• Tottenham back in hunt for Champions League
place
• Lescott injury will force Man City to buy in January
Peter Crouch and Niko Kranjcar celebrate
Tottenham's third goal against Manchester City. Photograph: Toby
Melville/Reuters
Harry
Redknapp has proclaimed the end of
the Premier
League's big four by declaring that only
Chelsea and Manchester United are certainties to finish in the
Champions League places this season and that the other pair of
prized berths for Europe's elite tournament could be filled by any
two of several teams – including Tottenham
Hotspur.
Liverpool's wobbles so far this season had convinced many
observers that one member of the customary top four could be about
to surrender their place but after watching his team intensify the
pressure on Mark Hughes by trouncing Manchester
City 3-0 to end a run of three matches without a win and hoist
themselves up to fifth in the table, Redknapp suggested Arsenal may
also fall from grace.
"I've said since the start of the season that the champions will
come from Chelsea or Manchester United but after that it's up for
grabs," he said. "Anything is possible this season. Look at
Arsenal, you would have expected them to go up and win at Burnley
after beating Liverpool, but they didn't so that shows you how hard
it's going to be."
Spurs' chances of fulfilling their pre-season ambitions had been
ridiculed after Saturday's home defeat by Wolves, but Redknapp
railed against the detractors. "People over-react to one result,"
he said. "One defeat and you're finished, out of the race. People
say 'same old Tottenham, they're going to fall flat on their face.'
Players who are great one day are useless the next – it's
unbelievable, but that's how the game has gone unfortunately.
"We've been consistent. People go on about no win in three
matches but in the draws at Everton and Villa our performances were
very good. A lot of teams would be happy with a point away at
Everton and Villa. It's possible for us this year, we just have to
keep picking up results."
In keeping with his conviction that too much should not be read
into one result, Redknapp refused to rule Manchester City out of
the battle for the Champions League places, despite the fact that
their feeble showing at White Hart Lane meant Hughes's expensively
assembled team have won just one of their last 10 league matches.
"I certainly wouldn't write them off," said Redknapp. "They're a
good team. I expect them to be bang up there."
Whereas Redknapp has been told he must sell some of his
peripheral squad members in order to fund any new recruits in
January, City have the advantage of being wealthy enough to make
offers for any player they want. City's shortcomings last night,
however, helped allay any anxiety Redknapp may have felt that
superior financial resources could be decisive. For all the money
they have pumped in, City have not been able to inject their side
with an unquenchable spirit.
"It's about getting the right players," said Redknapp.
"Sometimes you can have stars who don't perform. You see the game
tonight and you probably think they need … well … they missed
[Craig] Bellamy."
The prospect of Hughes being the man to whom any January
expenditure is entrusted must have been dented by last night's
disjointed performance. The manager, however, ignored any concerns
that he may pay for City's unconvincing form with his job, instead
declaring that he intends using the January transfer window to
address one of the problems that he cannot hide: shambolic
defending. "At the moment we are having a bit of difficulty when
balls come into our box," said Hughes. "It seems that every
opportunity that presents itself to the opposition, they score
from."
That is tantamount to an admission that his extravagantly priced
central defensive pairing of Joleon Lescott and Kolo Touré has not
worked out, though the injury to Lescott, missing last night after
undergoing surgery yesterday to repair a floating bone in his knee,
and Touré's imminent departure for the African Nations Cup, meant
he would probably strengthen anyway. "We're struggling at the
back," said Hughes. "We've lost Joleon for six to eight weeks and
lose Kolo to the African Nations Cup soon so it's not hard to guess
what are as we'll be looking to strengthen."
