Huddlestone hails 'hard-working' Spurs

23 July 2010 08:58
Tottenham midfielder Tom Huddlestone believes his side's ability to play dirty was key to their success last season.[LNB] Spurs finished fourth in the Premier League last term and qualified for next year's UEFA Champions League, pipping Manchester City to the post.[LNB]Manager Harry Redknapp has claimed the North London outfit now have what it takes to challenge for the title, after matching the style of previous campaigns with substance.[LNB]Huddlestone, who made 33 top-flight appearances last season, says an improved work ethic is the reason for Spurs' success.[LNB]"We coped with the dirty side of the game a lot better last year - stuff like working extremely hard for 90 minutes, getting your tackles in, chasing lost causes," he said in The Sun.[LNB]"It got us a lot of results whereas before wins might have been draws and draws may have been losses.[LNB]"There have been a few times when we won ugly but you have to remember the club's philosophy of good players playing in the so-called right way.[LNB]"Maybe in previous years that approach has been a millstone around our necks, we have overplayed. Last season we seemed to get the balance right and maybe that was because we had Peter Crouch as an option.[LNB]"Before he arrived, we had three or four smaller strikers and overplayed a bit going forward - that's when you get caught out."[LNB]On Tottenham's potential to cut it at the very top, Huddlestone added: "Teams who have just been promoted and those classed as the lower sides see Tottenham as a massive scalp in the same way as Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Man City.[LNB]"If teams come to White Hart Lane and try to play football, like Chelsea did, then we can match them."

Source: Team_Talk