Spurs' Redkapp has 'four' sight

Spurs' Redkapp has 'four' sight

Published Apr. 2, 2010 11:28 p.m. ET

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp is confident his side can hold their nerve in the race for a Champions League place and prove Alan Hansen wrong.

BBC pundit Hansen recently suggested Spurs would "always let you down at one stage", although that is yet to happen this season as they remain in fourth place in the Premier League with little over a month to go in the campaign.

Redknapp, whose side face Sunderland this weekend, feels the way teams have performed in the past will have no bearing on the final seven games of this term.

"You start talking about Liverpool and it's not the same team that won championships and doubles," he said. "It's different players. I don't even see what it has to do with anything in the past.

"We've not let anyone down. We've had a fantastic season again and we have a million injuries. Injury after injury at the moment."

While Arsenal will be missing Cesc Fabregas for the rest of the campaign and Manchester United are without Wayne Rooney for the next two to three weeks, Redknapp can argue that he has been unable to pick a full-strength team all season.

Jonathan Woodgate and Ledley King have missed most of the campaign, Luka Modric was out for three months before Christmas and Aaron Lennon has not played in 2010.

Fortunately for Redknapp, Jermain Defoe has been sleeping in an altitude chamber to heal a hamstring injury and is back in the squad at the Stadium of Light, but Michael Dawson and Vedran Corluka are sidelined.

"We've had a bad run but we've kept going," Redknapp said.

Redknapp's men are two points ahead of Manchester City in the race to get into Europe's elite competition.

The Spurs manager has not been put off reaching the Champions League despite watching Barcelona's performance against Arsenal.

"You'd love the opportunity to do that," he said. "The issue is finishing fourth and if we do that it would be great for the club.

"We played Barcelona at Wembley last year in a friendly and they had all their reserves but they were fantastic. Against Arsenal, I've never seen anything like that in my life. That was the best I've ever seen.

"I've never seen a team go away from home and do that. It was incredible. They were on a different planet - a completely different level. I've never seen anyone play like that, the way they moved the ball and pressed them and closed them. It was unreal.

"Maybe the 1970 Brazil team at the World Cup. That was a fantastic team - Pele, Carlos Alberto, Gerson. But the other night, that was fantastic football. It could have been four or five after 20 minutes. Arsenal have it all to do but they are still in there. You never know."

Redknapp is aware that Spurs would not be facing Barcelona in every gameweek in the Champions League - and he believes his team would be prepared for the competition.

He said: "I think we would be ready. We have a good squad when everyone is fit. Everyone will be fit and ready to play next year and it would be something to look forward to but we've got to get there first.

"It's going to be tight and tough. Our fixtures are tough."

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