COMPETITION: Win a free t-shirt!

Morning all. Have you ever wandered across these humble pages and thought 'Y'know what, this is an alright website and all that but what I'd really like to see is the chance to win some free stuff - a competition, perhaps'? You have! Well, that's frighteningly convenient as The Boys From White Hart Lane has joined forces with the wonderfully creative gang at Philosophy Football and guess what? We have a free t-shirt to give away to whoever's having a lucky day. So say them:

LETS KICK BLATTER OUT OF FOOTBALL

From vote-rigging to covering-up corruption, via advocating tight-fitting kits for women footballers, selling the game short to sponsors and now fighting racism with a handshake. (All 'allegedly' of course, for the sake of our lawyers). It's surely time for Blatter to go.

Philosophy Football's design (pictured above) is a shamelsss pastiche of the brilliant Kick It Out campaign's logo. SPECIAL LOW-PRICE CAMPAIGN T SHIRT. JUST £14.99 Available in sizes small-XXl from www.philosophyfootball.com.

This might be the only chance to win something from this blog so don't hang around - get involved quickly! To get your hands on a free t-shirt, send your reply to the following question to @TheBoysFromWHL on Twitter (and be a mate, follow us too) or send an email to marktilley10@googlemail.com:

Sepp Blatter controversially awarded the 2022 World Cup to which country?

Get answering and if you're the lucky winner (we'll pick one using the tried and tested method of choosing a name out of a hat), we'll be in touch. Alternatively, click here to purchase the t-shirt and browse the Philosophy Football range. Go!

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The Spurs top four bandwagon rolls on

Vedran Corluka's requests for first team football had spread around the team

Right, call off all the bets. The season's as good as over and the title is ours. As if any further proof were needed that this year's Spurs are made of different, more robust stuff than previous incarnations, this weekend provided further evidence that we are indeed, as Herman's Hermits said, into something good. For on Saturday, we won at West Brom. Yep. I'll give you all a moment to absorb that.

For years, West Brom away has been a fixture that fills me with dread. Events always conspired to ensure a catastrophe every time we headed to the Hawthorns - the best I remember getting from that godforsaken place is a 1-1 draw last season and even that was hard-fought. The nadir was perhaps a 2-0 loss in the infancy of Harry Redknapp's tenure. Back then, defeat left us further submerged in the dark, hopeless depths of the relegation zone. Today represents a wholly different future, one which would have been unimaginable on that bleak December day in 2008.

There are plenty of away grounds in the Premier League that will hold a certain fear with different fans. For example, despite the Hawthorns now being crossed off, I still feel a great deal of trepidation before we travel to the Reebok Stadium, having not seen us win there in... well, in living memory. The same goes for St James Park, even if Timothee Atouba's 2004 winner is still relatively fresh in the mind.

One of the key features, for me, of Redknapp's reign has been the elimination of many of our bogey away days. Games where Tottenham teams of recent years would have found too tough and too detached from the comforts of White Hart Lane. Fratton Park, Anfield, Ewood Park, the Brittania, the Emirates, Craven Cottage, Molineaux, Villa Park... All once stood as fortresses before Spurs. All have been conquered.

Sir Alex Ferguson once claimed that the key to success was 'win your home games, don't lose your away games'. And Spurs are doing all of that and more. It's incredible to think that were it not for Shola Ameobi's late equaliser back in October, we would have won every single game since the first two of the season. Our strength at home is well known but, this season, Spurs are a wholly different prospect away from home and it's transformed us from a talented side with a soft underbelly to one to be feared the nation over (just not Manchester).

Saturday's win was one in which we had to dig a bit deeper than in usual weeks. Outplayed in the first 45, we looked all at sea and lucky to be level. The absence of Modric and VDV had confirmed the fans' worst fears: we had little creativity. Redknapp's second half response was a clever tactical move and one that he'll probably receive little credit for. Whereas Scott Parker has been instrumental in helping protect the defence and give us some bite in midfield, he was pushed into a slightly more advanced role, leaving Sandro to play the role of defensive midfielder.

Parker had no say in the winning Spurs goals but his influence was felt throughout the half. So many chances were created that when Defoe finally cracked Spurs in front, it had most certainly been coming, even if West Brom could be forgiven for feeling unlucky. Defoe, pushing for a start all season, showed electric pace allied with confidence and was able to turn a half chance into a goal, something he's so good at when on form. One has to hope that Defoe remains patient and keeps doing the business when he's called upon, be it from the bench or on the rare occasion he starts.

And Adebayor's back to scoring for fun again. His penalty was, erm... it was just awful. But he had the presence of mind to bury the rebound and his stoppage time finish, if a little scuffed, was just what the doctor ordered as we protected a slim lead. Replacing Crouch feels better and better with every passing week.

WWWWDWWWWW. Who'd bet against a few more W's being added in the coming weeks?
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Perfect Spurs continue winning run

Rafa clearly believed in the power of his groin a little too much

"Pay your tax, my lord, pay your tax," the Aston Villa fans sang to Harry Redknapp, to the tune of 'Kumbaya', during the second half on Monday night. Within seconds, the home crowd replied in near unison with: "2-0 down, my lord, 2-0 down, oh you're 2-0 down." The away support retreated, not to be heard from again for the rest of the match. Their team had long since given up.

Spurs soared into 3rd place with a 2-0 win that defied belief - how Adebayor, van der Vaart, Bale, Lennon, Parker and Modric could tear Villa to pieces with such regularity and only find the net twice will remain a mystery. Replicating the sort of glorious, incisive football that did for QPR several weeks ago, Spurs were perfect from one to eleven - not a single player didn't carry out his job with anything short of clinical excellence.

From the phenomenally solid pairing of King and Kaboul at the back, to arguably the finest midfield pairing in the Premier League in Parker and Modric, all the way to the front four, Lennon, Bale, van der Vaart and Adebayor, who all looked completely able to interchange positions when needed. This was total football at close to its best - there must be a complaint, then to only score two goals after a display like that was ever-so-slightly frustrating.

After Adebayor had rediscovered his scoring touch with two opportunistic goals in the first half, attention turned to whether Spurs could survive the notoriously rocky opening 15 minutes of the second half, something they've seldom done in weeks gone by. And as soon as Darren Bent's header was easily saved by Friedel and a couple of slightly loose passes had been played by those in lilywhite, Spurs produced one of the most dominant second half performances you'll see all season, creating no less than about five or six glorious chances and passing the Villans to despair.

Every man did their bit. Walker and Lennon combined effectively on the right flank, using their pace to burn past Stephen Warnock time and time again. If anything, they were a bit starved of possession - a common sight in the second half was the pair of them stood, hands in the air, unmarked, desperate for the ball. When he got it, Lennon got to the byline with ease and delivered several crosses that should have been finished.

Bale on the other flank was just as impressive, having a hand in both goals and dealing easily with Villa's odd plan to play two right backs. It was a miserable night for former Spur Alan Hutton, who was deployed at right wing to help Villa double up on the flying Welshman. It couldn't have worked any worse and it portrayed a negative game plan.

Parker was, as usual, utterly superb as he linked with van der Vaart and Modric... ah, Modric. I still find it impossible to be completely enamoured with him given all that went down over the summer but I'll be damned if he's not the finest player to play for this club in a seriously long time. His second half display was a masterclass in ball retention and gap finding. His first touch would make Jesus envious. His ability to read the game puts him on a par with anyone else in the Premier League or even the world. In those second 45 minutes at the Lane on Monday night, Modric was absolutely world class (yes, that's an overused phrase but he was that good).

And then there's Adebayor. We're all too aware of how the deal might not be perfect - he's likely to only be a short term fix for a long term problem. But when he plays like this, it's almost enough to banish the painful memories of last season and Pavlyuchenko and Crouch lumbering around with little or no aim. His effort level was superb: if he lost the ball, he'd sprint into our half to get it back; if he missed a chance (and, let's face it, he missed a few), he'd visibly chastise himself and work doubly harder to execute the next move flawlessly. Messi apart, no striker is perfect and chances can and will be missed from time to time. But in Adebayor, Spurs finally have a striker who can do it all: score, run, win the ball in the air, protect it, retain possession, drift onto the wing, beat his marker, all of it. Whoever the next striker is, they need to be able to do all that as effectively as Ade. Sorry Jermain, with all due respect, I don't think it'll be you.

So we're finally up to 3rd and the next question to answer is: can we stay there? As ever, this blog will exercise nothing but caution. We'll cling tightly to our 'one game at a time' mantra, especially with a series of fixtures ahead that, should we keep up our level of excellence, we should win. Attention can soon to turn to Chelsea at the Lane in December - a titanic game that could help to define our season.

But not yet. That wouldn't be taking it one game at a time, would it?
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Third place in sight as Villa visit White Hart Lane

Younes hated the 125-year anniversary shirt

Glen Johnson’s 87th minute winner for Liverpool against Chelsea on Sunday has added plenty of significance to Tottenham’s clash with Aston Villa at White Hart Lane on Monday night.

The indifferent form of Andre Villas-Boas’ side has seen the Blues slip to fourth, behind Newcastle United and level on points with Spurs, who have two games in hand over their London rivals.

The end of Newcastle’s unbeaten run at the hands of Premier League leaders Manchester City, too, means that victory over Villa would see Tottenham move into third place, with the opportunity to open up a three-point lead over the Magpies and double that advantage over Chelsea.

Of course, it is too early to suggest victory on Monday will stand Spurs in good stead to launch an assault on the top three, let alone the top four, and Liverpool’s triumph at Stamford Bridge, coupled with the resurgence of the red side of north London means a win could be just as vital in preventing a slip two places down the table.

It is rarely plain sailing for the hosts against Villa, either, with only two wins coming from the last five meetings between the two at White Hart Lane.

The Midlands side have arguably had a hand in the end to the reigns of the two managers previous to Harry Redknapp. It was Villa who nearly spoiled the 125th year anniversary party at the Lane, only for Younes Kaboul to seal a dramatic late comeback in an infamous 4-4 draw that, naturally, demanded a DVD release from chairman Daniel Levy, despite not quite playing out as scripted.

Weeks later Martin Jol lost his job and, a year on, Spurs turned in a flat performance and were defeated 2-1 thanks to goals from Nigel Reo-Coker and Ashley Young as Juande Ramos oversaw the club’s worst ever start to a Premier League season and shortly after was replaced by Redknapp.

Spurs fared better last season though, as Rafael van der Vaart’s blistering start to life in England continued with both goals in a come-from-behind win that handed Gerard Houllier what was his first defeat as Villa boss.

The potential absence of Van der Vaart could pose the returning Redknapp, who says he is fine after minor heart surgery, a selection headache.

Van der Vaart picked up a hamstring injury – as this blog suggested he might – in the Netherlands’ first friendly over the international break, but Spurs coach Joe Jordan indicated the Dutchman, who has scored six league goals this season, has a chance of featuring on Monday. Should the playmaker miss out, Jermain Defoe may be afforded the chance to break into the starting XI as Redknapp would likely shuffle his pack slightly, playing the striker alongside Emmanuel Adebayor, rather than a player in behind the Togolese.

Elsewhere, Spurs appear to have come through the international break unscathed, with Luka Modric, Gareth Bale and Scott Parker in particular enjoying success with their respective countries.

Monday night also marks Brad Friedel’s first game against his former club. The American made over 100 appearances for Villa, and will be eager to keep out his old side after leaving them on a free transfer for Tottenham this summer.

Villa should have Gabriel Agbonlahor, who withdrew from the England squad for the Spain and Sweden friendlies available again, while Alex McLeish also has former Spurs Alan Hutton and Darren Bent in his ranks, with the striker undoubtedly keen to haunt the place where he never quite became part of the furniture.

Bent scored for Spurs the last time he was involved in this fixture, in that 2-1 defeat back in 2008. Tottenham will be hopeful he doesn’t find the net again on Monday, but does suffer the same fate as Ramos’ side three years ago.

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The pros and cons of an international break

Charlie thought eating Luka would prevent him leaving Spurs

Maybe it’s the many, many years of crushing disappointment but, a decade or so ago and beyond, the international break seemed far more exciting. England were preparing for tournaments we thought we could actually win by finishing second in competitions like 1995’s ‘Umbro Cup’ – who could forget Tottenham hero Darren Anderton’s stoppage-time-woodwork-pinball-volley against Sweden – or triumphing in ‘Le Tournoi’, a trophy made famous largely by Roberto Carlos’s other-worldly free-kick against France.

And, on paper, Saturday’s friendly with world champions Spain is exciting. Tickets for the Wembley friendly sold out well in advance for the first time in what must be several games as the opportunity to see Xabi Alonso, Xavi, Andres Iniesta et al in the flesh has been grasped by the public with both hands.

But, even the most optimistic of England fans would admit Fabio Capello’s charges have little chance of beating Spain at the weekend. Vicente del Bosque’s superstars play a brand of football so much more appealing than ours that it’s hard to see any other outcome than an away victory. Call it tiqui-taca, call it whatever. Spain do it in style, and they can go all night.

Managers bemoan the international break, especially where friendlies are concerned, as it adds more football to an already bloated schedule as they protect their best interests and do their best to convince their star players they have a cold, stubbed toe or dead leg that might rule them out for five to seven days. ‘Meaningless’ and ‘a bit ridiculous’ said Sunderland boss Steve Bruce back in August, while last March Sir Alex Ferguson labelled them a ‘waste of time’.

Of course, injuries will be a primary concern of Harry Redknapp’s over the coming week. The Spurs boss has several members of his first team squad away on international duty, including England pair Kyle Walker and Scott Parker, who are both likely to feature against Spain and Sweden at some stage. Parker in particular has his work cut out for him as he attempts to stifle the Spanish creative hub of Xavi and Iniesta.

Meanwhile, Rafael van der Vaart is in action with the Netherlands, who have two friendlies against Switzerland and Germany, while Luka Modric hopes to guide Croatia into Euro 2012 in a two-legged playoff against Turkey. Gareth Bale also features as Wales take on Norway in Cardiff on Saturday.

To lose any of those three players would be a major blow to Spurs. Modric has been close to his exceptional best since the transfer window closed and speculation surrounding a move to Chelsea ended, for the time being at least, while Van der Vaart, who has proved susceptible to niggling injury in the past, has put to rest any doubts regarding his place in the starting XI with a run of six goals in as many games. Bale, too, has enjoyed fine form of late, scoring twice against QPR and revelling in the free-moving, interchanging Tottenham front line.

Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Sandro and Vedran Corluka, among others, are also set to represent their countries, but it’s not all wait and worry for Spurs.

‘The Ledley King Experiment’ was one of Capello’s many failures at World Cup 2010 and, despite the centre-back featuring seven times this season, it appears the Italian is unlikely to revisit the possibility of selecting the Spurs defender. Terrible news for King, but not for Spurs or the club’s medical staff, who must welcome every extra opportunity for the 31-year-old to recuperate.

Aaron Lennon also misses out, having not done enough to warrant a place in Capello’s squad since his recent return from injury, while Jermain Defoe has been kept out of the Spurs first team by Emmanuel Adebayor and Van der Vaart and will not feature, despite scoring one less league goal than Darren Bent and Gabby Agbonlahor in fewer minutes of playing time.

Elsewhere, there will be no concerns over Younes Kaboul, who Laurent Blanc has left out of France’s squad to face Jurgen Klinsmann’s USA, and Adebayor’s status as a Togo player remains in doubt. The striker retired from international football in the wake of the attack on his side’s team bus at the Africa Cup of Nations, though Adebayor has suggested he may one day play for Togo again.

But perhaps most important for Tottenham at the moment is the rest and recuperation of Redknapp himself. After a recent minor heart operation, Spurs were without their manager for the narrow, nerve-wracking 3-1 victory over Fulham on Sunday. Redknapp has many detractors and his tactical nous has been called into question by pundits and supporters in the stands in the past, but it can’t be denied that, without their boss in the dugout, Tottenham struggled.

Perhaps the international break will halt the momentum of Tottenham’s current excellent run of form, or maybe it presents a good chance for some tired legs to rest up. Either way, Redknapp will be hoping all of his players return to Spurs Lodge fit, and he’s able to take charge at White Hart Lane for the visit of Aston Villa on November 21.

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Doing it the (Harry's) heart way

Even Robbie Keane's cartwheel was less over-used.

Poor old Harry. One suspects that watching Spurs desperately defend a one goal lead from the touchline is cause enough for coronary problems. But to have suffered through that last half an hour whilst recovering from actual heart surgery at home in Poole can't have done anything for the old ticker. Still, it's probably also fair to claim that he'd be happy to forget the Keystone Cops defending and just enjoy the win. Another three points. Seven wins from eight. Winning ugly. Title form (steady).

Redknapp's (Bond and Jordan's) Blue and White (Purple) Army do indeed go marching on. Weeks ago this humble blog meekly suggested that the fixtures ahead all looked laden with potential points and that, should our heads be screwed on the right way, there was a streak to be had. And you can't really ask for more than what we've been given, even though judging by the tweets of certain fans yesterday, our team selection, tactics and general morals were all just plain wrong. Haters gonna hate, I guess (what's happened to this blog!?).

The first goal was eerily reminiscent of many of those we've scored of late: Adebayor releasing Walker, Bale finishing, although, seeing as it cannoned off Chris Baird and into the net, his post-match assertion that the goal was 'definitely his' might not be the most watertight statement.

The second goal was an annoying reminder of what Aaron Lennon is capable of when he fancies it. Switching passes delightfully with Bale, taking it on towards the area, beating his marker and flashing it home all by himself, with his left foot even! If only the little oik could try that a little more often. Harsh? Maybe but he's not young enough anymore to be considered a 'prospect'. It's high time he started delivering on a Bale/Ashley Young-esque standard, especially if he fancies getting back in that England side.

The second half was more like The Alamo than a football match. After King and Kaboul charitably decided to start a game of head/back tennis in their own six-yard box, Fulham were back in it and all over us. Did Walker clearly  handball in the dying moments of the game? Yes. Was Modric's clearance off the line one of the luckiest hacks at a ball with a boot seen in years? Yes. Has Brad Friedel been blessed with divine influence after he essentially secured the points for us with a superlative display? Erm, probably.

Defoe bizarrely finished it in the 95th with an instinctive volley - harsh on Big Martin Jol, who was given the appropriate level of serenading from the away fans (pleasingly, they also paid tribute to the stricken Harry Redknapp). People can say that Spurs were poor in the second half and lucky to win but this is what Manchester United did for years to win title after title. Winning ugly, finding a way to get the three points when you're not on top form. It also helps if you can beat the big teams around you but we'll get to that another day.

So what can Project Spurs achieve this season? As with every other win on this remarkable run, let's just take it one game at a time. Keep racking up the wins, keep climbing the table. Maybe think about closing out a few games before it gets to 2-1 - if not for my heart, then for Harry's.

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Deconstructing the Tottenham defence

William was fooling no-one with his 'steady hand' display.

By Jamie Dunn

The Europa League may not be at the forefront of everyone's thinking at White Hart Lane this season, but while Harry Redknapp is unable to attend Thursday's game against Rubin Kazan due to his recovery from minor heart surgery, William Gallas has presented him and the Tottenham faithful with reason to watch events in Russia with added interest.

The French defender is in line to feature for the first time this season after struggling with a calf injury and should start in Russia.

And, should Gallas come through the game unscathed, he will present Redknapp with a welcome selection headache in what has been a problem position for Spurs for a number of years.

The jury was out regarding the free transfer signing of Gallas last summer. A 'no-brainer' said Redknapp, but plenty of the Spurs faithful were still sceptical over a player who had caused problems at both Arsenal and Chelsea. He threatened to score an own goal while at Stamford Bridge, so the story goes, while his very public sit-in after the Gunners' defeat to Birmingham was one incident in a long line to bring his temperament into question.

But the veteran kept his head down and played a vital part in so many of Tottenham’s best performances last season, dominating in the 3-2 turnaround against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium last November, and keeping out AC Milan with that goal line clearance at White Hart Lane in the Champions League last 16 second leg.

The acquisition of Gallas was eventually hailed by some as one of the best of that summer, and helped provide Tottenham with cover in a position they have consistently struggled with.

Just ask Younes Kaboul. Signed in 2007 and dubbed a player of immense potential, Kaboul, aged just 21 at the time, was thrust into a central defensive pairing with Anthony Gardner due to injuries to Michael Dawson and of course Ledley King.

The former Auxerre man had his moments, scoring the equaliser in that infamous 4-4 anniversary draw with Aston Villa, but struggled as Spurs got off to a poor start and Martin Jol ultimately lost his job.

Kaboul was sold to Redknapp's Portsmouth the following summer but returned with the now-Spurs boss in January 2010 and has flourished ever since. The 25-year-old deputised at right-back to great effect as Tottenham finished fourth in the 2009-10 season and, injuries and suspensions aside, has presented a strong case to be considered a first choice centre-back.

And then there's King. Quite simply, when the club captain is fit, he plays. A brittle knee has limited the heights he could have reached. He doesn't train during the week. It has all been said before.

Spurs are a massively improved side with King at the base of their spine, and the 31-year-old has managed six appearances in nine league games this season, even recovering quickly from a knock picked up against Newcastle, missing the trip to Blackburn but playing the full 90 minutes in Sunday's victory over QPR.

Sebastien Bassong appears to be the odd man out, having come close to leaving the club for Neil Warnock’s side on the final day of the transfer window, but after losing Gallas and Michael Dawson for a longer period of time than perhaps was expected, Redknapp will be glad he didn't part ways with the young Cameroon international.

Bassong may not have fulfilled the potential of a player dubbed one of Newcastle's few shining lights in their relegation season, but he has proved himself adept in the Europa League and on sporadic occasions over the past two years. At the same age as Kaboul, Bassong hasn’t quite impressed as much as his partner at Ewood Park two weekends ago, but still has plenty of football in front of him.

The news on Dawson, meanwhile, is not as good. The former Nottingham Forest man had shown signs of improvement after an early diagnosis suggested a long layoff was expected, but recent reports have suggested he could be out until 2012 and is due to see a specialist over his Achilles problem.

But it is a mark of how far Tottenham have come that, even without Dawson, who has been so integral over the last two seasons, Redknapp could be able to choose from four centre-backs come Sunday's clash with Fulham. It is likely to be King and one other. Who his partner is, should Gallas prove himself fit in Russia, is anyone's guess.

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Parker the catalyst behind Spurs rise

Guest written by Jamie Dunn:

Last season, Scott Parker was depicted as a Churchillian figure, taking West Ham United’s half time team talks and single-handedly leading the quest to keep the Hammers in the Premier League.

Of course it wasn’t all that cut and dry, but in the end Parker toiled and harried to no avail as West Ham were relegated on the penultimate weekend of the campaign, relinquishing a 2-0 lead to Wigan and suffering defeat at the DW Stadium.

Parker's efforts did not go unnoticed as he was named the Football Writers' Footballer of the Year, while Fabio Capello returned the midfielder to the national team fold for the first time since 2006, where he remains a part of the Italian's starting XI heading towards Euro 2012.

Harry Redknapp was watching too and identified Parker as his number one transfer target for the summer.

"I said to the chairman during the summer the one player I wanted was Scott Parker," Redknapp told the press after Sunday’s 3-1 victory over QPR. "Forget looking for £20m players or anything else, Scott Parker is what we need at this football club. He'll make a difference to this club and this team and that's what he has done."

Despite not fitting the remit for a club’s ideal signing - aged 30 and likely to be priced at a premium given his status and nationality despite West Ham’s relegation - Spurs deemed it acceptable to part ways with around £5.5 million for Parker and on transfer deadline day it was announced that Redknapp had got his man.

And at White Hart Lane on Sunday, Parker continued to prove that, so far, he has been worth every penny.

It was a scintillating first half performance from Spurs, who dominated from the outset as their five most advanced players attacked QPR wave after wave. Rafael van der Vaart and Luka Modric dictated proceedings; the Dutchman saw an effort saved by Paddy Kenny after just two minutes while Emmanuel Adebayor will feel he should have converted the 28-year-old’s in swinging cross.

It was no surprise to see Tottenham go in at the interval two goals to the good through Gareth Bale and Van der Vaart and it could have been more. Parker played an important part in an excellent opening 45 minutes from deep, connecting defence to attack, but it was after the break that the 31-year-old’s presence was truly felt.

QPR boss Neil Warnock played his hand, and having been forced into an earlier change, used both of his remaining substitutions as Jamie Mackie and Jay Bothroyd came on for Shaun Derry and Adel Taarabt, who was wasteful in possession on his return to White Hart Lane.

QPR rallied and improved. Van der Vaart and Modric's influence dwindled. Spurs were on the back foot, failed to clear from a set piece and in the 62nd minute Bothroyd headed in from close range.

With over 25 minutes left to play and the visitors enjoying their best spell of the game, Parker came to prominence. He chased, tackled and passed in a typically simple but effective manner to nullify the threat of an equaliser.

It was from Parker's tireless work that Spurs got their third goal as he brought to ball forward and played in Van der Vaart, before watching a move develop in which Lennon and Bale exchanged passes and the Welsh winger unleashed a delightful effort which curled beyond Kenny and all but ended the game as a contest.

Parker continued to work until he was substituted for Sandro with less than five minutes of normal time remaining, receiving the plaudits of Modric and Bale as he left the pitch to an extended handshake from his manager and a standing ovation.

After the game, Redknapp gushed with praise for his summer signing and suggested Spurs legend Dave Mackay would be proud of Parker's performance.

While that was an exaggeration of the 31-year-old's outlay, his commitment continues to impress and Parker's impact cannot be ignored - Tottenham have dropped just two Premier League points since his introduction to the side seven games ago and Sunday’s performance was the latest in a string of industrious displays.

The 31-year-old can expect more comparisons to Mackay et al if he continues to perform as he has so far, while Spurs can expect their resurgence since the thrashings they suffered at the hands of the Manchester clubs to gather apace.

Jamie Dunn is a writer for Goal.com, an expert on all things Tottenham and a thoroughly nice man, into the bargain. Follow him on Twitter: @JamieRDunn

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