Poyet: No doubting Spurs' quality

Gus Poyet is confident the new regime at White Hart Lane has the ingredients at their disposal to turn Tottenham’s season around, starting with the Carling Cup clash against Blackpool tonight.

Poyet, one of Juande Ramos’ first-team coaches, has helped take three training sessions and there will be another today before the fourth-round tie against Championship opponents.

Spurs have not won since beating Middlesbrough in the last round more than a month ago and Uruguayan Poyet has noticed a lack of belief in his short time since returning to the club – but he has also been encouraged by the talent in the squad.

“The quality you can see straight away,” said the former Spurs midfielder. “We have our opinion about what is missing, what we have to turn around as soon as possible.

“The ingredients are there. That’s the key. I know three or four of the players who were here when I was playing here, so I can talk really frankly with them.

“Everybody is talking about fitness because we’ve conceded in the last minute. That’s the easy part. We’re here to look at the whole picture: how you defend in the last few minutes, how high up the pitch you defend, so sometimes it’s more a mental problem.

“We’re trying to study.”

With the transfer window two months away from opening, Ramos will have to work with what he has for the time being, and he has the bulk of the squad that sealed consecutive top-five finishes in the Premier League under Martin Jol before his dismissal.

It has not stopped Ramos being linked with swoops for players from his former club Sevilla.

“It’s about concentrating on getting some results rather than looking at the next window,” said sporting director Damien Comolli.

Under the club’s structure, it is Ramos who will identify an area of the team to strengthen, then Comolli and his scouting network will find a player.

Ramos may have a player in mind but it is clear that the transfer system at the club is not solely down the new head coach, meaning it is uncertain whether he will be able to impose his own specific players on Spurs in January.

He is, however, expected to impose his attacking style of play, particularly using wide players.

“Attacking football is my philosophy,” said the Spaniard. “If you want to instil that in Tottenham, you need the right ingredients.

“Tottenham has a reputation of playing good, attacking football albeit a little bit different from that played in Spain.

“But we’ll do our best to play that attacking style that everybody wants to see.”

Comolli hopes that will earn the club respect after a messy two months when Spurs officials were pictured with Ramos, leaving Jol’s position appearing untenable.

“One of the reasons Juande is here is because he gets results with style,” he said. “I think that’s how you get respect.”