CAN SPURS GET BACK ON TRACK?

Spurs have have wobbled in the last couple of weeks but remain happy with their current place in the top four. Victory against a Fulham side without any pressing worries or lofty ambitions would establish a three-point cushion over nearest rivals Manchester City and could extend the gap between themselves and fellow contenders Liverpool and Aston Villa.

Anything less than three points however and the London club's grip on that all-important Champions League qualification spot will slacken. It would leave City with the luxury of two games in hand and the chance to overtake them by winning just one.

Villa would be able to do the same by making the most of their two extra fixtures, one which is home to Arsenal on Wednesday. Liverpool are in action at Wolverhampton at the same time as Harry Redknapp's side.

The season may still have four months to run but increasingly it is looking like make-or-break time for Spurs, who will end January with a trip to Birmingham City. That game is followed directly by a White Hart Lane showdown with Villa and Spurs fans will not need reminding that their favourites slipped up the last time they went head to head with a direct rival, losing 2-0 at Liverpool last week.

Redknapp insisted the critics who claim his side have hit a brick wall are simply wrong however. "Is that right?", he queried. "We have lost one in 10 so if that's a brick wall lets hope we can keep hitting it for the rest of the season.

"I don't listen to what people are saying because I have my own opinion about what's happening and how we are doing. It doesn't interest me. I just know how well we have done. We have just had six clean sheets and one defeat in 10. If that's a bad run then My God!"

Redknapp played a strong side against Leeds United in the FA Cup on Saturday but it was unable to get the better of the League One side. Expect a few changes to freshen things up then, with Ledley King able to come back in the heart of defence - unless Redknapp wants to save him for Birmingham of course, as he cannot play twice in a week because of a knee injury. Wilson Palacios is a certainty to return to the heart of defence and Vedrun Corluka should supplant Alan Hutton at right back.

Winger Aaron Lennon is due for another scan on his injured groin muscle so his comeback will have to wait. Striker Roman Pavlyuchenko has suffered a similar fat but has not yet been ruled out and midfielder Tom Huddlestone is back in contention following a knee injury. Defender Benoit Assou-Ekotto remains sidelined however.

Fulham travel to White Hart Lane buoyed by their victory in the FA Cup over League Two side Accrington Stanley on Saturday. An away victory - albeit against lowly opposition - will be a welcome memory for manager Roy Hodgson.

The Cottagers have won only once away from home in the Premier League all season - a dreadful record that will need to be improved upon if they are to repeat last year's triumph of a seventh placed finish. Hodgson says the club's away form is a mild concern, for he is pleased with the level of performance his side have been turning in on their travels.

He said: "It is never easy to win away from home. I'm not concerned about the way we are playing, I'm concerned that we are not winning. But if we keep on playing like we are then we will win some, that's for sure. We are working on it but it does boil down to the fact that decisions do go your way when you are at home."

Hodgson will be given a boost as a number of first team players are returning to fitness, including former Tottenham forward Bobby Zamora. Hodgson added: "We're missing several players from the team that finished seventh last season. But there are a lot of first-team players that we can recover as early as Tuesday so I'm pleased we got through the game on Saturday.

On the face of it though, Fulham lack a cutting edge without injured strike pair, Dempsey and Zamora, and they were awful at Blackburn. If you can't score against Rovers you will struggle at Spurs and backing the home side to win to nil might pay better than odds-on -take the 7/4 with Paddy Power.

Published 25-01-2010

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