying: 'I am not going anywhere.'
The Bulgaria striker's future has been the subject of intense speculation in recent days amid rumours he is unsettled at struggling Spurs and is angling for a January move to Manchester United.
But the 26-year-old, currently preparing for tonight's UEFA Cup tie at Hapoel Tel Aviv, told his club's official website: 'The fans love the club and they have been behind me ever since my first game. I appreciate them the most and I want to tell them that I am not going anywhere.'
Spurs boss Juande Ramos appeared to indicate yesterday that he would not stand in the £10.9million striker's way if he wanted to leave.
Members of Berbatov's family have been quoted in reports this week claiming the former Bayer Leverkusen star is looking to leave.
The player himself is furious they have been brought into the matter, saying: 'There has been a lot of stuff written about me leaving.
'I haven't said anything until now, but they are now involving my family and I cannot allow that. When somebody is writing lies about my family, I must get involved.
'I am my own man, when I want to speak I will and I will tell you the truth no matter how hard it is. That is why I am talking now.
'I want to let everyone know that I am a Tottenham Hotspur player, I love the club and everyone at the club. I don't always smile so much, but that does not make me a bad person.
'I don't smile because we are near the bottom of the table and have not been playing well - I have not been playing well either.
'The worst thing is when someone starts writing lies and when people see that they start to believe it. That really is the worst thing.
'I just want to say that I am here, I am happy here and I will help the club in any way I can.'
Berbatov, who has two-and-a-half years left on the contract he signed when he joined Spurs in the summer of 2006, claims the transfer rumours have affected his game.
After a sensational debut season in which he scored 23 goals, he has managed to net only twice this term.
He said: 'I have a contract and I will give my best. For now, it is not going so well for me because all the writing in the papers has been messing with my head and I lost my concentration.
'I don't want to see my name in the papers anymore - I just want to play football and enjoy myself.
'When I see things in the paper with somebody telling lies about my father, how can I be calm? I am disappointed and I don't understand how somebody can write something like that - it is a lie.
'Bringing my family into it is the biggest sin.' -
Tottenham 4
Jermaine Jenas (13)
Jermaine Jenas (26)
Aaron Lennon (34)
Darren Bent (72)
Wigan 0 -
Spurs to offer £18M for Man Utd's Carrick
Tottenham plan £25M bid for Real Madrid's Casillas -
West Ham 1
C Cole (20)
Tottenham 1
Michael Dawson (67) -
Defoe and Kaboul sidelined for UEFA Cup clash
Jermain Defoe and Younes Kaboul have been ruled out of Tottenham Hotspurs's UEFA Cup clash against Aalborg at White Hart Lane.
Defoe has a cold and Kaboul has a groin injury, and they join Ledley King (knee), Benoit Assou-Ekotto (knee), Ricardo Rocha (ankle) and Anthony Gardner (ankle) on the sidelines.
Gareth Bale returned from a foot injury to play against West Ham at the weekend, and Steed Malbranque also overcame an ankle complaint to play in that match. -
Riquelme turned down Tottenham for Boca return
Juan Roman Riquelme has revealed he turned down an offer from Tottenham before agreeing to move back to Boca Juniors.
The Argentina midfielder has not made an appearance for Villarreal this season after falling out with coach Manuel Pellegrini and has finally got his wish to quit the Primera Liga high-fliers.
Villarreal officials are currently in South America negotiating his transfer to Boca after Riquelme rejected a move to White Hart Lane.
He said: 'I thank them (Tottenham) for their interest but my family and I want to return home.'
The gifted playmaker, 29, is now hoping he can put his troubles at El Madrigal behind him, play regular football and secure a place in the Argentina squad for the 2010 World Cup. He has played a starring role in his country's World Cup qualifiers this season despite a lack of competitive club football.
'I am a simple person and all I want is to play football every Sunday,' Riquelme added.
'This move is the only chance I have to play at the next World Cup, which is the thing that motivates me most.
'People should know that of the three parties I am the one who has made the biggest effort and that I have offered to play a year for free with Boca.
'I have also told Villarreal they do not have to pay me what they owe me for another year and a half.' -
Tottenham 3
Dimitar Berbatov (46)
Steed Malbranque (51)
Darren Bent (66)
AaB 2
Enevoldsen (2)
Risgaard (37) -
Tottenham 2
Robbie Keane 50(pen)
Robbie Keane 53
Birmingham 3
McSheffrey 24(pen)
Jerome 62
Larsson 90
Red Cards : Robbie Keane 68 -
Tottenham to appeal over Keane red card
Tottenham Hotspur are to appeal Robbie Keane's red card in on Sunday's 3-2 defeat by Birmingham amid confusion over the process that led to the dismissal.
Referee Phil Dowd gave Keane his marching orders for a clumsy lunge at Fabrice Muamba after initially appearing to consult the fourth official and linesman.
The sending-off was tough on Keane, who had hauled Spurs back into an action-packed match with two goals in four minutes after Gary McSheffrey had fired the Blues into a shock first-half lead.
Spurs will seek to have the dismissal overturned and while Ramos is unsure on how Dowd arrived at his decision, he insists Keane should never have seen red.
He said: 'The sending-off was harsh. In this type of incident the referee would normally show a yellow card, it certainly wasn't red.
'The referee was very close by. It was very unfair.
'I don't know what happened but the closest person to the incident was the referee. Anybody else was a lot further away.'
Sebastian Larsson's superb 93rd-minute winner opened Alex McLeish's Birmingham reign with a thrilling victory and condemned Spurs to their first defeat under Ramos.
Gary McSheffrey fired the visitors ahead from the spot after Dowd penalised the error-prone Younes Kaboul for clipping the Blues striker.
Keane responded in kind after Johan Djourou was penalised for a similar offence at the other end and then buried Tom Huddlestone's lofted cross.
A brilliant finish from Cameron Jerome pulled Birmingham level in the 62nd minute before Larsson pounced three minutes into injury time to end a thrilling contest.
It was a remarkable conclusion given Spurs' first-half dominance that saw a number of chances go begging and Ramos lamented the injustice of the result.
The Spaniard said: 'I didn't think it was fair to lose that game after the huge effort we put in.
'To let in a goal like near the end was not fair because we were much the better side.'
McLeish admitted Birmingham's first victory at White Hart Lane since 1984 was a dream start to life at St Andrews.
He said: 'This was more than I expected. I hoped we would keep Spurs quiet and escape with a dream 1-0 victory where everything went perfect.
'To win 3-2 was certainly not how I thought it would finish. But this is only the start.
'It's a terrific boost for us in the fight to climb up the Premiership, especially as Spurs has such phenomenal quality on show.' -
the loss really was rather lao kui
why do they have to give up at the last minute
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Anderlecht 1
Bart Goor 68'
Tottenham 1
Dimitar Berbatov 71'(pen) -
Ramos: No pecking order for strikers at Spurs
Juande Ramos has not given Jermain Defoe a full game since his appointment as head coach at Tottenham - but he insists there is no pecking order of strikers at White Hart Lane.
Defoe came off the bench to grab the late winner in yesterday's 2-1 win over Manchester City, his first strike under Ramos and a goal that reopened the debate over why he sees such little action.
Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov appear to be the first-choice pair for Ramos, and Darren Bent has been given two starts in the last week without making an impact.
Even with Keane suspended for another two matches, Ramos cannot guarantee Defoe a run of games. The 25-year-old was named in the XI of Ramos' first Premier League match in charge of Spurs but has not started since.
'There's no one, two, three or four in order,' said Ramos. 'We simply have four centre-forwards to play in two positions so two can play each game and two have to sit it out.
'Obviously we now only have three forwards to choose from so the minutes will get shared around, mathematically he has more chance of playing.'
Defoe has insisted he is happy at White Hart Lane but is yet to sign the new deal Spurs have talked about, with chairman Daniel Levy fearing losing the striker for nothing as they did with Sol Campbell. -
Tottenham 2
Pascal Chimbonda (45)
Jermain Defoe (83)
Man City 1
Bianchi (61) -
Portsmouth 0
Tottenham 1
Dimitar Berbatov (81)
Tottenham first away win...
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English Carling Cup: Quarterfinals Preview
Man City v Tottenham
Juande Ramos has challenged Tottenham to build on their first domestic away win of the season and end Manchester City's perfect home record.
Spurs travel to the City of Manchester stadium for a Carling Cup quarter-final having finally claimed three Barclays Premier League away points at Portsmouth.
City have won all 10 home matches this season under former England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson but they lost at White Hart Lane recently, as Spurs won the first of two straight league games for the first time this season.
Despite already enjoying success over City, Ramos is in no doubt of the task at hand.
He said: ``City's home record is very impressive and it will be difficult to get any reward there, but if we play as well as we can, we can do it. It is a competition we are happy to be in and a competition we want to win.
``I don't think the match against City at our stadium will have any bearing on the game up there but I believe my players are getting to know what is expected of them. I've been very pleased with the last few games.''
Tottenham reached the Carling Cup semi-finals last season only to be defeated over two legs by rivals Arsenal.
Their league form ensured they did not miss out on a UEFA Cup place as they finished fifth in the table.
But their hopes of a third consecutive continental campaign could rest on a Wembley triumph.
Still in the wrong half of the table nearly halfway through the season, midfielder Jermaine Jenas nevertheless believes Spurs must aim for Europe again.
He said: ``We are a club that belongs in Europe and the manager belongs to European success, too. He's won the last two UEFA Cup's with Sevilla.
``He's changed us, there's no doubt about that. We seem more compact, a lot stronger and there are fewer gaps opening up in defence.
Ramos has lost just one of his 10 games in charge of Spurs. His first game at the helm was October's Carling Cup fourth round win over Blackpool. He is sure to field a strong side tomorrow.
But he may still be without centre-back Michael Dawson, who had to pull out of the Portsmouth match after suffering migraine attacks and being admitted to hospital for temporary checks.
Another headache - especially with Robbie Keane still out suspended - is the dilemma of who fills Tottenham's front line and Ramos seems no nearer solving it.
Jermain Defoe looked much more of a threat than £17million signing Darren Bent when he replaced him against Pompey but the former West Ham forward has still not started for Ramos.
Ramos would only say: ``We have four strikers who are all at a very high level and we must try to use them all as much as we can.''
Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart will get the chance of his young life to stake a claim for a permanent place in the team.
Manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has recalled the 20-year-old prospect for the match.
Andreas Isaksson drops out after four matches, and there is more at stake for both men than a place in the semis, because Eriksson will decide after the game who will be his number one choice for the rest of the campaign.
It is a straight fight between the young Englishman, formerly of Shrewsbury, and the Sweden international - with Kasper Schmeichel currently out on loan to Cardiff.
Eriksson said: ``It is very close between them, although we have planned for a long time to play Hart in this game.
``They have been prepared for it and will no doubt be waiting on Wednesday to hear what I have to say. I have been pleased with the attitude of all three goalkeepers.
``They have been fantastic, very professional and are working extremely hard. It is difficult choosing a number one but I have to do it.''
``I wanted to give Andreas Isaksson a run because it is important not to judge people without giving them a chance.
``It is very difficult for a goalkeeper if they are playing one match in, one match out. It is not a good solution.''
Italian striker Rolando Bianchi should retain his place in the starting line-up, after scoring his second goal in two games in the 4-2 victory against Bolton .
Eriksson said: ``It will be hard to put him back on the bench. He will start.''
Elano is also set for a run-out after a three-match absence with a hamstring injury. Eriksson decided not to risk the Brazil midfielder against Bolton.
Eriksson said: ``He wants to play every game. It is no secret he has been very important to us and behind a lot of our goals.'' -
English Carling Cup: Quarterfinals
Man City vs Tottenham -
Man City 0
Tottenham 2
Jermain Defoe (5)
Steed Malbranque (82)