Juande Ramos planning to trim Spurs squad

Subject: Juande Ramos planning to trim Spurs squad Thu Nov 29 2007, 09:44

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=A1YourView&xml=/sport/2007/11/29/sfntot129.xm

It was not merely the distressed leather jacket that betrayed the gung-ho side to Juande Ramos' nature yesterday. The rhetoric also spoke volumes about the Tottenham manager's intentions as he promised to pare down his squad during the January transfer window.

Quite how this would sit with Daniel Levy, a chairman renowned for his largesse in buying players, was unclear, but the Spaniard's message was unmistakable - precipitous signings at this stage of the season were, he said, the preserve of "desperate" teams.

Future plans: Juande Ramos has called for patience at Spurs
This should not suggest that the Spaniard is content with the squad, and in particular the surfeit of strikers, bequeathed to him as a result of Levy's generous spending. Far from it - Ramos still has the doubts over out-of-form Dimitar Berbatov to resolve, and he indicated yesterday that Jermain Defoe, whose peripheral influence at Tottenham was underscored by his missed penalty against West Ham last Sunday, could soon be off-loaded. "Of course there are difficulties with the contract," he said when pressed on Defoe's future, while expressing a ruthless attitude towards those who were not starting many matches.

"It depends on the type of player he is," Ramos explained. "If it's a player who is not getting many minutes and is interested in leaving, then maybe he could go." The unsettled Defoe seems to fit that category - so too does Tom Huddlestone, although the marginal midfielder might find himself pushed before he shows any desire to leave.

It was telling, too, that the manager did not plan to redress any January departures with 'trophy' signings, and instead identified patience as the key virtue Tottenham needed to reverse a wretched start to the season. "We are looking at how the team is working," he said. "There is a month to go until January; knowing what possibilities we have in the various competitions is important in terms of taking a decision."

By this, of course, Ramos meant Europe - should the club find themselves on track for the final stages of the Uefa Cup after tonight's group game against Danish side Aalborg at White Hart Lane, the need for reinforcements will be more acute.

In any event, the January market hardly offers an instant cure for Tottenham's maladies. "The opportunity to sign good players at this time is very difficult because the good players stay with the good teams," Ramos said. "At the end of the season, there could be some players of the level that would interest us. "

Traditionally, Tottenham have looked to youth to revitalise their sides, but the manager suggested a different philosophy was needed. "We need experience and leadership," insisted the 52-year-old, who was also not shy of volunteering his view on what the England team needed in two words: Jose Mourinho. "If the decision was to employ Mourinho, I would be totally behind it because he has been one of the most prestigious coaches in recent years," Ramos said. "He has an enormous ability to be the England manager."

Match details (probable)

Tottenham (4-4-2): Robinson; Chimbonda, Kaboul, Dawson, Bale; Lennon, Jenas, Zokora, Malbranque; Berbatov, Keane.
Aalborg (4-5-1): Zaza; Olesen, Califf, M Jakobsen, Pedersen; Nomrethe, Risgaurd, Johansson, Augustinussen, Curth; Prica.
Referee: P Proenca (Portugal).

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Founding Father Joined : 05 Jun 2007 Posts : 3522

maladies?

I like Ramos more and more apart form the Hudd bit.

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

Potential January departees:

The Hudd
Routledge
The Hudd
Defoe
Taarabt
The Hudd

Others?

I really hope he brings in an experienced defensive midfielder, maybe Senna from Villreal that United were sniffing around a couple of years ago? And an experienced centre half, similar to Naybet.

Edgar Davids Joined : 06 Jun 2007 Posts : 2497

How old is Senna? The rumours are that Ramos wanted some of the experieced players from Seville (Escude, Kanoute and Palop) but they were all over 29 years old so Levy won't sanction the moves.

If this is true, it is a ridiculous decision. Good teams buy quality players. Resale value should not be a consideration.
_________________
To dare is to do

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

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

"If we have possibilities in important competitions, we will weigh it up. If that isn't the case, we are not going to spend money. I don't like the January transfer market because the good players are already with their teams. If a team has a good player, they are not going to give him away. In January, the only teams that sign players are the desperate teams. You've got to make your signings calmly and be certain about what you want and need. If we get through, the Uefa Cup starts again in March. By then, the window will have closed. We will have to take the decision when we know whether we are in or out." Juande Ramos.

Founding Father Joined : 05 Jun 2007 Posts : 3522

*applaudes*

Subject: Re: Juande Ramos planning to trim Spurs squad Thu Nov 29 2007, 18:07