READING, Jan 16: Juande Ramos knows he faces the sternest test of his reputation as Europe’s cup king after Tottenham booked an FA Cup clash at Manchester United.

Ramos’s side moved into the fourth round as Robbie Keane’s first half goal earned a 1-0 win at Reading on Tuesday.

The third round replay victory sets up a trip to United and continued Ramos’s remarkable cup record - the last knockout tie he can remember losing was two years ago in a King’s Cup match against Cadiz while he was at Sevilla.

But it will be hard for Spurs to extend that record against Premier League leaders United and Ramos, who won successive UEFA Cups and the Spanish Cup with Sevilla, acknowledges the size of the task.

“We’re going to try. The next game is very difficult and we know how tough it will be. They are clear favourites,” Ramos said.

“The most important things is to get through to the next round, we have not conceded a goal and it was quite an effort to overcome Reading.

“I’m very happy with the performance. The conditions were not good with the rain and we only had three days rest from the match against Chelsea at the weekend.”Reading boss Steve Coppell, who saw his side knocked out of the competition at the Madejski Stadium for the fourth time in five years, believes Spurs can go all the way to Wembley.

“Of course they can win it,” Coppell said. “They are capable of winning six games to win the cup.

“You look at the players they have got and they shouldn’t be where they are in the league.

“I call them part of the top five in the country in the last couple of years. It hasn’t quite worked for them this year but they are a very good team.”Keane scored the only goal in the 15th minute when he finished from close range after Younes Kaboul hit the bar from Jermaine Jenas’s corner. It was his 99th goal for Spurs.

Jermain Defoe, playing in place of flu victim Dimitar Berbatov, wasted several chances to kill off Reading. And the hosts almost made them pay when Stephen Hunt hit the bar late on.

Tottenham are showing signs of progress under Ramos but the Spaniard is concerned that their league position may be affected by a long cup run.

“This is my biggest concern,” he said. “We are making a big effort to win in the cups and we have injured players and suspensions as a result.”

Coppell picked only five players from the weekend clash at Aston Villa but insisted the cup still retains its appeal.

“Winning can give you a lift and help self-esteem,” he said. “Who cares if you are not going to win the cup in the end? Victories in the competition against bigger teams is what the magic of the cup is.”—AFP