Ramos bemoans naivety

Spurs boss displeased after 2-1 defeat at Eastlands

Last updated: 16th March 2008

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Ramos: Disappointed

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Tottenham Hotspur boss Juande Ramos has blamed naivety for his side's 2-1 loss to Manchester City.

Spurs went ahead in Sunday's game at Eastlands, with Robbie Keane breaking the deadlock in the 32nd minute.

But second-half strikes from Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha saw City secure the turnaround.

And Ramos believes his men paid the price for presuming victory was a forgone conclusion after they took the lead.

Complacent

"We were so much in control of the game it maybe made our lads think that maybe the game was won before it was over," he said.

"We were finding everything quite easy up to that point. I think the equaliser had two benefits: it picked them up and maybe then we struggled to keep control of the ball from that moment.

"The second goal was definitive because it decided the game and it was difficult to pick things up after that."

Coach Gus Poyet echoed Ramos' appraisal, telling Sky Sports: "I think we should have killed the game when we had the chance. We were too complacent."

Ireland's equaliser appeared to be offside, while substitute Darren Bent had a late goal disallowed for a debatable offside.

But Poyet has refused to lay blame on the officials, adding: "Unfortunately, they were both wrong decisions, in my point of view.

"I don't want to put excuses on the referee today. It is about us looking at ourselves and making sure this doesn't happen again."

Keane reaction

Spurs captain Keane reacted furiously when he was replaced by Bent in the 67th minute, but Poyet does not blame the Irishman for his reaction.

"We will look at that, but I don't think (there will be any action)," he said.

"It just shows that he wants to stay on the pitch. That is good character, and that is the type of characters we want at the club."

Ramos added: "I think it is normal. Players want to play and they are disappointed when they are replaced.

"It is football. We have got a squad and we have people on the bench and we have to share out the minutes between the people available."