No more spot-kicks for you Jermain, says Spurs boss Redknapp

25 January 2010 22:28
Harry Redknapp has lost patience with Jermain Defoe after his latest spot-kick miss against Leeds in the FA Cup. [LNB]The Tottenham manager conceded that it is time to hand over the responsibility and named Tom Huddlestone and Niko Kranjcar as prime candidates. [LNB]Defoe has failed to score with his last four penalties for Tottenham in his two stints with the club and has managed to convert just four of his last 10 playing for both Spurs and Portsmouth. [LNB] Gone missing: Jermain Defoe sees Leeds goalkeeper Casper Ankergren palm away his spot-kick at White Hart Lane on Saturday[LNB]'Jermain is a great goalscorer but his penalties haven't been so great,' said Redknapp. [LNB]'When you place them, unless you can be accurate and stick 'em up there like the boy (Jermaine) Beckford did, the keeper often goes the right way. [LNB]Enlarge 'I haven't told Jermain yet but I will have a word with him. [LNB]'He would want to carry on because he loves scoring goals. [LNB]'But the one at Everton was in the 90th minute to win the game and it's a different pressure. When you miss a couple obviously it preys on your mind a bit. Tom Huddlestone can take them. Niko Kranjcar can take penalties very well. It wouldn't be a problem for them. We'll have to look at it. [LNB]'The players practise them but we don't stand out in the cold all day taking them. They take a few after training and nothing can actually replicate what you do in a real game. When it means something it ain't quite the same.' [LNB]Such penalty-taking pressure has, in the past, been the preserve of Robbie Keane but the Spurs skipper has often found himself looking on from the sidelines this season. [LNB]Indeed, has only once been granted a full 90 minutes of action in Tottenham's last 13 games and has been an unused substitute in four of those. [LNB]But Redknapp was full of praise for his skipper's attitude and is delighted he does not have the problems of some of his managerial counterparts when it comes to keeping the majority of his squad happy. [LNB]Redknapp said: 'I was talking to a manager yesterday in the Premier and he said he's got half a dozen s***s at his club who just make it a nightmare to go to work. Robbie looks bright in training. He's got a great attitude. On Monday he was fantastic. [LNB] Mr Perfect: Harry Redknapp has hailed striker Robbie Keane's attitude despite not being first choice at White Hart Lane recently[LNB]'When he's not in the team he's still in the dressing room geeing everybody up. He doesn't sulk when he's not playing and his attitude... if everyone had an attitude like him, the game would be a better game and your job would be much easier.' [LNB]Redknapp is not without his headaches, however. He has had to deal with complaints from Roman Pavlyuchenko over his lack of action, while David Bentley is quite clearly not following the Keane approach to winning back your place. [LNB]Redknapp will be without Aaron Lennon again on Tuesday night when Spurs entertain Fulham after the winger underwent a scan on Monday on the groin injury which has sidelined him for four weeks. [LNB]  Lennon is desperate to return for the fourth-round replay away to former club Leeds, but Redknapp, understandably, is erring on the side of caution. [LNB]'It's important not to rush him back,' said the Spurs boss. 'We wouldn't take that chance. [LNB]'He'd be keen to play at Leeds but whether it's possible we don't know yet.' [LNB]Pavlyuchenko, who scored after coming off the bench against Leeds, is likely to be denied the chance to try and sway his manager's opinion against Fulham after picking up a groin strain on Saturday but Huddlestone and Ledley King could return. [LNB]  We're no bottlers: Jermain Defoe insists Tottenham will maintain top-four challengeHe came, he saw, he sulked, he scored and then he strained his groin, but still Roman Pavlyuchenko wants out of TottenhamTOTTENHAM v Fulham: Roman Pavlyuchenko struggling to make derby clashTOTTENHAM HOTSPUR FC

Source: Daily_Mail