Former Tottenham captain Gary Mabbutt believes under-fire Spurs boss Juande Ramos is the right man to lead the club out of their current crisis. The former-England international also thinks the team can overturn their poor run of form and finish in the top six of the Premier League at the end of the season. The London club, who host in-form Hull today, are bottom of the league with just two points from six games after their worst start for 53 years, leading critics to call for the sacking of Ramos.
But Mabbutt said: "There's no need to hit the panic button and it'd be wrong to criticise Juande Ramos. He's a top manager and he's got a level head. "He knows exactly what needs to be done to turn things around and his proven track record shows he can sort out difficult situations. "The position's far from great but Ramos has the tactical acumen and the players to turn things around." Tottenham have drawn just two matches in the league this season and lost their last two to Newcastle and Portsmouth, after which Ramos was harangued by Spurs' travelling supporters.
But Mabbutt, who played for Spurs for 16 years, said the fans were wrong to lay the blame with their manager. "In fact, you have to have some sympathy for Ramos," he said. "His squad's been completely overhauled over the summer. There are a lot of new faces in and, however good those players are, they don't gel overnight. "Ramos has not had enough time to get things right but he will. He's finally got his own team, not the one he inherited and I expect them to be an excellent side despite their worrying start."
mmajendie@thenational.ea