Pressure mounts at Tottenham

(GETTY IMAGES)

Juande Ramos' description of Tottenham's clash against Bolton as a match of "big tension" extends to his own dressing room following a week of more unrest during their miserable start to the campaign.

Ramos has overseen Spurs' worst start to a season in their history and even victory on Sunday at White Hart Lane would not lift them off the foot of the Barclays Premier League.

The Spaniard can add 'injury crisis' to his list of problems, as well as one of his own players admitting they had little idea of what they were doing when the season started.

Then, after Uefa Cup defeat to Udinese, Jonathan Woodgate branded his team-mates "unprofessional" and compared Spurs' plight to the situation that faced Leeds when they were in freefall.

"Bolton is a game with big tension on the pitch because we need to win," said head coach Ramos. "We need to try to win and I need to change things to find the solution.

"It is a very important game for us now. If we can get the three points, then we will reduce the distance between the teams."

Ramos will make late checks on Woodgate (groin), Vedran Corluka (head) and Roman Pavlyuchenko (ankle) before facing Bolton, while Ledley King played against Udinese so his knee is unlikely to recover in time.

Gareth Bale and Michael Dawson are suspended, so Ramos is expected to be short in defence.

He could recall David Bentley, who was not in the squad for the Udinese defeat, which came 24 hours after an outspoken assessment of Spurs' hapless start to the season.

Luka Modric, who was on the bench against Udinese, said: "I was disappointed with being on the bench but it was the managers decision which I respect.

"I tried my best when I came on but I was all alone in the middle."

Modric had little chance to impress against Udinese after Jamie O'Hara's dismissal for two reckless challenges within the space of a minute. Woodgate has blamed a lack of concentration for Spurs' slide.

"It's unprofessional, isn't it, if you can't concentrate? I'm not singling out anyone. It's every one of us," he said.

"You should always give 100 per cent when you play, and at the moment we're not doing it."

Heading into the weekend, only teams punished for being in administration have less points in the Football League - and only Spurs and Grimsby have failed to record a league win.

There is a planned protest from fans against chairman Daniel Levy, who has been tipped to sack sporting director Damien Comolli following the Frenchman's poor record in the transfer market.

Ramos has been expected to be given the chance to turn things around at the club, but he admitted: "I don't know because I don't control that. Only the club know the situation about what will happen to people."

In Italy, Spurs fans turned against their own players after another dismal performance, but Ramos added: "I hope the fans support the players because at the moment they need big support. The fans understand perfectly what is going on.

"Sometimes in football these things happens. We need to work, to change the situation and to find a way to win. Once we win two or three matches, I am sure the situation will be different.

"I am still optimistic because I see the players working every day and they are working very hard to change this situation."