It tolls for thee, Juande.
Was that the Pompey bell or was it the death knell for the Spurs manager.
After that inept display at Pompey yesterday, to go along with everything else that’s gone on at the club over the last few months the sharks in the media smell blood and they’re circling the victim. They go after someone every year, single them out then in for the kill.
Keggy took their attention for a little bit, Joe Kinnear is too easy a target and with what he’s said about his own position they know there’s nothing to be gained swimming round there, but with tens of millions spent and tens of millions made, a series of ragbag displays with only two points to show for it and the worst league start in 53 years, not too mention last season’s league shambles Ramos is that juicy fish just trailing off the back of the shoal, easy pickings. David Moyes must be happy as it’s taken their eye of him, though he can point to having sod all to spend over the summer.
The question is Ramos making their job easier on purpose? How else can you explain the team sheet changing every game. Things like the much improved Lennon being benched while full-back Gilberto starts on the left of midfield, Zokora – OK not everyone’s favourite player but one that was putting it in yesterday – being taken off while Jenas who was his usual disgrace to the shirt stayed on.
Going to Pompey who had shipped ten goals in their previous two games and playing with one man up front, one man who received no support throughout, christ if Hull can go to the Woolwich Wanderers new library play two strikers and someone just behind them, can’t we play at least two up, say Pavlyuchenko and Defoe, oh that’s right you let one of them go.
Poor old Bent had played in all the previous games and needed a break did he. Hmmm did you think about this before, maybe mention to the director of football that going into the season with only two strikers wasn’t the best idea.
There was things fundamentally wrong this time last year under Martin Jol, fitness being one of the main things they were spent after 75 minutes and couldn’t hold onto games, also they were useless at defending corners and other set pieces around the box. The board undermined the Dutchman and the team eventually knew he was gone so stopped playing for him.
The thing is have the team ever really played for Ramos? But for three games, yes the Carling Cup quarter, semi and final were big games but other than those three what has there been, nothing to suggest they have, what with three league wins in 2008 so far and the manager having the third worst win record for someone holding that position. As with the previous regime there’s something seriously wrong.
The team can never settle, form partnerships or an understanding as they’re chopped and changed every game, players are played to often out of position, there doesn’t seem to be any pattern of play or at least one the players understand as they float around aimlessly. While certain individuals such as Lennon look to have benefited with a boost in confidence big money signings like Bentley – who you’d never think would ever lack in confidence, so much so you’d claim he was beyond just being confident in his abilities – looks spent, a shadow of the player at Blackburn, who now can’t beat anyone or deliver a cross or a set piece of any worth.
Still there’s all the talk about the players sold especially the two strikers, though they haven’t exactly set pulses racing at their new clubs so far, and that is the other fundamental thing wrong. Keane left with plenty of the summer to go, pre-season was played out with him and Berbatov who everyone knew was off not playing a major role. A system was picked, it fitted the players available, they knew what they were doing then the real stuff started and things changed.
Of course the whole debacle isn’t just down to Ramos there are couple of others who have had a huge hand in the shambles so far, step forward Levy and Comolli. Too busy trying to get the last shekel out of ManUre for Berba, or making big promises about reporting clubs for tapping up the players to try and fill the gap left by the selling of three top class strikers. Pavlyuchenko came in late after playing most of the year without a break but that was it as far as positions required were concerned. Another transfer window and yet again no cover for King, no holding midfielder no real left winger.
Levy, Comolli, and Ramos have had a great opportunity to do something with the club. They’ve failed.
You’re never too big to go down…