Woodgate confronts drop fears

Defender Jonathan Woodgate has no doubt Spurs are facing a relegation battle after their dismal 2-0 defeat to Udinese.

A goal in each half condemned Juande Ramos' side to their fourth defeat in five games, and the defeat was made worse with Jamie O'Hara becoming the third Tottenham player to be sent off in the last two games after being booked twice in the space of a minute.

Woodgate was also forced out of the action through injury and, with Spurs bottom of the Premier League table having failed to win a game all season, the England defender has told his team-mates the sooner they realise they are in a scrap to avoid the drop, the better.

"People say we are too good to go down but we aren't. I've seen it happen at Leeds and they had a better team than we do here," said Woodgate.

"We've got to roll our sleeves up and start grafting because, I am telling you now, it's going to be hard. We are bottom of the Premier League with two points and it doesn't really get much worse than that."

Asked if he could take any positives from the game, Woodgate said: "No, none at all. What went wrong was the same as has been happening in every single game we have played in this season - a lack of concentration. We have got to start learning quickly.

Bolton are Tottenham's next opponents in the Premier League on Sunday and Woodgate is adamant Ramos' side must end that dismal run quickly.

He added: "A goal goes in and you think 'here we go again'. When you have a losing mentality like we've got at the moment you have got to get really stuck in and start winning games or you just get used to losing and losing and losing.

"Without a doubt I will take responsibility - I have got to stand up like everyone else. It is the players who shoulder the blame because we are not pulling our weight on the pitch. I'm very angry because I don't like to lose. We lost this match in this competition and now we have to win matches to qualify for the next stage."

Ramos is under increasing pressure at White Hart Lane after the worst start to a season in the club's history.

He revealed his frustration after they were beaten in Italy, saying: "I'm very angry because I don't like to lose. We lost this match in this competition and now we have to win matches to qualify for the next stage."