Ramos needs good start as tough tests wait
Monday, 16 Jun 2008 11:45
Juande Ramos needs his Tottenham troops to start well
Juande Ramos will hope for good fortune against north-east sides in the first month of the 2008/09 Premier League season as Spurs follow clashes with Middlesbrough and Sunderland with a trip to Stamford Bridge before hosting the ever-improving Aston Villa.
October could be a fruitful month, however, with back-to-back fixtures against newly-promoted Hull and Stoke before Bolton Wanderers visit White Hart Lane.
Spurs meet their north London rivals Arsenal at the end of that month and in a Christmas period which could be the making of their season, face Manchester United, Newcastle United, Fulham and West Bromwich Albion in December.
The final month of the season is a less appetising prospect for Ramos' men as fixtures against Everton and Manchester City are followed by a repeat of the 2007/08 season's closer against Liverpool.