Source: Team_Talk
United will push Blues - Redknapp
Harry Redknapp insists Manchester United will push Chelsea all the way in the Premier League title race despite their recent travails.[LNB] United are unbeaten in the league this season but have drawn more games than they have won.[LNB]They have also been at the centre of one of the most extraordinary footballing sagas of recent years, which ended when Wayne Rooney finally signed a new five-year contract last week.[LNB]Rooney looked set to leave Old Trafford after publicly questioning the club's ambition, amid concerns they had been in decline since the departures of Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez.[LNB]But Spurs boss Redknapp believes once Rooney recovers from an ankle injury and rediscovers his form, Sir Alex Ferguson's men will be back on track.[LNB]"They've had a few problems, haven't they, obviously losing Rooney with his injury and then another few problems they've had with Rooney," Redknapp said.[LNB]"When he comes back firing on all cylinders, they'll always be there.[LNB]"They've got a fantastic manager; he gets the best out of them every year; they produce great teams and I wouldn't write them off.[LNB]"They'll be right again there pushing all the way for the championship.[LNB]"Chelsea are obviously favourites at the moment but I don't think Man United will be too far away again come the end of the season."[LNB]Tottenham will face a Rooney-less United on Saturday, and Redknapp admitted that was a prospect he would relish.[LNB]"I'd be a liar if I said otherwise," he said.[LNB]"I'd rather see Rooney's name not on the team-sheet any day of the week."[LNB]Spurs appear to need all the help they can get winning at Old Trafford if their recent record there is anything to go by.[LNB]It is almost 21 years since they last tasted victory there in any competition.[LNB]Redknapp joked: "I wouldn't take the blame for what happened in '89 or '90, or '91, '92, '93, or all those other years.[LNB]"It's a hard place for anyone. How many teams have been there and won?[LNB]"They lose one or two home games a season at the most.[LNB]"And it's different players here now.[LNB]"They wouldn't know about that record or anything else.[LNB]"It's a new experience for some of them."[LNB]Spurs have made great strides during Redknapp's two years in charge but he has yet to halt their 17-year winless run at the grounds of the so-called 'big four'.[LNB]"We need to go away from home and play at Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Man United and pick up a win," he said.[LNB]"We did it at Man City last year, obviously, and I think they'll probably be a top-four team this year.[LNB]"But we need to go away from home in one or two of those games and pick up better results this year than we have in the past.[LNB]"A lot of it is belief, believing that you can go there and get a result. If you go there and you're negative about it, you won't.[LNB]"We'll go there tomorrow with a team looking to take the game, if we can, to Man United.[LNB]"We're not going to go there and shut up shop completely.[LNB]"We've got talent and we'll look to go there and do our best to attack them at every opportunity that we get."[LNB]Redknapp is pondering resting Gareth Bale ahead of Tuesday's Champions League clash with Inter Milan.[LNB]"We've got two big games and I'll look at it," Redknapp said.[LNB]"He's had a really hard spell of playing game after game."[LNB]Redknapp, who gave Bale as few days off this week, joked: "He went abroad - he went to Cardiff![LNB]"He could have gone away, a few days abroad or something, but he just wanted to spend a bit of time with his family."
