Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
For the past six weeks there has been mild amusement from all but Tottenham Hotspur fans that their aspirations to dislodge one of the top four was in tatters. No one expected though that relegation would be a serious possibility for the north London club. However, eight matches in and that is now the reality of the situation.
The 2-1 defeat by Stoke on Sunday leaves them with only two points, no wins, and anchored to the bottom of the table. Only Southampton has ever before managed to avoid relegation from such a scenario.
Sunday's game was a perfect example of where Spurs are at this current point. Not only did they lose but they lost in a way that is typical of a club with serious problems at all levels. Players without discipline - two sending's off as a result - and no one wanting to take responsibility are all key indicators of a lack of confidence and they were all on view here.
Danny Higginbottom began the fiasco with a poor tackle on Tom Soares that not only conceded a penalty but also resulted in getting a red card. Down to ten men they then managed to get a lucky break and Darren Bent scored to equalise from what was an offside position. However, unable to take advantage Spurs gave up the lead after the break to a Rory Delap tap in before Dawson was sent off for a bad tackle. Stoke managed to miss the penalty and hit the bar in the remaining minutes and a 4-1 score line would not have been unjustified.
How the Spurs board react will be crucial to this situation and if they panic and replace Ramos then it could get even worse. Some would argue, though, that it cannot get any worse so why not make the change now before it is too late. This is what happened last year when they replaced Martin Jol who ironically is managing Hamburg who are top of the Bundesliga in Germany. Whilst the change meant Spurs found some consistency last year and won the Carling Cup it has not brought the expected transition to the top level that all involved were hoping for.
In fact, since that Cup win they have won only three games from 20 matches which is maybe another example of where the skills of Ramos lie. His reputation was made with Seville and the victories in the UEFA Cup and it appears this is where Spurs will also have to hope for success. If Ledley King plays on Thursday night - he did not play last Sunday - against Udinese then it will be obvious to everyone where the manager's priorities lie.
The striking problems are well documented after the selling of their top three players in Keane, Berbatov and Defoe but it is the defence that is probably of more concern. In order to win trophies you need to score goals but to avoid relegation it is the defence that is key and the fact they have conceded 12 goals is worrying. Whether Clive Allen or Gus Poyet - the Spurs's main coaches - can arrest this when neither were known for their defensive qualities is another matter entirely though.
Ramos at least has given the situation some sense of proportion rather than hiding behind some positive platitudes when saying: "I am worried about the situation ... it is terrible". Given the run of fixtures he now faces it might get even worse before it gets better. Bolton at White Hart Lane followed by games against Arsenal and Liverpool are not attractive prospects and it might leave them even further adrift once these games are over.
The unthinkable is now possible with one of the biggest clubs in the country facing the prospect of life outside the Premiership. However, this might turn out to be the least of their problems as given the current financial crisis sweeping the country they might find their whole existence is at risk if the revenue streams are diminished.
Survival now takes on a completely different meaning and whilst it is too early to predict it actually happening the prospect is being raised and the Tottenham board will be well aware of this. How they will be sleeping will depend on how the club's finances really are and no one will know outside the club but unless the performances improve rapidly there is every chance we will find out.
Ramos and his team are probably under more pressure to succeed than any team before them and it will be fascinating to see how they respond.
