Lennon: Ramos Likes It Fast And Furious

Jet-heeled winger Aaron Lennon revealed that the Tottenham squad are being encouraged to up the tempo since Juande Ramos arrived at White Hart Lane.

The 20-year-old winger might not need much encouragement to use his pace, but he says that the manager wants his charges to play high-octane football in their bid for glory on four fronts.

Ramos was pegged as the man to usher in new era of success to the North London strugglers, having won back-to-back UEFA Cups with former club Sevilla. Spurs, too, are still involved in the Europe’s second cup competition and Lennon has revealed Ramos’ methods.

"I've always done weights during the week but the boss wants us to be fit as we possibly can so there are a few more faces in the gym now," he revealed to Hotspur magazine.

"Aside from our fitness, he also wants us to play a lot faster, moving the ball quickly, and so that is something that also suits my game.

"People always ask me how quickly I can do the 100metres but I honestly don't know. I'm probably the quickest at the club.

"Gareth Bale and Darren Bent may beg to differ but I would definitely get the better of them. Maybe we'll do it one day."

Lennon is gearing up to face Manchester United in the Fourth Round of the FA Cup on Sunday.

Keane: The Team Comes First

Robbie Keane says he does not take personal satisfaction from his impressive scoring record, but sees it as a reflection on the team.

The Republic of Ireland forward hit his 15th goal of the season against Reading on Tuesday in the FA Cup third round replay, setting up a last-32 Old Trafford meeting with defending Premier League champions and last year's FA Cup runners-up, Manchester United.

The goal against Reading was Keane's 99th in a Tottenham shirt, so he is now just one goal away from a century for Spurs.

However, he insists his focus is on assisting his team-mates, rather than reaching that personal milestone.

"As a striker you are judged on getting goals and it is always important to score and get your confidence up," he said.

"I've been lucky enough to have scored a few this season but it is not about me, it is about the team."

And Keane heaped praise on the Spurs team for their performance at the Madejski Stadium, where they crucially kept a rare clean sheet.

However, he realises that the fourth round tie against United on 27th January will be a lot tougher.

"We are obviously very happy because the most important thing is to get through to the next round," he said.

"I think the most pleasing factor of the evening was that we kept a clean sheet as in the last couple of games against Reading there has been a lot of goals conceded by both teams.

"So it was important for us as a group not to give away any goals and we defended as a team very, very well and from set pieces we never looked like we were going to concede.

"United will obviously be a tough game because they are a great team with fantastic players.

"We know it will be difficult but, over the years, we have gone up there and given a good account of ourselves and we will be looking to do the same again."

Ramos Targeting More Cup Glory

Juande Ramos, the Spurs manager, has won back-to-back Uefa Cups and Spain's Cope del Rey in the last two seasons - and he is now targeting more glory.

His Tottenham side defeated Reading 1-0 in an FA Cup third round replay at the Madejski Stadium on Tuesday, and asked afterwards if he copuld go on to win the Cup, Ramos said:

"We're going to try. The next game is very difficult and we know how tough it will be. They [Manchester United] are clear favourites."

After Robbie Keane hit the only goal of the game against the Royals, Ramos added: "The most important things is to get through to the next round, we have not conceded a goal and it was quite an effort to overcome Reading.

"I'm very happy with the performance. The conditions were not good with the rain and we only had three days rest from the match against Chelsea at the weekend."

However, despite the win, Ramos expressed concern that cup ties could distract Tottenham from their recovery in the Premier League.

"This is my biggest concern," he said.

"We are making a big effort to win in the cups and we have injured players and suspensions as a result."

Ramos Eyes Spanish Duo As First Transfer Targets

Negredo is a highly-rated centre forward, while Mane is a left-footed fullback who is also comfortable in midfield.

The duo have both performed admirably in La Liga this term in Almeria’s fight to survive relegation, but will surely move to North London if Spurs made an approach.

Negredo is the more promising proposition, as he has scored five goals in 15 starts for his struggling club this season and has attracted attention from clubs all over Europe.

He only arrived in the summer from Real Madrid - who interestingly brokered a buy-back option into the deal for they still rate the player but couldn’t assure him the playing time he wanted.

"There does exist interest from big clubs in England, Germany and France for our players at Almeria but we have not received any formal offers," insisted Almeria Chairman Alfonso Garca.

But Negredo revealed a lot more as he confirmed that Spurs have been in touch.

"For me it is good to hear that Tottenham follow me," he told the Spanish papers.

"But I do not know any more details. Now in my head I am only thinking about Almeria and to play as much as I can for them.

"Any offers go to my agent and club."

Berbatov, Or Bundles Of Cash?

Rumours of the Bulgarian’s impending exit began in late December when Berbatov’s agent Emil Dantchev claimed, “if a club which corresponds to Dimitar's class and ambition comes in with an offer which suits his current club in January, he would like to be allowed to go.”

Soon enough, the headlines in all the major papers declared strong interest in the forward emanating from Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City.

In the ensuing weeks it would seem that the nerves of anxious Spurs fans, keen to hear news of Berbatov staying, have been calmed considerably. The chairman of the club, Daniel Levy has stated, “for the record, we are not a selling club,” whilst team captain Ledley King has shown the importance of Berbatov in Tottenham’s future by saying, "if we want to be moving in the right direction, we need to hold on to him - it's as simple as that."

However, the words of Tottenham’s manager Juande Ramos - he said, "I think a club would have to break the British transfer record to sign Berbatov," and "everyone has a price" - have raised an important question. If Tottenham are able to sell the Bulgarian for a fee in excess of £30m, would Spurs be in a better position than if they kept him?

To the loyal fans of Tottenham, the prospect of selling their star striker would seem to be a a move destined to further consign the club to the shadows of their fierce North London rivals, Arsenal. Indeed, with Berbatov in their side it is clear that the club is in possession of a marksman of the highest calibre.

The languid Bulgarian has already bulged the net 13 times for Spurs this season, following on from the 21 goals he scored for the club in his stellar debut campaign. Added to this are the numerous assists and cultured touches that Berbatov is able to provide, and the excellent understanding that he enjoys with fellow striker, Robbie Keane.

The last month has seen Berbatov hit top form with the striker scoring in the win against Portsmouth, the loss at Arsenal, and proving a considerable thorn in the side of Reading by scoring a brace in the FA Cup, and - most remarkably - 4 goals in the league encounter between the sides.

With all this fresh in the mind of the Tottenham fans, it is clear to see why they remain steadfastly against the sale of Berbatov.

However, for signs that all is not lost for a team when they sell their star player, the followers of Tottenham should look towards the performance of Atlético Madrid in La Liga this term.

After an inconsistent season last year, the Rojiblancos finally decided to sell talisman and captain, Fernando Torres, to Liverpool for a fee in excess of £20 million. Upon the sanctioning of this sale, the club supporters protested that there could be no hope for the future without El Niño in the side.

Fast forward to today, and a rejuvenated Atlético sit in fourth place in La Liga. A squad that previously lacked depth and balance has seen the money generated by the transfer of Torres go towards the captures of Diego Forlan, Thiago Motta, Raúl García, Luis García, José Reyes, Simão Sabrosa, Cléber Santana, and Christian Abbiati.

For Tottenham, the sale of Berbatov could offer the chance to address the crippling defensive deficiencies of their side. After conceding goals at an alarming rate all season, the signings of mooted transfer targets goalkeepers Óscar Ustari & Maarten Stekelenburg, defenders Daniel Jarque, Urby Emanuelson, Gianluca Zambrotta, Valon Behrami, & Alan Hutton, plus the reported capture of Sevilla’s midfield battleaxe Christian Poulsen, could add much-needed steel to the team.

Furthermore, it is clear to see that Tottenham do not want for a goalscorer in any case. In Robbie Keane, Spurs posses the player that scored the most league goals in the Premiership throughout 2007 (19 goals), their £16.5m summer signing Darren Bent - who has admittedly yet to hit stride - as well as super-sub and supposed Ramos reject Jermain Defoe.

Thus, it would seem that the declaration of unrest in Berbatov has left the Tottenham board in a quandary. On one hand, the option of keeping hold of their star striker could serve as a powerful statement of intent, whilst on the other, the massive transfer fee required to prise Berbatov from the ‘Lane could be used for essential squad building.

For guidance, it would seem that the directors of Tottenham should look no further than the example set by the Atlético Madrid board for what can be achieved once a club takes the brave decision to sell their top player.

Update: Tottenham Formally End Their Interest In Hutton

After a day of conflicting reports, some of which suggested that Spurs were about to lodge an improved offer for Alan Hutton of Rangers - after the defender rejected an £8million bid for Totteham last Thursday - Spurs have now officially ended their pursuit of the 23-year-old Scotl;and international.

"We have made it clear that we have no further interest in Alan Hutton," said a Tottenham spokesperson.

Given that they have suffered all season from a leaky defence, Tottenham are now likely to line up a new target who can help bring more solidity to their back line.

Emanuelson Hesitant Over Spurs Move

Many of Europe’s top clubs, including Roma, Spurs, Liverpool and Real Madrid have been strongly linked to the 21-yr-old Holland international left-back, but the youngster is yet to make his mind up on where to go.

One man that may hold the key to Emanuelson’s future is Dutch legend Edgar Davids.

The ex-midfielder has been acting as an advisor to Emanuelson throughout his protracted departure from Ajax, and to Spurs fans dismay, the fullback seems to be heeding Davids’ words.

Emanuelson revealed that Davids, a former Spurs, Barcelona, Ajax, Milan and Juventus star, warned him against a move to White Hart Lane in favour of a bigger club.

"Edgar told me it was a great club, but that I should not join Spurs," he told Sportweek magazine.

"He said to me 'you are an Ajax player, you are young and talented, so you only need to go to a top club in England, Spain or Italy'.

"I have thought about what he said and I think he is right."

Tottenham Bid For Tiago

The Portuguese international only signed for the Bianconeri in the summer from Lyon for €14m, however he has struggled to adapt to the Italian game.


Having made just nine appearances, three of these starts, it was believed that Juve would look to offload him during this month’s transfer window.


Spurs manager Juande Ramos is desperate to find a top-class performer in the centre of his midfield, and believes that Tiago will add some much-needed bite and quality.


However La Stampa believes that Juve will reject this bid, as the player is beginning to earn the trust of Coach Claudio Ranieri.


Tiago produced some much-improved performances prior to Christmas, and Ranieri has been extensively testing him during the winter break as a trequartista behind Alessandro Del Piero and David Trezeguet.


The Tinkerman expects Tiago to have a fine second half to the season and this trust has rubbed off on the player himself, who yesterday admitted to friends about the offer of Spurs but said: “I want to stay and demonstrate my value.”


This news will come as a blow to the North-Londoners, who also seem set to be rebuffed by Tiago’s Portuguese compatriot Maniche, who could move on loan to Inter Milan from Atletico Madrid.

Berbatov Is Vital To Our Future, Says King

The 26-year-old Bulgarian ace has been the subject of intense speculation, with Manchester United and Chelsea both seemingly intent of bolstering their already star-studded strike-forces at the expense of a team that is desperate to join their ranks.

"It's no surprise he is being linked away but we want to keep hold of our best players," said King. "If we want to be moving in the right direction, we need to hold on to him, it's as simple as that."

The highly rated defender then turned his attention to the upcoming Carling Cup semifinal clash with bitter London rivals Arsenal, admitting that it will be something of a revenge mission against the team that knocked them out of the same stage of the tournament last campaign.

"It was one of our biggest disappointments,” he said. We are hungry to put that right and we are happy we have got the chance to play them again.

"We have learnt a lot from last season's disappointment and we will be stronger this time around. There are new players in, the manager has changed, but the core of the team is still the same.

"Having got to the semi-final, we want to go on and win it, but Arsenal can score from anywhere.

"We know that against a side like Arsenal, we can't afford to make many mistakes so that will be in our plans when we go to the Emirates.

"We will want to stay solid because we know we can score goals."

Spurs will make the short trip to face the Gunners in the first-leg of their Carling Cup semi-final on Wednesday night.

Defoe Determined To Prove Ramos Wrong

The Sun newspaper quotes the 25-year-old as saying that Ramos told him he is free to leave the club, but that he is determined to show his true worth after starting the overwhelming majority of the games from the bench this season.

"The manager has said I can leave if I want but I want to prove him wrong," said Defoe. "I want to stay here.

"He (Ramos) just said, 'You can leave if you want to'. Yet I have no intentions of leaving this club because I love it here."

When asked about reports suggesting that he has been offered a five year contract extension deal worth £10.5M a season, Defoe said:

"How can I be expected to stay for the next few years if I am going to be on the bench all the time?

"I don't think any player would accept that."

Defoe has scored five goals in seven matches recently, and the sure footedness he has shown in front of goal since his time at West Ham means that he would not be stuck for choices if he did elect to leave Spurs.

Hutton Under Pressure From Rangers To Agree Spurs Move

Alan Hutton rejected the offer of a move to Spurs last week but The Times treports that Rangers Chairman Sir David Murray met Hutton on Monday in Edinburgh and made it clear to the defender that Tottenham's offer made good sense for both clubs - and the player.

It has been claimed that Hutton would be able to double his salary, just about, by moving to White Hart Lane.

And Rangers have asked the 23-year-old to reconsider his initial rejection of the Spurs move. Hutton is now apparently doing so, and could a member of the Tottenham squad by the end of this week.

So keen are Rangers said to be on the deal that they are allegedly prepared to offer Hutton a financial inducement to go as part of the transfer.

Why are they so willing to let such a highly-rated player leave? Because, apparently, they feel that an offer of £8 million – with the possibility of a Spurs player (Wayne Routledge perhaps?) being added as a make-weight - is too good to refuse.

Rangers are also said to regard Steven Whittaker, another right-back on their books, as ready to take Hutton's place in the team.

A sub-plot to this story is that Hutton's initial rejection of the Spurs offer was not entirely based on loyalty to Rangers, but also had something to do with the player's hopes that rumours of a bid from Manchester United might materialise. As yet though, there has been no offer reported from Old Trafford.

Meanwhile, Hutton is suspended for two matches - the first of which is Tuesday night's SPL clash against St Mirren at Love Street.

Asked about the Hutton situation on Monday, Rangers manager Walter Smith said:

“Alan’s initial indication to us was that he has turned [Spurs] down, that he wants to stay here. So that’s where we are right now.

“When you look at clubs at the present moment, there is the financial aspect and the football aspect to consider. Everybody knows the Rangers financial position isn’t what it was a few years ago, but no one at the club wanted to lose Alan. From a football perspective, nobody wanted him to go.

“But when you get offered that type of money, then you are in a situation where, from a financial point of view, it is acceptable. As I say, nobody wants to lose Alan from a football perspective - and I include the chairman in that – but sometimes the financial part can overtake everything. That’s the reason why the offer was acceptable as a bid. In the meantime, though, we are delighted if Alan has decided to stay.”

Smith could, though, expect to receive up to half of the Tottenham fee for his own buying this month - and he admits he wants to strengthen his squad.

“If we can find a player whom we feel is better than those we have at the present moment, then we will endeavour to go for him,” Smith said.

“In fact, we’ve already gone for one or two players and been knocked back, so we are interested in improving the team. But I’m not going to sign a player just for the sake of it.

“If we had positions where I felt we were weaker, then obviously I’d take a player to try to help us. But I feel that we have a fairly big squad of players, and if we can’t get anyone of better quality in, then we won’t sign anyone.”

Djibril Cisse Linked With England Return As Spurs Show Interest

Marseille's Djibril Cisse is said to be eager to make a move back to the English Premiership, with Spurs apparently heading the queue to sign him.

The 26-year-old arrived at the Velodrome in 2006 after two seasons at Liverpool, but is allegedly on the lookout for a return to the Premier League after just eighteen months back in France.

Liverpool have a re-buy option for their former hitman, but coach Rafael Benitez is apparently unwilling to bring back a player whom he exiled not so long ago.

Hence The Observer claims that Tottenham Hotspur have both an interest in, and a chance to sign the ex-Auxerre man.

Spurs are joined in their watching Cisse by clubs including Blackburn Rovers, Manchester City, Portsmouth and Bolton Wanderers.

A potential move may hinge on transfers elsewhere. Spurs would no doubt be compelled to look for forward options if Dimitar Berbatov moved on; similarly, Bolton's Nicolas Anelka could yet depart the Reebok, leaving a gap up front.

French international Cisse has netted just twice this season so far in Ligue 1.

Ramos Said To Be Targeting Ben Haim

According to The Sun newspaper, Spurs boss Juande Ramos is prepared to pay up to £8 million to secure the Israeli centre-half this month.

Ramos is described as "desperate for reinforcements in defence," while Be Haim is thought to be amenable to a switch after enduring a less than ecstatic first six months as a Chelsea player.

Ben Haim, 25, arrived at Stamford Bridge from Bolton Wanderers during the summer during Jose Mourinho's reign. But Chelsea’s £8.9million capture of Serbian defender Branislav Ivanovic last week suggests that Ben Haim's first-team future at the Bridge will be limited.

Given that captain and fellow-centre-back John Terry is sidelined with a broken foot, Ben Haim was hoping to be given more first-team opportunities.

However, Chelsea manager Avram Grant, appears to have sent his compatriot Ben Haim a clear signal by moving for Ivanovic within hours of te transfer window opening.

Meanwhile, across London at White Hart Lane, Spurs boss Ramos is, not surprisingly, concentrating on trying to strengthen his suspect defence.

Given that Tottenham have shipped eight goals in their last three games, bringing in a reliable centre-back seems to be a priority.

Younes Kaboul's impact on the back line at Spurs has so far been more negative than positive following his summer transfer from Auxerre, and his defensive partner Michael Dawson does not appear to have convinced Ramos of his quality.

The club's top defender, captain Ledley King, played in Saturday’s 2-2 FA Cup draw against Reading, but is still tentatively feeling his way back to full fitness after a lengthy catalogue of injuries.

So a move by Spurs for Ben Haim could well be on the cards.