Spurs boss Redknapp willing to settle for fourth
The industrious Canaries — now all but guaranteed top flight survival, with 43 points — went ahead through Ireland hopeful Anthony Pilkington on 13 minutes and were then denied what looked a clear penalty for a foul by Ledley King on Grant Holt, after which Spurs levelled through a well taken effort from Jermaine Defoe.
The expected second-half onslaught, however, failed to materialise as the Norfolk side went on to claim all three points through a 20-yard strike from winger Elliott Bennett.
It could prove a costly defeat for Spurs, who not so long ago looked set to mount a serious title challenge, but now have seen first Arsenal overtake them back up into third, while Newcastle are level on points.
Redknapp, however, insists all is not yet lost as they look to secure a return to elite European football.
He said: “We have not been in bad form the last few weeks, but today was a setback. We had a bad day. We were a bit flat. I thought their front two, especially Grant Holt, bullied us a bit.
“It is all still to play for though. It is going to be close, but there are still five games to go. It is the team who wants it most. We would settle for finishing fourth, Champions League football is the key.
“It would be lovely to finish above Arsenal, but that is going to be tough.
“It is still all to play for — Chelsea have to play Arsenal, Newcastle have to play Chelsea, Chelsea have to play Liverpool away, so who knows?”
Redknapp defended his team selection, with midfielder Scott Parker rested to protect against hamstring injury, but admitted his team had been outmuscled by Paul Lambert’s side.
“We couldn’t handle them. They worked their socks off, I thought they were ever so good. But we had some great chances and Gareth Bale hit the bar. There were chances at both ends, though, it was too open, from our point of view, really.”
Lambert was full of praise for his side, many of whom have come up from League One in successive promotions. “It was the best performance in the three years I’ve been here, that is the magnitude of it. I thought we were brilliant, right from the off,” said the Scot, who took charge at Carrow Road in August 2009.
“To beat Tottenham in their own backyard is incredible.’’
TOTTENHAM: Friedel, Walker, Kaboul (Nelsen 45), King, Assou-Ekotto, Lennon, Livermore (Van der Vaart 71), Modric, Bale, Saha (Adebayor 46), Defoe.
NORWICH: Ruddy, Martin, Ryan Bennett, Ward, Drury, Elliott Bennett, Howson, Johnson, Pilkington (Surman 72), Holt (Morison 69), Wilbraham (Jackson 79).
Ref: Michael Oliver (Northumberland).
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