Sorry Spurs push Ramos to the brink

JUANDE RAMOS is bearing the look of a condemned man.

The Tottenham head coach’s position was already precarious ahead of this game and now he is staring into the abyss following the most abject result of a miserable season.

Yet, for all the jeers that rang around this stadium as the final whistle confirmed yet another defeat, and Ramos stalked down the tunnel, head bowed, one thought might have consoled him: that the off-field turmoil which continues to engulf the club could yet save his neck.

In a previous era a sacking would be inevitable. Spurs have made their worst start since 1912 — the year the Titanic sank — and their two points from seven games is a poorer return than Derby’s this time last season, with the Rams going on to post the Premier League’s lowest seasonal total.

Certainly Ramos’ record is worse than the man he replaced almost a year ago. Martin Jol was handed his P45 by the current regime and joined Hamburg, who are now top of Germany’s Bundesliga.

However, Tottenham’s modern yet controversial structure makes any search for a successor problematic. Damien Comolli, the sporting director, is himself under scrutiny for his roles in transfer deals, most specifically the ones that did not happen after Dimitar Berbatov, Robbie Keane and Jermain Defoe — approximately 50 goals a season in total — all left. Roman Pavlychenko, the expensive summer replacement, again did little and is now injured.

“The problem for us is that the position of striker is the most weak,” Ramos said. “With only two (other) strikers it is difficult to change.” And whose fault was that? “It was the decision of the club,” he added in his faltering English. “All the people are responsible for good or for bad.”

Terry Venables, manager in the 1990s, has been touted as a replacement - not for Ramos, but for Comolli - but there is hardly a queue of quality candidates forming outside White Hart Lane.

Earlier in the week the club denied an approach for Manchester City’s Mark Hughes but although the Welshman has his own uphill task at Eastlands in coping with decades of expectations outstripping achievement he is hardly likely to leave for this mess.

It would also cost something in the region of €15million to pay Ramos off and the former Seville coach, who used David Bentley as a second-half right-back, has no intention of walking. Asked if he was considering resigning he replied: “This is my job. It is the same when we win or when we lose.”

All of this was of no concern to Hull, who enjoyed their second victory in north London in the space of a week and now find themselves third behind only Chelsea and Liverpool.

Yesterday’s contest was settled early by a perfect free-kick from the Brazilian Geovanni, who had opened their account at the Emirates. From almost 30 yards out he curled the ball over the wall and past compatriot Heurelho Gomes, who hardly moved.

Hull manager Phil Brown was an animated figure on the touchline compared to the static Ramos. Brown revealed his side were only three points ahead of schedule — the ones picked up at the Emirates last week.

“I didn’t expect to beat Arsenal so to compound that with another three points back-to-back is dreamland if truth be known,” he said.

For Spurs, the nightmare goes on.

REFEREE: Rob Styles (Waterlooville) 6: No major gaffes this week although he needed his linesman to confirm a suspicious moment in the box was a Modric mis-kick not a penalty.

MATCH RATING: ***** Always fascinating, this encounter lived up to its billing from the moment 18 photographers zoomed in on the frowning face of Juande Ramos seconds before kick-off.