Juande Ramos: Tottenham Hotspur's Transfer Wizard

Unlike his predecessor Martin Jol, Juande Ramos appears to have got the script on how to run a transfer window.

Back in the summer, Jol spent a combined 24.5-million pounds on two players he didn't need: Darren Bent and Younes Kaboul. Bent rarely plays and hardly rates his fee and Kaboul has been a consistent feature in blooper highlights, failing to adapt to the Premier League.

Ramos has spent plenty, but took the time to address Spurs' needs rather than splashing the cash on the flavour of the month (Mr. Bent, as it were). Back in the summer, Tottenham needed a center back. At the end of December, they still needed a center back.

So Ramos gets Jonathan Woodgate for 6.5-million pounds. A couple of full backs would be nice too, so enter Alan Hutton, the highly rated Scotland right-back (9-millionpounds) and Gilberto, a Brazillian international from Hertha Berlin (fee undisclosed). Throw in Chris Gunter, a promising left-back and Ramos has successfully transformed his defense for about the same price as Jol's summer spending spree on two players now surplus.

Watching Spurs play Everton yesterday with Woodgate and Gunter both in the team, it was clear the improvement Ramos made. Woodgate was solid, lending the leadership at the back Spurs miss with Ledley King injured. Gunter started his first Premier League game, and performed well enough for a 19-year-old.

But perhaps the most telling statistic from the game was the announcer pointing out that the clean sheet was Spurs' first in 63 games.

Progress, anyone?

As a footnote, Jermaine Defoe looks on his way to Portsmouth, further clearing the wasted bodies left by Jol on the Whiteheart Lane bench.