RAMOS EARNS HIS SPURS
Tottenham Hotspur and Wigan began Sunday equal on eight points at the lower end of the Premier League, but after Spurs’ consummate 4-0 victory the teams couldn’t have looked further apart. The north London club are very much in the ascendancy under the guidance of their new manager, Juande Ramos.
It was only Spurs’ second win of the campaign, but under the Spaniard, there will be many more on the way. In Ramos’ first home game in the league, Jermaine Jenas netted a first-half brace, while Aaron Lennon made sure of the result in the 39th minute with a sweet, dipping, inside-out volley. Darren Bent, coming off the bench, crowned his 200th league game with a well-taken strike in the second half.
There could have been many more too, but scoring has not been Spurs’ problem this term - it is their defensive brittleness that has lost them points. Until now, that is. England No1 Paul Robinson, barracked by fans earlier in the season after a number of questionable performances, has conceded only one goal in his last four games.
Considering his team only managed to keep their sheet clean in two of the previous 15 games, this current run will boost Robinson’s confidence - good news for both club and country.
For Wigan, however, things can only get better. Having parted company with manager Chris Hutchings after last weekend’s 2-0 defeat to Chelsea, they looked rudderless and posed Robinson’s gloves no problems whatsoever. The north west club continue their dismal run - the worst in the Premier League - of seven straight losses, having leaked 18 goals in that time.
Caretaker manager Frank Barlow looked disinterested, and rose from his dug-out only once in 94 minutes - in the 29th minute, after his team were two goals down. “This is definitely not the job I wanted,” Barlow had admitted in midweek, and it showed.
Starting with Marcus Bent as solitary forward, Wigan looked feckless and disorganised. The only positives for Latics fans at present are Emile Heskey’s immanent return - he is pencilled in for the trip to Arsenal at the end of the month - and news that Paul Jewell is to meet club directors to discuss a possible return tomorrow.
Spurs go into the international break with a spring in their step - Ramos’ four games in charge have brought three wins and a draw. They will go to Upton Park to take on local rivals West Ham United on November 25 hoping to jump even further up the Premier League.
Tottenham Hotspur and Wigan began Sunday equal on eight points at the lower end of the Premier League, but after Spurs’ consummate 4-0 victory the teams couldn’t have looked further apart. The north London club are very much in the ascendancy under the guidance of their new manager, Juande Ramos.
It was only Spurs’ second win of the campaign, but under the Spaniard, there will be many more on the way. In Ramos’ first home game in the league, Jermaine Jenas netted a first-half brace, while Aaron Lennon made sure of the result in the 39th minute with a sweet, dipping, inside-out volley. Darren Bent, coming off the bench, crowned his 200th league game with a well-taken strike in the second half.
There could have been many more too, but scoring has not been Spurs’ problem this term - it is their defensive brittleness that has lost them points. Until now, that is. England No1 Paul Robinson, barracked by fans earlier in the season after a number of questionable performances, has conceded only one goal in his last four games.
Considering his team only managed to keep their sheet clean in two of the previous 15 games, this current run will boost Robinson’s confidence - good news for both club and country.
For Wigan, however, things can only get better. Having parted company with manager Chris Hutchings after last weekend’s 2-0 defeat to Chelsea, they looked rudderless and posed Robinson’s gloves no problems whatsoever. The north west club continue their dismal run - the worst in the Premier League - of seven straight losses, having leaked 18 goals in that time.
Caretaker manager Frank Barlow looked disinterested, and rose from his dug-out only once in 94 minutes - in the 29th minute, after his team were two goals down. “This is definitely not the job I wanted,” Barlow had admitted in midweek, and it showed.
Starting with Marcus Bent as solitary forward, Wigan looked feckless and disorganised. The only positives for Latics fans at present are Emile Heskey’s immanent return - he is pencilled in for the trip to Arsenal at the end of the month - and news that Paul Jewell is to meet club directors to discuss a possible return tomorrow.
Spurs go into the international break with a spring in their step - Ramos’ four games in charge have brought three wins and a draw. They will go to Upton Park to take on local rivals West Ham United on November 25 hoping to jump even further up the Premier League.
Labels: Darren Bent, Jemaine Jenas, Juande Ramos, Tottenham, Wigan
