MADRID (DF) -- Despite conceding four goals and scoring none at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday evening, Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp believes his Spurs side are still in a winning position heading into the second leg of their UEFA Champions League quarterfinal against Real Madrid at White Hart Lane.
Spurs will be without targetman Peter Crouch for the return leg in London after the lanky striker was sent off in the fifteenth minute by German referee Felix Brych for two bookable offences. In spite of Crouch's enforced absence, Redknapp is sure his side have the firepower to progress.
"Yeah, we'll give it a go," said Redknapp when questioned by reporters outside the team hotel. "Obviously, the lads are gutted by tonight's result, but we're confident enough to know we can turn it around."
"Their defense has more holes than Crouchy's head, at the moment," continued Redknapp. "We didn't test them tonight because of the early sending off, but we'll score six or seven at the Lane for sure. I can't imagine a reason why we wouldn't."
Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho claimed in the pre-match build up he would have taken a 0-0 result at the Bernabeu, but on loan Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor's early goal combined with Crouch's red card inside fifteen minutes turned the tide of the tie heavily in favor of Mourinho's free-flowing Galacticos. Even with the four goal cushion, the Portuguese insists their job isn't done.
"Yes, we are in a good position, but anything can happen in football," professed a pragmatic Mourinho after the match. "There are still 90 minutes left to play and Spurs are capable of scoring four goals themselves. I'm comfortable in England, I'll be back there next season, but for now I won't be comfortable until the final whistle."
Mourinho added: "Hopefully we will get a neutral referee in the return leg who won't be influenced when Harry flashes his checkbook."
The FA will severely reprimand Manchester United's Wayne Rooney after the striker was caught swearing into a television camera against West Ham on Saturday. FA bosses insist Rooney's behavior was completely unacceptable, but plan to stop short of a ban due to the importance of United's upcoming fixtures. -- (Daily Telegraph)
Gareth Bale has insisted he would have "no qualms" about moving abroad in the future, should interest from top European clubs persist. Bale thinks his growth as a player could be aided if he played for a club with a real history of success. -- (Press Association)
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has blamed fixture congestion for his side's slumping form in recent weeks, despite being knocked out early of both domestic cups and the Champions League. The Frenchman believes his players are still overworked and shouldn't be forced to play every week. -- (Daily Mirror)
AC Milan supremo Silvio Berlusconi has claimed Mario Balotelli's off-field antics will prevent him from pulling on the Rossoneri shirt in the future. The fiery Italian Prime Minister, under investigation for questionable ethics in his own right, said Milan fan Balotelli should use him as an example of how those at AC Milan behave off the field. -- (Press Association)
Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor has revealed he cut all ties with Manchester City because fans refused to show him enough love. Adebayor insists the relationship is over, despite his being forced to return to Manchester in the summer. -- (The Sun)
Sven-Goran Eriksson's Leicester City will make a summer move for injured Manchester United striker Michael Owen should they gain promotion to the Premier League. Former England manager Eriksson believes Owen would be the perfect addition to his overrated, aging squad of players. -- (Daily Mirror)
Spurs boss Harry Redknapp has contended the midweek Champions League trip to Madrid was not weighing on his players' minds as they played out an uninspiring 0-0 draw with Wigan. Redknapp reportedly told reporters that an away match at Wigan holds relatively the same importance as any old Champions League quarterfinal with Real Madrid. -- (Daily Mirror)
LONDON (DF) -- Tottenham playmaker Rafael Van der Vaart will leave Spurs in the summer following a heated argument with manager Harry Redknapp, set off by the Dutchman's decision to storm straight down the tunnel after being substituted in the 71st minute of Spurs' 0-0 draw against West Ham at White Hart Lane.
Redknapp took to the press immediately after the game to make it clear he was unimpressed with Van der Vaart's actions. He told a group of gathered reporters that he believes players should be respectful and watch the game with their teammates after they're substituted, regardless of circumstances or ego.
Van der Vaart, currently away on international duty with the Netherlands, later claimed his petulant act wasn't meant to be disrespectful, but those who know the Spurs midfield maestro well believe it's just the tip of the iceberg.
"He finds his position within the squad completely untenable," said a source close to the former Real Madrid man. "I think the relationship between him and the manager has gone beyond repair. Rafael has been in this situation before. He came to Tottenham to play full games and that's not happening. If he wanted to play 20 minutes, he could have stayed in Madrid. This stuff doesn't just blow over."
"It will blow over," claimed a Spurs spokesman regarding the row. "Rafael is away with Holland and Harry is in Bermuda, vacationing with his son and several agents. When they come back, I'm sure it will no longer be an issue. Time heals all wounds and ten days is well long enough to heal anything in football."
With Spurs on the outside looking in for next season's fourth and final Champions League spot, the source close to Van der Vaart believes any argument with Redknapp over playing time could prove to be a moot point in deciding the Dutchman's future.
"Rafael needs to play in the Champions League and Tottenham won't be there next year. He's already planning on leaving, the club knows this, so, at this point, anything the English manager says is really only meant to attract attention to himself."
LONDON (DF) -- Fresh off the back of an unexpected 3-1 away defeat in Blackpool on Tuesday evening, Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has repeated calls for club chairman Daniel Levy to splash the cash this summer on badly needed flair in midfield.
Tottenham's lackluster performance in front of the Blackpool goal highlighted what Redknapp believes to be a major creative deficiency within his squad-- a problem he feels can be solved with the addition of experienced attacking midfielders.
This past weekend, Redknapp signaled his intent to once again be heavily involved in the summer transfer window, telling the Sunday papers he would be open to bringing in "ten or twelve" new attacking players, regardless of whether Spurs qualify for next season's UEFA Champions League.
"The gaffer knows what it takes to be successful in this business," remarked one Spurs player outside Bloomfield Road. "He's been around forever. We don't question his logic."
"I think he'd send out a team without defenders if he could. Even after we won against AC Milan last Tuesday, he wasn't happy with our performance. He wants goals and we're simply not providing them."
Spurs' Champions League victory against AC Milan at the San Siro has been hailed as "miraculous" and "well deserved" in the English press, but Redknapp reportedly failed to see the upside.
"It really was rubbish," the Spurs manager is quoted as saying to Italian media after the match. "I know you like your 1-0 score lines here in Italy, but none of our supporters like 1-0 results, let me tell you. Least of all me."
It remains to be seen if Tottenham Chairman Daniel Levy will go along with Redknapp's ambitious plan, already having spent upwards of £150 million over the past four seasons.
