Ramos relishing Tottenham pressure

JUANDE RAMOS accepts it would be a disaster if Tottenham get knocked out of Europe this afternoon — but insists he is relishing the pressure (kick-off 2.40pm).

Ramos has overseen Spurs’ worst league start for 53 years and failing to defend their 2-1 lead over Wisla Krakow would increase the spotlight on the head coach, who will be without £22 million (€27 million) worth of signings as Vedran Corluka and Roman Pavlyuchenko were signed having already played in the UEFA Cup this season.

At stake is a place in the group stages of a competition that offers a more likely route for success, given Spurs are bottom of the Premier League.

“It would be a disaster for Tottenham to be knocked out of European competition,” said the head coach. “We want to win the UEFA Cup, but football is football.

“I don’t think it would be an empty season for us if we are knocked out, however. We want win but we are also in the Premier League, the FA Cup and the Carling Cup.”

Ramos showed his usual coolness ahead of the game against the Polish champions, who beat Barcelona 1-0 at Stadion Wisly when they were knocked out of the Champions League earlier in the campaign.

During the early stages of his reign at Sevilla, Ramos was under the type of pressure he is facing at Spurs.

“In Spain I think the pressure is more because in England I only have to face the media once a week,” he said. “In Spain it is every day. I am very happy here because of that!

“I have been a coach for 20 years and it has always been the same. When you win you are the king and when you lose you are the worst.

“This is my job. I understand the situation, I understand the fans and the media. I am sure that if we win in the next two or three weeks it will be ‘Ramos is the best in the world’. This is the nature of football.”

Skipper Ledley King is set to return to the starting line-up after being rested against Portsmouth at the weekend. Left-back Gareth Bale will have a late test on his foot injury. But Ramos will be without right-back Alan Hutton due to a foot injury.

Darren Bent is likely to start in attack on his own, with Fraizer Campbell on the bench.