Is it time for Tottenham to sack Juande Ramos?

Yet another defeat for Tottenham Hotspur, yet more misery for the club's supporters, and yet more pressure on the shoulders of one Juande Ramos. The calamitous start to Tottenham's season has left the White Hart Lane faithful scratching their heads and wondering just how the club have managed to make their worst start to a season since 1912.

Tottenham remain rock bottom of the Premier League, without a win and facing up to the possibility of playing Championship football next season.

A year ago Martin Jol had already been sacked after making a slightly better start to the season, but in Ramos, Tottenham finally felt they had the man to help them break into the top four - that now looks further away than ever.

Are the board and Damien Comolli, the director of football, also culpable in all of this? Did Daniel Levy, the chairman, undermine his manager by selling Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov without a plan to bring in adequate replacements?

Or does the blame rest soley with Ramos? Has he just failed to grasp the technicalities of the English game? Or should he be given time to turn this all around, after all he won a trophy last season, didn't he? 

Some will say that sacking Ramos is not the answer, and call for the need for stability. But others might argue that is all well and good, but when it is obvious the wheels have fallen off there comes a time when it isn't a panic move but an essential one.

So let's hear what you think, the question is simple. Is it time for Tottenham to sack Ramos?

Don't forget to leave your comments below.

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Comments

[Robert Postuma]

They should sack the *d*ot who owns the team.

[Peter London]

'Top four' is a good target to aim at, but an unlikely achievement just now for a young squad, many new to club, Premier League and life in England. When familiar with each other's abilities and foibles, and settled in, this talented bunch will sparkle and, with a little reinforcement first thing in the January transfer window, could soon aim for the top. Already amidst the struggle and frustrations of recent weeks, there have been signs of coming transformation.

Appointing proven winner Ramos and trading players, has been about investing in the future, Spurs winning a trophy under him within four months confirming that belief in what could yet be achieved. He has been among Spurs' best signings. Sacking Ramos would be about having a sacrificial lamb, to be 'doing something' in reaction to a bad start, and would be plain daft.

Some fans are so relentlessly negative about all things Tottenham at the moment, they constitute little more than a counsel of despair. I have detected some others masquerading online as Spurs fans and exercising an opportunity for a little mischief, quite different from those fans of other clubs who are perplexed at some of the black despair and who wish us all the best in our attempts to really get going.

[brendan Buffini]

look beyond the manager, the directors of the club are clueless, selling your five star players without lining up replacements is plain crazy, the club is doomed.

[TigerBoy]

why not buy the Hull City players, before their price goes through the roof?

[Terry]

Crazy to even consider dumping Ramos!

Spurs chased him and dumped Jol who'd served the club well!

They've got a good squad and 31 games to change things; far too early to panic.

If they go down, take Ramos and the expensive team along and they should come straight back up again?

[Tommy P]

They definately shouldn't sack Ramos. He is a fantastic manager who has been let down spectacularly by Spurs summer transfer policy or lack there of! I agree you shouldn't keep a player if they want to leave as its destructive to the team moral. But at least get in an adequete replacement. What the hell was Comolli doing? Apparently Daniel Levi had to wade in and ensure we at least got Pavelychenko. Against Hull, spurs weren't bad at all. Hulls goal was unstoppable and we were all over them for large periods of the game. We just need a bit of luck. Its pointless saying we should never have sacked Jol (which is true) because the problem is still there. We need a strong defensive midfielder who can patrol in front of the defenders. Huddlestone is a good passer of the ball but lacks pace and occassionally he appears dis-interested. Hopefully Ramos and his new players will be given time. Its still his first full season and to sack him would be a big mistake as well as cost the club £20million in compensation.

[Frits Kohler]

To sack Ramos would be the same mistake made as when they sacked Jol (Nr. 1 in German competition now) The Spurs needs to give Ramos the same responsibilities as Wenger, Ferguson and then you will be able to judge him onm his qualities.

[Pinkie]

With King a part time captain and Keane gone, isn't it obvious Spurs need leadership on the field and a strong presence in midfield?

The buck stops with Levy, who appears to see a football team purely as a production line for buying cheap and selling dearly.

If he's incapable of allowing a manager to do the job without interfering then he should go. Sacking yet another manager is not the answer.

[Alex]

Things dont look great at the moment, but getting rid of Ramos would be completely unthinkable. Its fair to say that he has not proved able to instantly adapt to the premier league (although winning the Carling Cup was not a bad achievement all things considered) but the man who won two consecutive UEFA cups and was within a couple of points of winning La Liga hasnt suddenly become an awful manager. As has already been said, selling 3 top strikers within the space of 6 months and not properly replacing them was always going to cause problems. Now the team are clearly suffering from a distinct lack of confidence and its up to Ramos to prove his worth by turning this around.

[Pinkie]

Both Wenger and Ferguson are in charge of who comes and goes in their respective squads. So should Ramos.

After so many managers isn't it time Levy and Comolli admitted they are the problem. Neither appear to have a clue.

For the sake of a few bucks, Levy has ruined another season. After the way he's behaved, who in their right mind will want to work or play for Spurs while he's in charge?

[DAVIDfromKENTON]

Spurs need to take a look 2 miles down the road to see how a 'proper' club is run. Spurs are an embarrassment from top to bottom. I almost feel sorry for the fans. Ramos has a proven track record, but he is not going to get anywhere with Comolli and Levy calling the shots.

[Jamie Lipton]

Spurs must not sack Ramos. He should be forced (by threat of being sued for breach-of-contract) to stay to try and get the team back up to the Premiership following the almost inevitable relegation.
If long-suffering Spurs supporters must face the ignominy of relegation, so should he. As for Comolli, he put his reputation on the line when he sacked Jol to hire Ramos; if Daniel Levy doesn't fire him, then Joe Lewis should remove Levy from his post.
On the bright side, season ticket prices will probably be cheaper for a Championship side.

[Mark Burrows]

The whole club is at fault, Levy/Comolli, Ramos and the players. Ramos has seriously been undermined by the selling of Berbatov and Keane with no replacements but he was also the man who has keeps changing personnel, keeps playing one up front, does not play Dos Santos on the left and then states the results in Pre Season were great (when Dos Santos was playing on the left) and has no strategy or direction and cannot commuicate it to the players

Ramos let go or sanctioned the release of Defoe, Tanio, Malbranque and Chimbonda who would all do a job and make the squad so much stronger and give it more balance.

Comolli and Levy started this mess with selling players with no adequate replacements but Ramos has added to the confusion with resting players for Premier League games and playing his stongest team in UEFA Cup.

I would not normally call for a sacking of a manager but it has been proved over the last few games, that he is not the man to take out of the bottom 3 as he has not got a clue and is rabbit in headlights

[LawroLawroLawro]

Sacking Ramos is not the answer. To make a managerial change would ironically be making no change whatsoever. Since it would be nothing new for Spurs to sack another manager.

After our cup win last year, we fizzled out, Ramos began preparation for this season, then during the summer, all that preparation was undermined by squad uncertainty. Ramos and the players, had no idea what the squad would be come September. Solid players, who had done little wrong (Taino, Malbranque, Kaboul, Chimbonda) were sold for meaningless amounts. It's not like spurs needed the money. We all know about Berbatov and Keane.

No one knew where they stood. So rather than finely tuning his machine, Ramos has had to fix the engine while driving. A difficult task.

It will come good. It must. But spurs will have to learn, if they are ever to fulfil the expectations of the fans. Which ultimately, is what any football club should strive to do.

It just so happens Spurs fans want the world.

[Leigh Vernier]

Spurs need entirely new club ethos. Work towards the old Liverpool dynasty approach.
First, sell to a sympathetic new owner. Abu Dhabi is example.
Next, NO director of football! Instead, super tough manager who rules with rod of iron, buys, sells.. Offer O'Neill cast iron "highest paid contract.
Clear out, sell all also-rans and 'pretty' players. Jenas is one.
Bring in players with the steel and character of Essien, Shearer. Like Bale and Hutton now.
Emphasis on psychology alongside manager to get best out of every player..

[charlie the cockerel]

To suggest ramos should go, is a joke!

The issues are not of his own making....

Selling 3 of our best strikers then replacing them with players that the manager either does not want or have a say in, is not the way forward.

The role of director of football has already cost the heads of 2 managers this season, and in my humble opinion ramos might walk if he is not given his own head.

When january comes let him manage the transfer window, decide who comes and goes, and see what happens. We will not go down of that i am sure, however we will if levy does not realise the director of football position does not work !

[Johnny Mac]

The fault doesn't lie with Ramos, he's just inherited the problems. Any follower of Tottenham will agree that over the last few seasons, the only thing that has prevented a similar catastrophic season has been the ability to score goals. The defence, for as long as I can remember has been lamentable. Over the last two seasons, Keane and Berbatov have scored, between them, approx two thirds of the total goals scored. It doesn't need a PhD to work out that selling these two without adequate replacements, and without strengthening the defence, will end in tears. Whoever bears resonsibility for this bit of commercial niaivete should be out on their ear tomorrow. Unfortunately the damage has been done, they've just augmented mediocre players with more mediocrity, and it's going to be very hard for any manager to turn it round. Even Ferguson couldn't make a winning team out of this lot. What's wrong with making a player honour his contract? - it's not like they need to move clubs because the money's no good! They deserve all they get, and that's not easy for a life-long Spurs supporter to say, but if it acts as a wake-up call to the game, maybe it would be good if they went down.
P***** off
Melbourne

[Gordon Binns]

They should never have got rid of Jol - Get in El Tel and get rid of Commolli (whom has made major blunders).