Middlesbrough 1 Tottenham 1
Former Tottenham defender Luke Young spoilt Juande Ramos' first game as a Premier League manager by netting the goal that gave Middlesbrough a deserved 1-1 draw against Spurs at the Riverside Stadium.
Darren Bent put the visitors ahead against the run of play after 35 minutes with a low shot from 15 yards.
But Young ensured both sides' search for a league victory continued with a long-range piledriver in the 52nd minute.
Ramos made the surprise decision to opt for recent bench-dwellers Jermain Defoe and Bent in attack, while Kevin-Prince Boateng was given a first league start in midfield at Didier Zokora's expense as Spurs went in search of only a second league win.
Southgate, whose side are seven games without a win, was forced into one change after Jonathan Woodgate was ruled out with a leg injury, so Chris Riggott deputised. As expected, former Spurs striker Mido was not included in the 16-man squad.
Ironically, Spurs' last victory over a top-flight side came against Boro in the Carling Cup in September, but it was the the home side who made the more purposeful start.
Southgate's side almost took the lead in controversial circumstances just four minutes in when Stewart Downing was inches away from meeting stand-in skipper Gary O'Neil's cross-shot from the right flank.
Ramos was quickly out of the dugout to give Young-Pyo Lee and Younes Kaboul a piece of his mind after the pair were caught napping, still complaining the ball had gone out of touch.
The last time the Spaniard faced Boro was in the 2006 UEFA Cup final, where he led Sevilla to a 4-0 victory in what was Southgate's final game as a player.
But on the first half-hour's showing, a repeat rarely looked on the cards. A neat piece of interplay orchestrated by Steed Malbranque offered cause for optimism, but he opted to cross for Bent when perhaps better positioned to shoot.
Slowly Spurs grew in confidence and they soon had the left winger to thank for creating their opener.
The Frenchman dispossessed Young and slotted in Bent down the left. The England international checked inside Riggott before rifling a low shot inside Mark Schwarzer's left post.
It could have been two for Spurs a minute before half-time when Bent got on the end of Defoe's cross, but the ball trickled agonisingly wide of the far post.
The second half began at the same frenetic pace and the Teessiders were lucky to escape when Lennon's low cross deflected off Andrew Taylor and narrowly missed the lurking Defoe.
But the home side came straight back at them and only an excellent save from Paul Robinson in the 49th minute denied Jeremie Aliadiere from Fabio Rochemback's inswinging free-kick.
The England goalkeeper had no chance in the 52nd minute, though, when Young atoned for his earlier error, smashing a Spurs clearance into the top-right corner from 25 yards to level the scores.
In the 58th minute Ramos brought on Keane for Defoe and Berbatov for Bent in a bid to revive his side's fortunes and soon afterwards Zokora came on for Boateng, but Boro continued to dominate.
There were claims for a penalty when Aliadiere's cross appeared to hit Lee's hand, but referee Mike Dean waved them away.
One superb through ball from O'Neil almost sent Aliadiere clear, but Kaboul and Michael Dawson combined to clear the danger.
Keane may have scored seven times in his last seven outings, but the Republic of Ireland international was unusually clumsy in possession.
Fellow substitute Berbatov had the chance to show his new manager what he is capable of when the ball fell to him on the edge of the area, but, disappointingly, the Bulgarian fired over.
The energetic Jermaine Jenas took advantage of the home side's tiring legs as he ran free down the right, but there was no one on hand to capitalise on his low ball across the face of goal.
Riggott could count himself fortunate moments later when Lennon's fierce shot cannoned off him, only to land the other side of right post with Schwarzer beaten.
It was end to end in the closing stages, but neither side could make the crucial breakthrough, leaving both still stranded near the bottom of the table.
• Poyet: Ramos will 'need time'
Gustavo Poyet claimed he and manager Juande Ramos will 'need time' to revive Tottenham's fortunes following today's 1-1 Barclays Premier League draw at Middlesbrough.
After leaving Sevilla to replace Martin Jol at White Hart Lane last week, Ramos' reign at struggling Spurs got off to the perfect start when Darren Bent put the visitors ahead in the 35th minute after Steed Malbranque had capitalised on a Luke Young error.
But boyhood Spurs fan Young was to have the last laugh with the sweetest of strikes - a 25-yard piledriver seven minutes into the second half - to earn Boro a share of the spoils.
The point may have been enough for Tottenham to climb out of the relegation zone - for a day at least - but with Spurs having won just once all season in the league - a 4-0 victory over Derby on August 18 - Ramos has without doubt inherited a side in need of work.
'It's going to take a few weeks,' said assistant boss Poyet, standing in for Ramos because the club travelled without the Spaniard's translator.
'Without a doubt, we need time. I'm not asking for time but it was too difficult to look too deep into the situation because of the few days that we have had to work.'
But Poyet, who left Leeds last week to return to his former side, acknowledges assessing what needs to be done is not about to get any easier.
He said: 'Now we have another game on Thursday, another one on Sunday and then the international week - when you want to train the most the players are away.
'Where I will finish trying to put everything how we would like, we will have to see.
'We have to use the games to keep improving - we have to make sure that we do the right things during the game.'
Like Spurs, Boro have made their worst ever start to a Premier League season.
Just a place above the north London side in 16th, they are now seven games without a league win. But at least manager Gareth Southgate could take comfort from the end an alarming run of four consecutive defeats.
He said: 'I don't think we should have won. I think from being a goal down at half-time, we have got to be pleased with the result.
'Obviously we are in a spell where lots of things are going against us but we just have to dig in. It wasn't the ideal way to come in at half-time. I don't think there was much in the game before the goal.
'Then we tried to equalise straight away and there was a five-minute spell where we looked a bit ragged.
'Credit to the lads, at start of the second half I thought we created enough pressure and put Tottenham on the back foot, culminating in the goal which was a fantastic strike from Young.
'Then, unfortunately, we lost a bit of momentum because we ran out of fresh legs to put on.
'We know that we are going to get criticised because people will read it as an opportunity for us to get three points but I think everybody knows that Tottenham are in a false position with the players they've got.
'I don't think they'll stay there so it was by no means a banker for us. We have got a point out of it which pleases me and it gives us something to build on. We had to stop the run we were on.'
It was the visitors who looked the more likely to force a winner in the closing stages - much to the home supporters' frustration.
No-one was on hand to capitalise on a dangerous Jermaine Jenas ball across the face of goal and Chris Riggott could count himself fortunate moments later when Aaron Lennon's fierce shot cannoned off him only to land the other side of Mark Schwarzer's right post.
But Southgate defended his side afterwards and revealed their approach was something they had discussed prior to the game.
'We will never settle for what we've got but I think sometimes circumstances influence the players,' he said.
'We spoke beforehand about having no regrets and at times like this the players have to keep going forward and not be frightened to lose.
'We have to take a chance and be prepared to be bold, and if you are bold you might get more than you think or you deserve.'
Darren Bent put the visitors ahead against the run of play after 35 minutes with a low shot from 15 yards.
But Young ensured both sides' search for a league victory continued with a long-range piledriver in the 52nd minute.
Ramos made the surprise decision to opt for recent bench-dwellers Jermain Defoe and Bent in attack, while Kevin-Prince Boateng was given a first league start in midfield at Didier Zokora's expense as Spurs went in search of only a second league win.
Southgate, whose side are seven games without a win, was forced into one change after Jonathan Woodgate was ruled out with a leg injury, so Chris Riggott deputised. As expected, former Spurs striker Mido was not included in the 16-man squad.
Ironically, Spurs' last victory over a top-flight side came against Boro in the Carling Cup in September, but it was the the home side who made the more purposeful start.
Southgate's side almost took the lead in controversial circumstances just four minutes in when Stewart Downing was inches away from meeting stand-in skipper Gary O'Neil's cross-shot from the right flank.
Ramos was quickly out of the dugout to give Young-Pyo Lee and Younes Kaboul a piece of his mind after the pair were caught napping, still complaining the ball had gone out of touch.
The last time the Spaniard faced Boro was in the 2006 UEFA Cup final, where he led Sevilla to a 4-0 victory in what was Southgate's final game as a player.
But on the first half-hour's showing, a repeat rarely looked on the cards. A neat piece of interplay orchestrated by Steed Malbranque offered cause for optimism, but he opted to cross for Bent when perhaps better positioned to shoot.
Slowly Spurs grew in confidence and they soon had the left winger to thank for creating their opener.
The Frenchman dispossessed Young and slotted in Bent down the left. The England international checked inside Riggott before rifling a low shot inside Mark Schwarzer's left post.
It could have been two for Spurs a minute before half-time when Bent got on the end of Defoe's cross, but the ball trickled agonisingly wide of the far post.
The second half began at the same frenetic pace and the Teessiders were lucky to escape when Lennon's low cross deflected off Andrew Taylor and narrowly missed the lurking Defoe.
But the home side came straight back at them and only an excellent save from Paul Robinson in the 49th minute denied Jeremie Aliadiere from Fabio Rochemback's inswinging free-kick.
The England goalkeeper had no chance in the 52nd minute, though, when Young atoned for his earlier error, smashing a Spurs clearance into the top-right corner from 25 yards to level the scores.
In the 58th minute Ramos brought on Keane for Defoe and Berbatov for Bent in a bid to revive his side's fortunes and soon afterwards Zokora came on for Boateng, but Boro continued to dominate.
There were claims for a penalty when Aliadiere's cross appeared to hit Lee's hand, but referee Mike Dean waved them away.
One superb through ball from O'Neil almost sent Aliadiere clear, but Kaboul and Michael Dawson combined to clear the danger.
Keane may have scored seven times in his last seven outings, but the Republic of Ireland international was unusually clumsy in possession.
Fellow substitute Berbatov had the chance to show his new manager what he is capable of when the ball fell to him on the edge of the area, but, disappointingly, the Bulgarian fired over.
The energetic Jermaine Jenas took advantage of the home side's tiring legs as he ran free down the right, but there was no one on hand to capitalise on his low ball across the face of goal.
Riggott could count himself fortunate moments later when Lennon's fierce shot cannoned off him, only to land the other side of right post with Schwarzer beaten.
It was end to end in the closing stages, but neither side could make the crucial breakthrough, leaving both still stranded near the bottom of the table.
• Poyet: Ramos will 'need time'
Gustavo Poyet claimed he and manager Juande Ramos will 'need time' to revive Tottenham's fortunes following today's 1-1 Barclays Premier League draw at Middlesbrough.
After leaving Sevilla to replace Martin Jol at White Hart Lane last week, Ramos' reign at struggling Spurs got off to the perfect start when Darren Bent put the visitors ahead in the 35th minute after Steed Malbranque had capitalised on a Luke Young error.
But boyhood Spurs fan Young was to have the last laugh with the sweetest of strikes - a 25-yard piledriver seven minutes into the second half - to earn Boro a share of the spoils.
The point may have been enough for Tottenham to climb out of the relegation zone - for a day at least - but with Spurs having won just once all season in the league - a 4-0 victory over Derby on August 18 - Ramos has without doubt inherited a side in need of work.
'It's going to take a few weeks,' said assistant boss Poyet, standing in for Ramos because the club travelled without the Spaniard's translator.
'Without a doubt, we need time. I'm not asking for time but it was too difficult to look too deep into the situation because of the few days that we have had to work.'
But Poyet, who left Leeds last week to return to his former side, acknowledges assessing what needs to be done is not about to get any easier.
He said: 'Now we have another game on Thursday, another one on Sunday and then the international week - when you want to train the most the players are away.
'Where I will finish trying to put everything how we would like, we will have to see.
'We have to use the games to keep improving - we have to make sure that we do the right things during the game.'
Like Spurs, Boro have made their worst ever start to a Premier League season.
Just a place above the north London side in 16th, they are now seven games without a league win. But at least manager Gareth Southgate could take comfort from the end an alarming run of four consecutive defeats.
He said: 'I don't think we should have won. I think from being a goal down at half-time, we have got to be pleased with the result.
'Obviously we are in a spell where lots of things are going against us but we just have to dig in. It wasn't the ideal way to come in at half-time. I don't think there was much in the game before the goal.
'Then we tried to equalise straight away and there was a five-minute spell where we looked a bit ragged.
'Credit to the lads, at start of the second half I thought we created enough pressure and put Tottenham on the back foot, culminating in the goal which was a fantastic strike from Young.
'Then, unfortunately, we lost a bit of momentum because we ran out of fresh legs to put on.
'We know that we are going to get criticised because people will read it as an opportunity for us to get three points but I think everybody knows that Tottenham are in a false position with the players they've got.
'I don't think they'll stay there so it was by no means a banker for us. We have got a point out of it which pleases me and it gives us something to build on. We had to stop the run we were on.'
It was the visitors who looked the more likely to force a winner in the closing stages - much to the home supporters' frustration.
No-one was on hand to capitalise on a dangerous Jermaine Jenas ball across the face of goal and Chris Riggott could count himself fortunate moments later when Aaron Lennon's fierce shot cannoned off him only to land the other side of Mark Schwarzer's right post.
But Southgate defended his side afterwards and revealed their approach was something they had discussed prior to the game.
'We will never settle for what we've got but I think sometimes circumstances influence the players,' he said.
'We spoke beforehand about having no regrets and at times like this the players have to keep going forward and not be frightened to lose.
'We have to take a chance and be prepared to be bold, and if you are bold you might get more than you think or you deserve.'
posted by dgarden at 1:59 pm
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