Harry: let’s prove we’re hot Spurs

Harry Redknapp has called on his injury-hit Tottenham squad to step up and prove they are the real deal by beating Chelsea tomorrow to move one step closer to lifting their first FA Cup in 21 years.

Redknapp’s current crop have spent the best part of this season being compared to the famous Spurs teams of the past — most notably the one that triumphed in the FA Cup in 1991, and the team that won the double in 1961.

An 11-match unbeaten run at the end of 2011 left many tipping Redknapp’s squad for silverware, but their season has imploded since February and they have won just one Barclays Premier League game in eight. They still just hold the advantage in the race for fourth and they now also have a chance of lifting the FA Cup for the first time since 1991, when Paul Gascoigne and Gary Lineker inspired the Londoners to victory over Nottingham Forest, after vanquishing Arsenal in the semi-finals.

Since that day Spurs have won two League Cups while Chelsea and Arsenal have dominated the scene in London — with the Blues winning 11 trophies — and Redknapp thinks it is time Tottenham proved they are big hitters again by lifting the FA Cup this season.

“This is a great opportunity for us to go all the way this year,” Redknapp said.

“On our day we can beat Chelsea. We can beat anyone.

“There is not a lot between the two teams, but they have the medals to show for it.

“They have been there and done it all in the last few years.

“Tottenham is a club that have won two trophies since 1991 and they were both Carling Cups so it’s about time Tottenham won another trophy.”

Tottenham’s hopes of victory have been dented by an injury crisis. Redknapp is likely to have to field Ryan Nelsen and William Gallas at the back after Younes Kaboul suffered a knee injury leaving him with Michael Dawson on the sidelines. Ledley King’s chronic knee problem means he is unlikely to play while midfielder Niko Kranjcar is also out after suffering a knee injury in midweek. Redknapp refused to dwell on the negatives.

“If we’d come from nowhere and suddenly moved into fourth, we’d all be going, ‘great’. But I’d have taken this position at the start of the year for sure.”