Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos gave credit to head coach Juande Ramos on Thursday for the change in attitude of the team since his appointment.

Juande Ramos' arrival as replacement for former coach Bernd Schuster has been followed by two 1-0 wins, although the club remains 12 points behind FC Barcelona in the Spanish Primera Liga.

"The truth is that we are happy with the change. I think Juande is very demanding, the training is working out and there is a change of attitude in us all," Sergio Ramos was quoted as saying on the club's website.

"The new coach is asking more of us and I think the team is responding well and working hard to achieve our aims.

"Once you start to not concede goals, you continue to gain in confidence and we have seen that in our last few games. I hope it lasts for as long as possible, but we have to keep on working and concentrate for the 90 minutes of every game."

(Xinhua News Agency January 9, 2009)