Spurs’ bench press proves their muscle

WHEN Harry Redknapp arrived at Tottenham last season, there was so much apathy among his substitutes he was not sure whether they were even watching the game from the bench, such was their indifference towards their team-mates.

How things have changed. He can now bench press 55million pounds and keep them all smiling. Little wonder he is so bullish about Spurs’ chances of breaching the top four.

As a litmus test to see which of these two Champions League wannabees have the best chance of success, Redknapp will have gained far more satisfaction than his counterpart Martin O’Neill from the point secured by Michael Dawson’s 77th-minute equaliser.

But, for all that, it was the sight of Robbie Keane nearly crushing his skull on the top of the visitors’ dug-out that gave Redkapp the greatest sense of satisfaction.

So satisfied, in fact, that he does not even envisage doing any business in the January transfer window, which for one of the most addicted wheeler dealers in the business is a further indication of his confidence – bulwarked not simply by Liverpool’s current form, but by the depth he has available with £55m spent on five of the seven substitutes at Villa Park.

“It was difficult last week. Jenas went away to play against Brazil for England, played 90 minutes, and comes back and suddenly he is not playing,” Redknapp said.

“It is hard. It was difficult leaving him out. I know what it meant to him. He’s got in the England team, he sees a bit of light there, with the World Cup coming up, and suddenly I’m not picking him. But he trained unbelievably. Last week his attitude in the dressing room was like you wouldn’t believe, he has been fantastic around the place.

“When we scored Robbie Keane jumped up four foot in the air, ready to come on. You want that. When I first came here last year, early doors the subs were sitting there and I don’t know if they were even watching the game. There is a big difference in their attitude and I’ve said all along that if we are going to be a team, everybody must pull together. You need that.

“You need people like Robbie. In the dressing room he was going round everyone saying: ‘C’mon lads, let’s start well.’ He is first class. It is so important. People don’t understand the importance of having a good spirit. It comes from the boys.

“We’ve built that. I’ve said all along from when I first came here that if we are going to be successful we need to be like that. I said the other week, when Gary Neville was on the bench and Manchester United scored, he jumped up. He’s won championship after championship. You need people like that.”

Spurs certainly look far more likely than Villa to challenge the established order. The way they dominated proceedings after conceding within the opening ten minutes to Gabriel Agbonlahor’s eighth goal of the season was hugely impressive.

In Dawson they have another tremendously willing character, despite being arguably fourth choice when Ledley King and Jonathan Woodgate are fit. He provided a chest control and volley that Jermain Defoe would have been proud to claim for his own to level.

Villa cannot claim to have the same strength in depth and are far more predictable in their approach. If the straight lines to Carew do not work and Ashely Young is doubled-teamed then Villa do not carry any kind of threat and O’Neill knows they have to improve if they are to last the distance this season.

“We have to learn lessons from things,” he said. “When we are on top we should get that second goal. Spurs pushed us back and we could not get out.”

Only Brad Friedel’s excellence and a wonderful goal-line clearance from Carlos Cuellar spared Villa defeat and the form of the Spaniard is high enough to increase his hopes of a call from his national manager Vincente Del Bosque for the World Cup.

“I hope that it will happen for me,” he said. “I have a dream of going to the World Cup.” O’Neill might just send a DVD of the game to the Spanish FA, but it will be best served as a motivational tool to show Villa just how far they have to travel to match Spurs’ threat.

REFEREE: Phil Dowd (Staffordshire) 8: Excellent all-round performance. Let the game flow and called all key events correctly, including spotting Defoe’s handball.

MATCH RATING: **** Real cut and thrust stuff from genuine challenger to Liverpool for fourth place this season. Spurs deserved more than just a share of the points.