Juande Ramos is a genius

DEC 10 - I had predicted it two months ago and now it has come true.

Juande Ramos is a genius. He played his cards just right and got the ultimate win-win solution this new season in European league football.

First, he drives Tottenham Hotspur to self-destruction.

They lost six out of their first eight games, drawing the other two for a mere two points after more than two months into the new league season.

Actually, his master plan started from the end of last season when Spurs had only won two matches after their amazing comeback victory in the Carling Cup Final against Chelsea in February.

This season, he made some strange team selections, including dropping midfielder David Bentley to a right-back position at times.

He also tried out new squad rotations almost every week.

Spurs were simply pathetic and could not string more than three passes without losing the ball in some games, much to the dismay of their fans.

I had remarked to a friend, and even commented on some football websites, that it was all part of his master plan.

From most reports, it looked like he was disinterested in the job at Spurs. This could have been due to the presence of then-Director of Football Daniel Comolli. Ramos had little say in the players purchased and sold.

It was all down to Spurs Chairman Daniel Levy and Comolli.

So what better way to get out of the club and England, where he still had trouble mastering the English language, than by simply "working" to get sacked by Spurs in order to receive a very hefty compensation.

He could then take a break and subsequently return to Europe, preferably Spain, knowing very well that his credentials with Sevilla, winning two consecutive UEFA Cup finals as well as taking them to a top five place in Primera Liga, would hold him in good stead.

Basically, he wouldn't have a problem finding a job, even in this global economic crisis!

Now, lo and behold, his plan has worked to a tee, having achieved the ultimate goal of any manager in Spain, the job of Real Madrid manager, albeit on a contract that runs out at the end of the season.

But ask any Spaniard and they will tell you it's the challenge of being in such a legendary club in the first place which is more important than the length of the contract.

If he achieves some measure of success, he would be offered a better contract than he could have ever had before.

It will also cement his place as a much sought-after manager in Europe should he ever decide to leave Real Madrid, or if they sack him at a later point of time.

I'm sure he knows the immense pressure that comes with the territory but will feel more comfortable being at home in Spain and knowing how things work, as opposed to how it must have been for him in England.

And he won't get a bigger venue to start his second stint in the Primera Liga than this Saturday when Real Madrid travel to the Nou Camp.

They will face a high-flying Barcelona who have already hammered two of their closest rivals in the league just in the past month, beating Valencia 4-0 at home last Sunday and Sevilla 3-0 away the week before.

Incidentally, now that Bernd Schuster is out of a job, I wonder if manager-less Sunderland wouldn't mind trying out something completely different, instead of going back the trodden path of having Sam Allardyce or former manager Peter Reid, who is now based in Thailand as the national team coach.