RAMOS TOLD HIS JOB IS SAFE

Juande Ramos has been assured that his job as Tottenham manager is safe - but Sporting Director Damien Comolli is expected to pay the price for the club's worst start to a season since 1912.

It is understood that Ramos, appointed as Martin Jol's replacement twelve months ago, was assured at a board meeting yesterday that he was not being blamed for Tottenham's disastrous start and would be given time to facilitate an improvement. At present, Spurs are rock-bottom in the league table after collecting just two points from their opening seven games.

According to The Times, 'The club are insistent the crisis must be countered by a show of unity rather than more upheaval' and chairman Daniel Levy 'is conscious of the effort undertaken to secure Ramos' services from Sevilla a year ago - much to the Spanish club's annoyance - on a contract worth around £4m a year until 2011, and the board cannot contemplate a search for a replacement.

A concurring Independent adds that 'there is even a sense of collective responsibility at the club that they may have contributed to the chaos of the start of the season with the late sale of Dimitar Berbatov and the failure to sign either of the strikers Diego Milito or Sergio Garcia in the last few days of August.'

'It has been made clear to Ramos that his job is under no kind of threat for the time being and that nothing has changed in the opinion of Levy in particular from before Sunday's defeat. The Spanish coach is expected to have a few days off over the international break and will not go away with fears about his position.'

The Daily Telegraph, however, claims that while Tottenham are not yet contemplating sacking Ramos, there are misgivings about his style of management within the boardroom.

'There is disquiet about Ramos' lack of leadership and of clear communication to his players. Sources claim that he has acted in an aloof manner towards members of his coaching staff. But these are balanced by accounts that insist the Spaniard cares profoundly about his team and that he rallied them effectively in the dressing room after the Hull match,' it reports.

'Ramos has learnt to exhort the Tottenham players in English despite his hesitancy in dealing with the media other than through a translator. But he is believed to be impervious to the personal criticisms of his management style - which range from his over-reliance on Spanish to his passionless touchline demeanour - and instead concerned only with reversing the team's spectacular fall from grace since he guided them to a Carling Cup triumph just seven months ago.'

Of immediate concern to the Spurs hierarchy is the need for victory against Stoke City when the Premiership season resumes after the current international break and Ramos' relationship with the under-fire Comolli.

While The Sun unequivocally claims that 'the sporting director will be axed', an announcement on his future is likely to be delayed until the club's annual general meeting, expected to be held in the next two months. One suggestion, made by The Times, is that Spurs are 'considering reverting to using a traditional chief scout to identify players in conjunction with a manager.'