Pressure is mounting on Tottenham’s Spanish manager Juande Ramos. In Sunday’s only Premiership clash, Spurs lost to Stoke City 2-1 to leave them alone at the bottom of the table with just two points from eight games. This is Spurs’ worst ever start to a league season, and if history is anything to go by, they are destined for relegation. Only one team has managed to avoid relegation after collecting two or lesser points from their first eight games- Southampton in the 1998-99 season.
There have been few silver linings for Ramos this season- Spurs drawing with Chelsea and beating Newcastle in the Carling Cup and Wisla Krakow in the UEFA Cup. But with a trip to in form Italian side Udinese, who have not lost a league match at home this season, awaiting them followed by games against Bolton, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City, there could be worse to come for Spurs fans.
Against Stoke, Spurs had Gareth Bale and Michael Dawson sent off, with Vedran Corluka also having to receive treatment for a serious looking injury. Stoke fans rubbed salt into Ramos’ wounds, taunting him that he would be sacked in the morning.
A loss to Bolton at home in the next fixture would almost certainly seal Ramos’ fate. The former Sevilla man needs to come up with something brilliant to keep his job, and a victory at the Stadio Fruli on Thursday will certainly be a step in the right direction.
Hey, Ramos is really facing the heat.
The absence of King hasn’t helped them.