Ramos 'nothing' to do' with cup win, says Kaboul

The Tottenham Hotspur defender Younes Kaboul has launched an astonishing attack on his manager, Juande Ramos, claiming their Carling Cup triumph in February was "nothing to do with him" and that they would still have won the trophy under Spurs' former manager Martin Jol.

Kaboul also claimed that Ramos does not communicate with the players and that the Spanish coach had not given him a chance since he replaced Jol in October.

Ramos has been widely praised for his work with Spurs after their disappointing start to the season while Kaboul has not featured in the first team since the 4-1 defeat at Birmingham City on 1 March.

"Tactically it has changed a bit, perhaps," Kaboul said. "But then, in terms of personality, Martin was a character. For us, he was a father figure, whereas Ramos, it is just tactics and nothing else.

"In training, we do a lot of stuff on the blackboard to work on our progress with the ball. Ramos has brought us that, but nothing else. What has saved us this season is the Carling Cup. People say we won the Carling Cup because Ramos arrived at the club, but that has nothing to do with him. We would have won it with Martin Jol."

Kaboul, signed from Auxerre last summer, has not featured regularly since Ramos replaced Jol. "I played the entire first half of the season, but since the change of manager I have not played," Kaboul added. "I have had no explanation from him. He doesn't talk, with anyone. Communication doesn't exist with him. He isn't playing me? That is his choice – I respect it, I am a professional.

"I am young and it is the first time this has happened to me in my career. But I am not surprised because, when you are a footballer, you must be prepared for that, for good and bad times.

"Ramos has not really given me a chance. When a player doesn't have the confidence of his coach, he can't do much on the pitch. But when a coach has confidence in you, you take the handbrake off and you race away."

Another unhappy player is the Birmingham winger Daniel de Ridder who admits he may have to consider his future at the club after becoming "frustrated" at his lack of first-team opportunities.

The Netherlands Under-21 international, signed on a free transfer from Celta Vigo last summer, has not featured for Alex McLeish's side since the FA Cup defeat to Huddersfield at the start of January. The emergence of Sebastian Larsson as a key player for Birmingham has contributed to De Ridder being marginalised. But he has hit out at the perception that he is injury-prone and is baffled at his lack of involvement with the first team.

"When Alex McLeish came in, I played in his first game at Tottenham and we won and I thought I did well," he said. "I have watched the tape back and I was described as one of Birmingham's most dangerous players.

"But everything has altered for me 180 degrees and I am frustrated I am not involved in the squad.

"It is frustrating because I like the club, the city and the fans and I hope we can stay in the Premier League. But I also have to think about my own career if I am not playing."