Nasri: Wenger hopeful of keeping France ace
Wenger reveals Nasri optimism
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Arsene Wenger says he is "very optimistic" midfield ace Samir Nasri will extend his contract with the Gunners.
The 23-year-old France midfielder is moving towards the final year of his current deal, as is full-back Gael Clichy.
Wenger revealed talks have opened with Nasri and his agent as he seeks to end a trophy drought at the Emirates.
The Gunners boss said: "We are talking to Nasri and his agent already and we have the same situation with Clichy. We have agreed to speak about it during the summer.
"The players have the opportunity here to do it in their own way, with their own philosophy, with their own togetherness.
"When you sign a contract for four or five years, you are committed through your contract to win trophies with the club where you sign.
vs
"It is in no contract that if you do not win a trophy the first year, you can leave."
Absolute commitment
Wenger maintains Arsenal will continue to have an "absolute commitment to youth" as they look to stay ahead of the likes of big-spending Manchester City.However, the Gunners boss also suggested he was ready to add "what was needed" this summer to keep his squad competitive.
"Nobody asks them to wait. We can win straight away," Wenger continued.
"You speak like the players are not responsible for winning trophies. They are as well responsible, as I am, as the fans are.
"We are talking to Nasri and his agent already and we have the same situation with Clichy. We have agreed to speak about it during the summer."
Arsene Wenger Quotes of the week
"Why do you think we pay the players? A club, a football team,Arsene Wenger Quotes of the week
is a togetherness between the manager, the players, the club, the philosophy, and a commitment."After that you can have some individual situations, but it cannot be a philosophy that if at any time we do not win I should move on.
"It is down to belief, the direct consequence of the motivation you put into your next game.
"If your belief is very low, your feeling is very low.
"What I think we can get from our performances is the belief that we have the quality."
Fighting
Wenger takes his side to Bolton on Sunday afternoon fighting to stay in the title race after another missed opportunity to close the gap on leaders Manchester United when they drew 3-3 at Tottenham having at one stage held a two-goal lead.The Gunners boss, however, maintains all is not yet lost.
"We are fighting for the championship and I am always sitting in a position where you force me to explain why we fail," Wenger said.
"For me it's not a comfortable situation because we are fighting in a period where the most important thing is to have belief in what we do and you keep saying 'why have you failed to win?'.
"Let's just play for it first and have a go.
"For me it is important to give absolutely everything until the last game of the season, to be proud, and then, as I have said many times, if there has been somebody better we will have to accept that.
"But at the moment I don't accept that there is somebody better."
Big win delights Dalglish skysports
Liverpool thump Birmingham
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Kenny Dalglish was delighted to see Maxi Rodriguez lead Liverpool past Birmingham on Saturday.
The Reds picked up a comprehensive 5-0 victory from their latest outing, with their Argentine winger the star of the show.Maxi bagged a hat-trick against the Blues, while Dirk Kuyt and Joe Cole also got in on the act at Anfield.
Dalglish was pleased to see his side display a ruthless streak, with Birmingham's confidence already low following their recent relegation struggles.
"It was a really good performance," he told Sky Sports.
"We got an early goal and never let them back into the game. The important thing was getting the third goal, I think that relaxed everybody.
"At 2-0 teams can pose a threat from set-plays and it's not comfortable. The third one was important for us.
"I think overall we played some fantastic football and we deserved to win. Whether five flattered us or not, other people can decide.
"We are delighted with the three points."
Memory
Dalglish was also quick to praise the efforts of Maxi, a man who has not always been a regular starter or a favourite with the fans during his time on Merseyside."He was there and he finished them off and it's a great memory for Maxi," he said.
"I hope he does it again, but if he doesn't he has got a fantastic memory of scoring a hat-trick at Anfield."
Liverpool
strolled to victory over the Blues without the services of Andy Carroll, who was not risked after struggling with a knee problem at Arsenal last weekend.Dalglish hopes the England international will be back for a meeting with his former employers Newcastle
next weekend, but is delighted to have seen others step up to the plate in his absence.He said: "Andy is a fantastic footballer, but the important people for us are the ones that are available for selection.
"Unfortunately for us today Andy wasn't available, but somebody else steps up to the plate and we don't mind who it is."
Torres pushes West Ham to brink
bbcsports
Stamford Bridge
The gathering storm clouds were black and ominous, although the lights just about stayed on. It was as if West Ham United's current state was being reflected in the prevailing conditions at Stamford Bridge.
The lightning that flashed in west London's leaden skies did not strike, but Fernando Torres finally did to end West Ham's push for a point and conclude 732 tortuous minutes without a goal for Chelsea on his 14th appearance since a £50m move from Liverpool in January.
Avram Grant stood soaked and frustrated in the technical area as stifling summer heat was replaced by the cracking of thunder and a downpour of epic proportions that fused a few floodlights, leaving West Ham's manager bemoaning the weather, the fates and a man called Fernando.
Some of Grant's gripes were justified after a West Ham display that contained much to satisfy, but others were rendered hollow by a glance at the Premier League table. The team that is bottom with four games to go cannot blame ill-fortune alone.
The gathering storm clouds were black and ominous, although the lights just about stayed on. It was as if West Ham United's current state was being reflected in the prevailing conditions at Stamford Bridge.
The lightning that flashed in west London's leaden skies did not strike, but Fernando Torres finally did to end West Ham's push for a point and conclude 732 tortuous minutes without a goal for Chelsea on his 14th appearance since a £50m move from Liverpool in January.
Avram Grant stood soaked and frustrated in the technical area as stifling summer heat was replaced by the cracking of thunder and a downpour of epic proportions that fused a few floodlights, leaving West Ham's manager bemoaning the weather, the fates and a man called Fernando.
Some of Grant's gripes were justified after a West Ham display that contained much to satisfy, but others were rendered hollow by a glance at the Premier League table. The team that is bottom with four games to go cannot blame ill-fortune alone.
For Chelsea, slim hopes of catching leaders Manchester United and retaining their title live on after a 3-0 victory that was flattering, but notable for a 14-minute cameo from Torres that was an electrifying flashback to his pomp.
Coach Carlo Ancelotti admits Chelsea are a long shot as they stand six points behind with only four games left, but three emphatic wins in a week at least sustains the ambition a little longer.
And finally they saw their British record signing make a decisive contribution to ease nerves as they battled to protect the slender lead Frank Lampard's first-half goal had given them with West Ham pushing hard.
Torres, on as substitute for Didier Drogba, had already hinted at his intent by unselfishly setting up Nicolas Anelka for a shot that was cleared off the line by Danny Gabbidon, when the moment he and Stamford Bridge had been waiting for arrived after 84 minutes.
Chasing Anelka's pass diagonally into the box, it looked like Torres would be thwarted by the weather as the ball held up in water gathered in the penalty area. Showing the instincts of old, he checked his run before turning and, despite Wayne Bridge's close attendance, sweeping a left-foot finish past Robert Green.
Almost as significant was the unity shown by his Chelsea team-mates as they chased him down to a corner of the Matthew Harding stand to shower him with celebrations and share his very obvious elation.
It also allowed the brave band of Chelsea fans sporting "I was there when Torres scored" t-shirts through pelting rain to have that extra spring in their step as they strolled around Stamford Bridge after the final whistle.
Torres certainly had a better day than another Chelsea striker of great standing, namely the legendary Bobby Tambling, who was ushered on for a half-time lap of honour as something akin to the apocalypse descended on Stamford Bridge.
Poor Tambling's 202 goals for the club, including two in a 5-5 draw with the Hammers in 1966, counted for nothing as the old boy's umbrella was swept unceremoniously away in the howling storms and he was uncharitably forced to lap the ground to a thorough drenching when surely a simple wave to his adoring public and an immediate dash for cover would have sufficed.
Torres, in contrast, knew it was his lucky day when an injury-time pass intended for Anelka was misread by the striker and fell perfectly for Florent Malouda to apply a spectacular thump into the top corner.
While Torres' early performances were not bad enough to have him written off as comprehensively as he was in some quarters, this brief return to former glories is insufficient to announce normal service has resumed. It was, though, a sign that a sublime talent remains despite recent struggles.
Ancelotti was impressed enough to state publicly that he will spend the next week working on the training ground to forge a serious partnership between Drogba and Torres, something which he has singularly failed to do thus far. If successful, he will pair them against Tottenham at Stamford Bridge next Saturday.
He said: "It was an important moment for Fernando, the team and all the fans who have waited for him to score. It was great. It will help him but was also a relief obviously. Now his future will be fantastic here at this club.
"He was unlucky when the ball got stuck in the water but it was fantastic movement by him to stop, turn and then score."
It was also an important moment for Grant and West Ham because it ensured they paid the price for profligacy in front of goal and much good work elsewhere counted for nothing.
Robbie Keane was the chief culprit with 17 minutes left after a miss that was West Ham's biggest, and ultimately last, chance to claim a point. He is a player past his peak, but the Keane of not so long ago would have been more accomplished than to sweep Jonathan Spector's perfect pass wide of Petr Cech and the post with only the keeper to beat.
As Chelsea chase what looks like a distant dream, West Ham's priorities point in a different direction and Grant cut the image of a manager clutching at straws after the game.
The missed chances and absences of Footballer of the Year Scott Parker and defender Matthew Upson allowed him to clutch with some conviction but hard luck stories alone do not end up with a team propping up the Premier League.
Grant's worry is that poor performances have been punished with defeat and now a decent one has as well. And his assertion that "we deserve to play in this league" is no grounds for safety, falling only one step short of the ill-judged "too good to go down" argument that has proved riddled with holes in the past. West Ham are in a four-game fight for their lives.
West Ham's supporters, steadfastly loyal and unfailingly vociferous, deserve to be in the Premier League but Grant and his team are another matter entirely. They must prove they deserve to retain such status in the remaining games.
It can be achieved if they put a finish on the approach work that troubled Chelsea here - but it is going to be a mighty close run thing.
Fernando Torres walked off in the rain feeling his Premier League career with Chelsea was finally under way. West Ham United have just four games to ensure they make his acquaintance again next season.
Manager Sir Alex Ferguson is confident in Manchester United's ability to seal a record 19th English league title after their 1-0 win at home to Everton.
Javier Hernandez's goal kept United six points ahead of Chelsea and nine above Arsenal, who have a game in hand.
"Games are running out for our rivals and we're up for it," said Ferguson.
"I enjoy this critical stage of a season when we are involved in big games that come thick and fast and I think we will be OK."
United now have four games remaining in the league and are closing in on a title that would take them above Liverpool's tally of 18.
They face Arsenal at the Emirates on Sunday, 1 May and entertain Chelsea at Old Trafford a week later, with Ferguson urging his players to wrap up the title by beating both of their nearest challengers.
"The thing that puzzles me is they [the media] keep saying Arsenal and Chelsea have got to play us still, like we're going to lose to them," added Ferguson. "But why shouldn't we win those games?
"As I said to the players, forget all that nonsense. Just try to win your games and you'll be all right, keep your heads and don't get carried away."
Manchester United left it until the 83rd minute to end the resistance of a dogged Everton side, Mexican Hernandez heading home an Antonio Valencia cross at the far post.
It was the striker's 19th goal of his debut season in England and Ferguson has admitted he did not expect Hernandez to get off to such an impressive start after his £6m move from Chivas.
"Javier has done better than everyone expected," added Ferguson. "We thought that because it was his first year, he would just get used to the English game and get strengthened up.
"He has passed all those tests. He is first in at nine o'clock every morning and he is the last to leave. He is a truly dedicated boy."
Hernandez says he would swap all of his 19 goals for a Premier League title.
"Of course it's a dream come true, this season," he said. "If we win the Premier League, that's an unbelievable thing. If I could swap all the goals for us to win the league then I would do it.
"We know we are almost there, but we can't afford to think like we've already won it. We go day by day, week by week.
"I'm very happy, but I'm happier because we got the three points. Here at Manchester United we need to win every game and it doesn't matter who scores."
Everton boss David Moyes paid tribute to his side and was left to rue their lack of an attacking threat, with United keeper Edwin van der Sar only having to make one save of note.
"It's disappointing to lose it late on because we'd been so resilient for so long and kept Man Utd at bay with some outstanding defending and goalkeeping," said Moyes.
"I can't fault players for their performance, but we didn't play well enough going forward and didn't cause them enough problems.
"We've got a few out injured and we're not quite where we'd like to be but the results in recent weeks have been terrific. Today they stuck at it and for most of the game they kept United at bay.
"I think our players should be at the top end of this league, they deserve to be. They competed really well."
"I want to go home, see my wife, walk the dogs and have a glass of red," sighed Harry Redknapp as he left the press room at White Hart Lane.
The craving for home comforts summed up the Tottenham manager's rueful mood after seeing his side held to a 2-2 home draw by West Brom, a result which damaged their hopes of qualifying for next season's Champions League.
Spurs looked to have snatched a victory when Jermain Defoe fired them ahead with a brilliant strike on 66 minutes but a stunning curling finish from substitute Simon Cox in the 82nd gave the Baggies a point.
"I couldn't see that coming," reflected Redknapp. "The kid has hit a world-class strike. He has hung that up from 25 yards right into the top corner. That's how it goes, you know. You won't see many strikes like that during the season."
The equaliser left Spurs deflated and the sight of the otherwise outstanding Gareth Bale rooted to the spot after giving the ball away in the closing stages encapsulated the sense that Tottenham may just have run out of steam at the end of a memorable season.
After all, they have spent much of their campaign juggling the demands of a thrilling run in the Champions League with their efforts to finish in the top four and thus ensure another season among the continent's elite.
Amid the giddiness of the victories over the Milan clubs, it has been easy to forget that Spurs were bottom of the league when Redknapp took over two-and-a-half years ago.
Their achievements in such a short space of time are little short of extraordinary, but according to Redknapp the flip side is that success may have fostered unrealistic expectations.
"I just find it hard how everyone seems to expect so much," he said. "Spurs had never been in the Champions League before this season and suddenly people think we have to be there."
Spurs' late season struggles - they have just one win in their last seven league games - are in marked contrast to the recent upsurge in fortunes at Liverpool, who are just three points behind the north Londoners after their 5-0 thrashing of Birmingham and could yet pip them to fifth place, and the Europa League place that goes with it.
Redknapp expects the Red resurgence to continue next season and believes competition for the Champions League places will only get more difficult.
"Manchester City have gone out and spent God knows what to get above us. Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea are there every year, Liverpool will be there next year.
"It's very, very difficult to get in that top four. But we've had a great season here and it's not over yet. The football they have seen here this year has been out of the top drawer.
"We've got a good squad. We have never been so close to these teams as we are now."
If Spurs are to challenge for the top four again next season, Redknapp knows he must retain star performers like Bale, who excelled against the Baggies after being forced to revert to left-back when Benoit Assou-Ekotto tore his hamstring in a vain attempt to prevent Peter Odemwingie giving the visitors a fifth-minute lead.
Bale, voted player of the season by his peers, showed just how effective he can be when coming from deep, frequently plucking long cross-field passes out of the air and roaring past makeshift right-back Gonzalo Jara.
"That's where he will finish up playing in years to come," said Redknapp. "He will probably be the best left-back in the world.
"When he plays wide, people get tight to him and kick him up in the air all day. But coming from left-back where he is coming on to the ball all day, you could see him being unplayable there."
Redknapp said there was "no chance" of Bale being sold in the summer, and called on Tottenham's board to invest in the squad in order to keep pace with their rivals.
"Tottenham is a great club that is well-run financially so we don't need to sell anybody. We might sell some fringe players who are not in the team but those people who are worth big, big money are not going to be sold.
"I've not spoken to anyone about transfer targets. But if you can't improve the squad then don't expect to be in the Champions League any more."
With a trip to Stamford Bridge up next, and away days at Liverpool and City still to come, it will require a phenomenal effort for Spurs to finish their season on a high.
But with Defoe serving up a reminder of just how lethal he can be, and Rafael Van der Vaart and Luka Modric oozing class in midfield, there remains plenty of reasons to be optimistic at White Hart Lane.
Indeed, when Redknapp sits back to take his first sip of red wine, he may just allow himself a smile of satisfaction as he contemplates the exciting times ahead.
Coach Carlo Ancelotti admits Chelsea are a long shot as they stand six points behind with only four games left, but three emphatic wins in a week at least sustains the ambition a little longer.
Torres handled the wet conditions superbly as he turned to score his first for Chelsea. Photo: Reuters
Torres, on as substitute for Didier Drogba, had already hinted at his intent by unselfishly setting up Nicolas Anelka for a shot that was cleared off the line by Danny Gabbidon, when the moment he and Stamford Bridge had been waiting for arrived after 84 minutes.
Chasing Anelka's pass diagonally into the box, it looked like Torres would be thwarted by the weather as the ball held up in water gathered in the penalty area. Showing the instincts of old, he checked his run before turning and, despite Wayne Bridge's close attendance, sweeping a left-foot finish past Robert Green.
Almost as significant was the unity shown by his Chelsea team-mates as they chased him down to a corner of the Matthew Harding stand to shower him with celebrations and share his very obvious elation.
It also allowed the brave band of Chelsea fans sporting "I was there when Torres scored" t-shirts through pelting rain to have that extra spring in their step as they strolled around Stamford Bridge after the final whistle.
Torres certainly had a better day than another Chelsea striker of great standing, namely the legendary Bobby Tambling, who was ushered on for a half-time lap of honour as something akin to the apocalypse descended on Stamford Bridge.
Poor Tambling's 202 goals for the club, including two in a 5-5 draw with the Hammers in 1966, counted for nothing as the old boy's umbrella was swept unceremoniously away in the howling storms and he was uncharitably forced to lap the ground to a thorough drenching when surely a simple wave to his adoring public and an immediate dash for cover would have sufficed.
Torres, in contrast, knew it was his lucky day when an injury-time pass intended for Anelka was misread by the striker and fell perfectly for Florent Malouda to apply a spectacular thump into the top corner.
While Torres' early performances were not bad enough to have him written off as comprehensively as he was in some quarters, this brief return to former glories is insufficient to announce normal service has resumed. It was, though, a sign that a sublime talent remains despite recent struggles.
Ancelotti was impressed enough to state publicly that he will spend the next week working on the training ground to forge a serious partnership between Drogba and Torres, something which he has singularly failed to do thus far. If successful, he will pair them against Tottenham at Stamford Bridge next Saturday.
He said: "It was an important moment for Fernando, the team and all the fans who have waited for him to score. It was great. It will help him but was also a relief obviously. Now his future will be fantastic here at this club.
"He was unlucky when the ball got stuck in the water but it was fantastic movement by him to stop, turn and then score."
It was also an important moment for Grant and West Ham because it ensured they paid the price for profligacy in front of goal and much good work elsewhere counted for nothing.
Robbie Keane was the chief culprit with 17 minutes left after a miss that was West Ham's biggest, and ultimately last, chance to claim a point. He is a player past his peak, but the Keane of not so long ago would have been more accomplished than to sweep Jonathan Spector's perfect pass wide of Petr Cech and the post with only the keeper to beat.
As Chelsea chase what looks like a distant dream, West Ham's priorities point in a different direction and Grant cut the image of a manager clutching at straws after the game.
The missed chances and absences of Footballer of the Year Scott Parker and defender Matthew Upson allowed him to clutch with some conviction but hard luck stories alone do not end up with a team propping up the Premier League.
Grant's worry is that poor performances have been punished with defeat and now a decent one has as well. And his assertion that "we deserve to play in this league" is no grounds for safety, falling only one step short of the ill-judged "too good to go down" argument that has proved riddled with holes in the past. West Ham are in a four-game fight for their lives.
West Ham's supporters, steadfastly loyal and unfailingly vociferous, deserve to be in the Premier League but Grant and his team are another matter entirely. They must prove they deserve to retain such status in the remaining games.
It can be achieved if they put a finish on the approach work that troubled Chelsea here - but it is going to be a mighty close run thing.
Fernando Torres walked off in the rain feeling his Premier League career with Chelsea was finally under way. West Ham United have just four games to ensure they make his acquaintance again next season.
Sir Alex Ferguson bullish over Man United title hopes
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Page last updated at 17:33 GMT, Saturday, 23 April 2011 18:33 UK
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First season a 'dream come true' - Hernandez
Javier Hernandez's goal kept United six points ahead of Chelsea and nine above Arsenal, who have a game in hand.
"Games are running out for our rivals and we're up for it," said Ferguson.
"I enjoy this critical stage of a season when we are involved in big games that come thick and fast and I think we will be OK."
United now have four games remaining in the league and are closing in on a title that would take them above Liverpool's tally of 18.
They face Arsenal at the Emirates on Sunday, 1 May and entertain Chelsea at Old Trafford a week later, with Ferguson urging his players to wrap up the title by beating both of their nearest challengers.
"The thing that puzzles me is they [the media] keep saying Arsenal and Chelsea have got to play us still, like we're going to lose to them," added Ferguson. "But why shouldn't we win those games?
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Phelan admits Man Utd selection was a risk
Manchester United left it until the 83rd minute to end the resistance of a dogged Everton side, Mexican Hernandez heading home an Antonio Valencia cross at the far post.
It was the striker's 19th goal of his debut season in England and Ferguson has admitted he did not expect Hernandez to get off to such an impressive start after his £6m move from Chivas.
"Javier has done better than everyone expected," added Ferguson. "We thought that because it was his first year, he would just get used to the English game and get strengthened up.
"He has passed all those tests. He is first in at nine o'clock every morning and he is the last to leave. He is a truly dedicated boy."
Hernandez says he would swap all of his 19 goals for a Premier League title.
"Of course it's a dream come true, this season," he said. "If we win the Premier League, that's an unbelievable thing. If I could swap all the goals for us to win the league then I would do it.
"We know we are almost there, but we can't afford to think like we've already won it. We go day by day, week by week.
"I'm very happy, but I'm happier because we got the three points. Here at Manchester United we need to win every game and it doesn't matter who scores."
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Moyes praises Everton defence in defeat
"It's disappointing to lose it late on because we'd been so resilient for so long and kept Man Utd at bay with some outstanding defending and goalkeeping," said Moyes.
"I can't fault players for their performance, but we didn't play well enough going forward and didn't cause them enough problems.
"We've got a few out injured and we're not quite where we'd like to be but the results in recent weeks have been terrific. Today they stuck at it and for most of the game they kept United at bay.
"I think our players should be at the top end of this league, they deserve to be. They competed really well."
Harry Redknapp downbeat after Spurs draw with West Brom
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West Brom draw is a big blow - Redknapp
By Sam Sheringham BBC Sport at White Hart Lane |
The craving for home comforts summed up the Tottenham manager's rueful mood after seeing his side held to a 2-2 home draw by West Brom, a result which damaged their hopes of qualifying for next season's Champions League.
Spurs looked to have snatched a victory when Jermain Defoe fired them ahead with a brilliant strike on 66 minutes but a stunning curling finish from substitute Simon Cox in the 82nd gave the Baggies a point.
"I couldn't see that coming," reflected Redknapp. "The kid has hit a world-class strike. He has hung that up from 25 yards right into the top corner. That's how it goes, you know. You won't see many strikes like that during the season."
The equaliser left Spurs deflated and the sight of the otherwise outstanding Gareth Bale rooted to the spot after giving the ball away in the closing stages encapsulated the sense that Tottenham may just have run out of steam at the end of a memorable season.
After all, they have spent much of their campaign juggling the demands of a thrilling run in the Champions League with their efforts to finish in the top four and thus ensure another season among the continent's elite.
 Redknapp watches on with Roy Hodgson in the background |
Their achievements in such a short space of time are little short of extraordinary, but according to Redknapp the flip side is that success may have fostered unrealistic expectations.
"I just find it hard how everyone seems to expect so much," he said. "Spurs had never been in the Champions League before this season and suddenly people think we have to be there."
Spurs' late season struggles - they have just one win in their last seven league games - are in marked contrast to the recent upsurge in fortunes at Liverpool, who are just three points behind the north Londoners after their 5-0 thrashing of Birmingham and could yet pip them to fifth place, and the Europa League place that goes with it.
Redknapp expects the Red resurgence to continue next season and believes competition for the Champions League places will only get more difficult.
"Manchester City have gone out and spent God knows what to get above us. Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea are there every year, Liverpool will be there next year.
"It's very, very difficult to get in that top four. But we've had a great season here and it's not over yet. The football they have seen here this year has been out of the top drawer.
"We've got a good squad. We have never been so close to these teams as we are now."
If Spurs are to challenge for the top four again next season, Redknapp knows he must retain star performers like Bale, who excelled against the Baggies after being forced to revert to left-back when Benoit Assou-Ekotto tore his hamstring in a vain attempt to prevent Peter Odemwingie giving the visitors a fifth-minute lead.
Bale, voted player of the season by his peers, showed just how effective he can be when coming from deep, frequently plucking long cross-field passes out of the air and roaring past makeshift right-back Gonzalo Jara.
 | If you can't improve the squad then don't expect to be in the Champions League any more Harry Redknapp |
"When he plays wide, people get tight to him and kick him up in the air all day. But coming from left-back where he is coming on to the ball all day, you could see him being unplayable there."
Redknapp said there was "no chance" of Bale being sold in the summer, and called on Tottenham's board to invest in the squad in order to keep pace with their rivals.
"Tottenham is a great club that is well-run financially so we don't need to sell anybody. We might sell some fringe players who are not in the team but those people who are worth big, big money are not going to be sold.
"I've not spoken to anyone about transfer targets. But if you can't improve the squad then don't expect to be in the Champions League any more."
With a trip to Stamford Bridge up next, and away days at Liverpool and City still to come, it will require a phenomenal effort for Spurs to finish their season on a high.
But with Defoe serving up a reminder of just how lethal he can be, and Rafael Van der Vaart and Luka Modric oozing class in midfield, there remains plenty of reasons to be optimistic at White Hart Lane.
Indeed, when Redknapp sits back to take his first sip of red wine, he may just allow himself a smile of satisfaction as he contemplates the exciting times ahead.
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