Tottenham V QPR at White Hart Lane : Match Preview

28 October 2011 16:01
Redknapp salutes Warnock`s work.

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has praised the work of Neil Warnock at QPR ahead of the two teams` Barclays Premier League clash on Sunday. Redknapp's team will move level on points with fourth-place Newcastle should they overcome Neil Warnock's side at White Hart Lane.

The newly-promoted west London club climbed to 10th in the table with a 1-0 win against Chelsea last Sunday, and Redknapp thinks the outspoken Rangers boss deserves high praise for the way he has managed the club since taking over in March 2010.

"Neil has done a wonderful job with them," Redknapp said. "They had good manager after good manager there. They all failed to get QPR promoted and in comes Neil and he got them promoted in his first season no problem. Amazing. "I like him. He is a character. I think what you see is what you get with him."

Tottenham defender William Gallas will have a fitness test on his calf injury before manager Harry Redknapp decides whether to give him his first game of the season. Steven Pienaar could make his first appearance of the campaign after recovering from his long-standing groin problem while Ledley King faces a late test to see if he is fit to play following his groin injury. Michael Dawson (Achilles), Tom Huddlestone (ankle) and Vedran Corluka (foot) are all unavailable but Sandro is likely to play after the latest scan on the Brazilian's calf injury revealed no long-term damage.

Meanwhile, Warnock insisted recent allegations Anton Ferdinand was racially abused last weekend have not become a major distraction. Video circulated on the internet after QPR's 1-0 defeat of Chelsea last Sunday, with some claiming the footage showed Blues captain John Terry insulting Ferdinand using racist language. Terry has denied any wrongdoing, but the Football Association are investigating the claims, while the Metropolitan Police are also involved after receiving an anonymous complaint. Despite the ongoing investigations, Warnock insists it has not taken his side off track ahead of the trip to Tottenham.

"I can honestly say it hasn't really [been distracting] as we just have to focus on Spurs," he said. "The place has been buzzing as you would expect [after the Chelsea win]. "I don't think teams like QPR win very often against the Chelseas of this world. "I think somebody said it was over 10 years since a promoted club beat Chelsea. "We know what kind of achievement it is to beat them even though the circumstances saw them make one or two mistakes on the day. "That does not take anything away from what I thought was a wonderful occasion for everybody connected with the club."

Warnock could select the same starting line-up that defeated Chelsea for the clash. The Rs boss has suggested he may pick the same team, while hinting Danny Gabbidon and Armand Traore may be drafted into the squad. The former has been out since victory at Wolves with a knee injury and Traore has had a thigh complaint, but both trained today and will be assessed ahead of the trip to White Hart Lane.

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Source: DSG