Ramos out to end Arsenal hoodoo
Juande Ramos hopes to succeed where other Tottenham bosses have failed as he looks to mastermind a first win over rivals Arsenal this century.
Spurs have not beaten their neighbours since the days of David Ginola in 1999 - and the manager back then was Gunners legend George Graham.
Former boss Martin Jol was accused of failing against top-four teams and the new head coach gets a chance at the Emirates Stadium at lunchtime on Saturday to prove that his side do not wilt against bigger clubs.
Since taking over from Jol, Ramos has beaten fourth-placed Manchester City twice but their recent record against the traditional heavyweights is woeful.
"I don't think it is a psychological issue against Arsenal at all," said Ramos.
Ramos' reign is 11 games old and he has only suffered defeat once, but the Spaniard feels his side cannot be judged at the moment due to the injuries at White Hart Lane.
He also has Didier Zokora suspended for his red card at Eastlands on Tuesday, while Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger was able to name a shadow squad against Blackburn on the same night.
"Arsenal have a huge squad, we're playing with the same players in all competitions because we have injury problems," Ramos said.
"We're not going into this in normal conditions. We had a game on Tuesday and people are injured and suspended.
"Arsenal played during the week without their usual players and this week they will play with their strongest side."
To make his task even harder, Wenger's side are top of the Barclays Premier League and unbeaten at the Emirates Stadium this season. They have only lost one league game at home since moving from Highbury.
"They are one of the teams playing the best football at the moment, very attractive to watch and effective, as they are the leaders at the moment," said Ramos.
"We're playing very effectively at the moment in terms of getting results. We're playing more positively now and we're improving all the time.
"There is a big difference in the league table but we are not as far behind as we were before. We're now in mid-table and little by little we'll close the gap, simply because we are getting results.
"In the last few games we've shown we are getting to grips with how we should be playing. The players are starting to understand the style of play we want here."
Ramos knows ending Spurs' dismal run would endear him even further to fans, and he is no stranger to hostile derby atmospheres after he was hit by a bottle during Sevilla's clash against Real Betis earlier this year.
As well as inspiring a turn in results since moving from Sevilla to Spurs, the Spaniard's impact at White Hart Lane has been huge, according to midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng.
"We are a lot more together now," said the 20-year-old German midfielder.
"We are one big family. It was like that before, but we feel that everyone has to help each other now. Everyone is happy and that is why we win now.
"Juande is a special manager because from the outset everyone knew that he had won the UEFA Cup two times. That means he knows what he is doing.
"He respects every player, even if he is in the reserves or the youth team. Everyone can see this.
"It doesn't matter if it is the biggest name like Dimitar Berbatov or a youth player, the one who plays the best on the training pitch will play. The training is different. I feel fitter than ever, more than I ever was at Hertha Berlin."
Boateng has started the last two games and is desperate to prove himself against Arsenal.
"All everyone talks about is Arsenal's young players, but we have some great talent here, too," he said. "We have young players playing good games, just look at Jamie O'Hara who has come on in the last two games.
"In Germany I didn't realise how big the rivalry was, but since I came here I have learned how unbelievable it is."
Meanwhile, Spurs were drawn against Slavia Prague in the last 32 of the UEFA Cup. They travel to the Czech Republic in February for the first leg.
