Guardian article on Ramos' tactical changes

Gary Stevens Age : 30 Joined : 24 Jul 2007 Posts : 1798

http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,2221572,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=5

Is Juande Ramos the new Mourinho (minus the functioning defence and the winning team)?
David Hytner
Tuesday December 4, 2007
The Guardian
For Juande Ramos the January transfer window cannot open quickly enough. The new Tottenham manager has been shocked at the defensive disarray he has inherited and has made the signing of reinforcements a priority. But in the short term, the Spaniard appears to have drawn upon the wisdom of an old adage that says attack is the best form of defence. As Ramos has sought to apply it he has provoked the comparison with a fellow Latin brave, one who might have departed these shores but whose impact will not be forgotten.

When Jose Mourinho found himself needing to chase a game at Chelsea he had no time for half measures. The proverbial kitchen sink would come out and, while not always successful, it helped to turn the tide on countless occasions. At least it saw his team go down fighting.

Ramos arrived at White Hart Lane from Sevilla in October with a reputation for playing fast, attacking football. His Sevilla team boasted pace and adventure on the flanks, not only in midfield but at full-back, and there was fluent movement throughout. He has signalled his preference for high-scoring games, suggesting last week, after the come-from-behind victory over Aalborg in the Uefa Cup, that he would rather win 3-2 than 1-0 because the fans will suffer either way so they might as well enjoy a few goals. But his dynamic streak has come to the fore in his substitutions and tactical changes as the team have trailed in their last three matches, the first at West Ham in the Premier League.

Ramos had not seen his team fall behind in his opening four fixtures. When they did at Upton Park the Sunday before last he replaced the central defender Younes Kaboul with the striker Darren Bent, asked Didier Zokora to withdraw from central midfield to make a fluid defensive three and instructed Aaron Lennon to play as a marauding right wing-back. With three up front and Gareth Bale advanced at left wing-back, Tottenham drew level and might have won had Jermain Defoe not seen a late penalty saved.

The Aalborg tie was a triumph for Ramos, snatched from the jaws of humiliation. He had watched his team flounder in the first half, go 2-0 down and suggest that all was lost. A criticism levelled at Martin Jol, Ramos's predecessor, was that he could not alter the course of a game that had slipped from his grasp. Ramos did so against Aalborg in the manner of a poker player pushing his chips all in. He again changed a defender for a striker - Lee Young-pyo for Bent - and again dropped Zokora back to sit in front of a defensive three. Tom Huddlestone was sent on for Jermaine Jenas to anchor the midfield and Robbie Keane was placed behind Dimitar Berbatov and Bent. The Danes could not cope with Tottenham's new and increased attacking angles. Within six minutes it was 2-2 before Bent got the winner.

Ramos started on the front foot against Birmingham City on Sunday, playing Keane behind Berbatov and Bent but when his team trailed again at half-time, courtesy of more defensive slackness, he took off the hapless Kaboul, sent on Huddlestone, dropped Zokora back again and gave Bale, in particular, a radically higher line. The Welshman's position closely resembled that of a left-winger. With Lennon advanced on the other flank and Steed Malbranque breaking forward from midfield, Ramos quickly had his team 2-1 up.

There was no happy ending for him this time. Cameron Jerome evaded Michael Dawson and Zokora to equalise with a shot from the edge of the area and when Keane was harshly sent off, it was Birmingham who overran Tottenham, Sebastian Larsson scoring the late winner.

"We had enough chances to win and we deserved to do so," said Keane. "We have to concentrate on ourselves and cut out the silly mistakes which are killing us." That much is clear and with Ledley King still some way off a comeback from his knee injury, Ramos will have to make ends meet during the busy December programme. He is a long way from the defensive security that Mourinho created and enjoyed at Stamford Bridge but his decisions further forward have begun to inspire.

Edgar Davids Joined : 06 Jun 2007 Posts : 2576

Absolutely right. Apart from a few bad decisions, a slip up at the back and a screamer in to the top corner we were far and away the better team and I enjoyed the way we played, if not the result. I'm a believer.

Gary Stevens Age : 30 Joined : 24 Jul 2007 Posts : 1798

Edgar Davids Joined : 08 Jun 2007 Posts : 2316

I completely agree GDG.

I am not at all worried. We totally outplayed Birmingham. The penalty was harsh (if also naive) and the red card was a crazy overreaction. Plus, somehow yet another nothing team score an absolute screamer against us.

Edgar Davids Joined : 06 Jun 2007 Posts : 2576

Paolo Tramezzani Joined : 11 Jun 2007 Posts : 227

we lost so many points this few seasons by conceding last-min goal...