Maa Ka Doodh

Former Tottenham manager Juande Ramos admits the departures of Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov were major factors in Spurs' troubled start to the season.

The Spaniard was relieved of his duties at White Hart Lane late on Saturday night with the team rock bottom of the table, having claimed just two points from their opening eight Premier League games.

The north London club also suffered a losing start to their UEFA Cup group campaign after slumping to 2-0 defeat at Udinese last Thursday.

Spurs splashed out big money this summer to bring in the likes of David Bentley, Roman Pavlyuchenko, Luka Modric and Giovani Dos Santos, but they also lost the services of Keane and Berbatov.

And Ramos feels the loss of the club's two senior forwards - to Liverpool and Manchester United respectively - dealt a blow from which the side never recovered.

"In the summer we experienced a difficult pre-season due to the changes in the squad, which prevented us from working with the tranquility that the summer preparation needs," he said in an open letter on his personal website.

"Furthermore the young age of some of the signings, despite their quality, means they needed some time to adapt and mature, which because of the urgency of the competitions they have not yet been awarded.

"Also the departures of Robbie Keane and Berbatov, important players in the team for their technical and human qualities and their scoring abilities, was too hard a blow for the squad.

"All this triggered a situation which I hope will be turned around as soon as possible because the club and fans deserved it.

"Therefore, now that I say goodbye, I want to express my enormous gratitude to the Spurs fans.

"Their excellent welcome, their respect, their kindness and even their constructive criticism. They have made me happy for many months and I'm only sorry I haven't been able to offer them more great evenings like that of February at Wembley."

The decision to sack Ramos came almost exactly 12 months to the day after he joined the club from Sevilla, whom he led to two successive UEFA Cup triumphs.

Last season he led Spurs away from the relegation zone into lower mid-table and guided them to a Carling Cup triumph, but while be believes those achievements should be ranked as "tremendously successful", Ramos acknowledges the team's form this season always left him open to dismissal.

He said: "After almost 20 years in the game I know the unwritten rules of football and that's why I accept the decision taken by the leaders of Tottenham Hotspur but now, as I say goodbye, I want to give thanks and bid farewell to all the Spurs family.

"We arrived with the highest hopes to a team in the relegation zone in a situation similar to that which is found at these moments, and we had a good start which saw us get to the middle of the table.

"Furthermore, we were able to qualify for Europe when it seemed almost impossible. We achieved it with a great effort on the part of all the team despite the enormous difficulties that we had.

"We also achieved the difficult challenge of lifting a title, which after nine years without tasting success was an enormous joy for all the club and the fans.

"For this we can catalogue last season as tremendously successful."

Ramos went on to thank Spurs fans for their support and the club for allowing him to fulfil his dream of coaching in England.

"You have always been with the team and I thank you for your unyielding encouragement," he said.

"I also want to send my heartfelt wishes to all the people at the club. To all the family that makes up Tottenham Hotspur, to this group of workers without whom nothing would work.

"To you, who have treated me excellently both professionally and personally, I thank you very much with all my heart.

"And lastly I want to thank Tottenham and the directors for the opportunity they have given me to live this dream.

"To coach in the birthplace of football, to feel and live the emotions of the Premier League. Thank you."

CITY MAKE TORRES AN OFFER HE CAN REFUSE
The headline Transfer Gossip of the day is that Manchester City have offered Fernando Torres a mindblowing £200,000 weekly wage to tempt him out of Liverpool. Credit crunch, what credit crunch?

The Daily Mirror claims that 'representatives of the Premiership club's Abu Dhabi owners have made discreet contact with the Liverpool striker's advisors within the last fortnight.

'And while there has been no official approach or a formal offer, it is understood the Spaniard's agents have had the prospect of an incredible deal spelt out to them in no uncertain terms.

'The figure has virtually been plucked out of the air to illustrate to the player's advisor how keen the Arabs would be to see a player of Torres' standing arrive at the City of Manchester Stadium.'

The good news for Pool fans is that, despite the supposed offer, Torres has apparently shown no interest in leaving Anfield for City. If the story has any significance, then it is the bonkers display of financial might being flexed by City's new owners.

Torres has repeatedly stressed he is at happy at Liverpool - a situation that may only change in the next couple of years if Rafa Benitez, whose contract expires in 18 months, is not offered a new deal.


CHELSEA TOLD TO STAY AWAY. IN ENGLAND
That's the spirit! Supposed Chelsea target Ezequiel Lavezzi has announced that there is no chance of him joining the Blues. Unless they relocate to Italy.

"Chelsea are not in my plans," he is quoted as saying in The Sun. "I enjoy the sun and life at Napoli. I've nothing against London but here it's marvellous."
Naturally, the 23-year-old is 'dubbed the new Diego Maradona'. You won't need telling, then, that he is an Argentine.


THIS WON'T HAPPEN
Staying with The Sun, the latest moderately-priced youngster being linked with Arsenal is PSV Eindhoven winger Ibrahim Afellay.

According to the paper, Arsene Wenger is 'ready to make a £6million raid' after being 'impressed by the 22-year-old, who can play anywhere in midfield.'


BERBATOV FANCIES ITALY
A quick word on Dimi Berbatov to finish with. The Bulgarian striker has let slip that he quite fancies playing football in Italy. Which, given that he is 27, suggests that he may not be at Old Trafford for more than a couple of years.

"It is true, I have always liked Italian football," said Berbatov ahead of Bulgaria's World Cup qualifier against the Italians. "But I preferred England. I am happy there...for the time being."

Juande Ramos' job was hanging by a thread on Sunday after Tottenham's season went from bad to worse after a 1-0 home defeat by Hull City. A brilliant first-half free-kick from Brazilian Geovanni did the damage to continue Hull's arrival in the top flight.

Hull's wonderful start has now taken them to third place in the league table but of more immediate relevance was Tottenham's third home league defeat of the season which left them stranded rock bottom of the Premier League with just two points and had Hull fans revelling in their misery.

"You're getting sacked in the morning," they chanted as Ramos stood in statuesque silence on the touchline on a day which had begun with reports linking Terry Venables with a return to Spurs.

No confidence. No organisation. And precious little idea where the next league goal is coming from. It is difficult to see how the Tottenham crisis can be turned around without a change in the managerial team.

To add to the woes of Ramos striker Roman Pavlyuchenko limped off in the first half. Life at the Lane could hardly be more depressing.

By contrast Hull manager Phil Brown is in dreamland. His side have now garnered 14 points from their first seven matches in the top flight, which includes the three points from their visit to Arsenal last weekend.

They are playing with vigour and belief and have brought a breath of fresh air to a Premier League dominated by the same old names.

As it was Spurs could not have got off to a worse start. They might have gone behind after three minutes when a mistake by central defender Jonathan Woodgate left Geovanni in space eight yards from goal with just goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes to beat.

The Brazilian blasted the ball wildly over the bar.

Five minutes later, however, Geovanni showed just why he has been an integral part of Hull's wonderful start.

He lined up a free-kick 25 yards out and this time sent the ball swirling over the wall and into the top corner of the Tottenham net with Gomes rooted to his spot. It was a goal of real quality.

And it prompted euphoria blended with a spot of cruel fun and those 'sack' chants from the Hull travelling faithful.

You could not fault Tottenham for effort. They poured forward in search of an equaliser but it is not work ethic they are lacking. It is organisation and creativity and the goals which disappeared when Spurs sold Dimitar Berbatov and Robbie Keane in the summer.

Ramos will have cursed his luck when he saw Gareth Bale's swinging free-kick touched on to the bar by Hull goalkeeper Boaz Myhill and when Woodgate swung a left-foot and also rattled the Hull woodwork.

But, in truth, it was Hull who dominated the attacking exchanges and always looked the more dangerous and penetrative.

And they could easily have extended their lead when Dean Marney spun on a pass on the edge of the penalty area and crashed a thunderous shot against the foot of a post only to see it rebound to safety.

The departure of a limping Pavlyuchenko did not help the cause and his replacement Darren Bent struggled to make an impact.

But in truth the Tottenham malaise goes far deeper than a change of strikers.

David Bentley was thrown on to try to inject some life into his struggling side and Luka Modric went close on a couple of occasions.

But Hull were worthy winners and while Tottenham claimed they should have had a penalty in the dying minutes when George Boateng appeared to bring down Campbell this time referee Rob Styles, who apologised for wrongly giving Manchester United a penalty against Bolton last weekend, was right to wave away the appeals.

It left Hull basking in a position above Arsenal in third place in the Premier League.

Fantasy land for them. Abject misery for Tottenham.

Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe were on target as Portsmouth saw off battling Stoke 2-1 in Sunday's Premier League clash at Fratton Park. Crouch followed up his crucial UEFA Cup goals against Guimaraes with a spectacular opener but it was left to Defoe to net the winner after former Pompey striker Ricardo Fuller equalised.

Crouch and Defoe now have 11 goals between them this season since Pompey set up their £18.5million partnership.

And the 6ft 7ins former Liverpool forward, who notched two in midweek to rescue Portsmouth's UEFA Cup hopes in Portugal, took them into double figures with a stunning overhead kick from Defoe's pass in the 25th minute.

Yet in Pompey's seventh game in 22 days - boss Harry Redknapp made just two changes from the side that knocked out Guimaraes - they were forced into a fierce battle by Stoke.

But after Fuller bundled home an equaliser three minutes into the second half, Defoe cracked the winner three minutes later, having already hit a post.

All Pompey's early dominance pointed to a comfortable win as winger Armand Traore terrorised Stoke's right flank with a series of raids that produced near misses by Papa Bouba Diop and Defoe.

Yet the home side suddenly began to struggle against Rory Delap's long throws and Fuller's committed approach.

Ex-Pompey chief Tony Pulis must have cursed when Dave Kitson missed a 17th-minute sitter, clipping his shot wide from Delap's diagonal pass with only David James to beat.

Then Seyi Olofinjana was booked for a foul on Sean Davis, who had to go off briefly for a treatment to his lower back and it signalled a Pompey revival.

Davis had just returned by the time the hitherto subdued Defoe chipped a lovely ball across the area and Crouch notched his fourth goal in three games with a stunning volley on the turn.

Pumped-up Pompey pressed again and Defoe's fierce low drive was parried by Steve Simonsen before Diop blasted wide on the half-hour.

Stoke could have had a penalty, however, when four minutes later, Fuller chased a Michael Tonge pass through the centre and tried to round James before going down in a heap.

It looked like referee Andre Marriner had awarded a spot-kick as James raced to him with arms spread wide but the official had pointed for a goal-kick. He then felt obliged to explain the decision to Fuller, who seemed convinced he had been tripped.

Stoke had another penalty shout when Sol Campbell collapsed on top of Fuller soon afterwards but then Defoe was irate after Olofinjana appeared to clip his heels inside the area at the other end. Again the referee was unimpressed.

Defoe kept plugging away and when he crossed to the near post from the right, Crouch was a whisker away from steering home a second goal.

But Pompey had to wait until after the break for their second - by which time Stoke had equalised in typical style.

Fuller muscled in between James and Glen Johnson to apply the final touch to a flicked-on Delap cross after 48 minutes, but within the next three minutes Defoe had restored Pompey's lead.

Defoe rattled the post after 50 minutes but made his next effort count moments later when an almost identical right-foot shot confounded stand-in goalkeeper Steve Simonsen.

Stoke continued their aerial bombardment but Simonsen, deputising for flu-hit Thomas Sorensen, needed to perform heroically to stop Defoe, Crouch and Traore adding more goals for Pompey.

One intervention by Simonsen was too much - careering out of his area to chop down the elusive Traore but was let off with a booking.