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[u]Tottenham v Stevenage, Wednesday 19:45, ESPN[/u] It was the goalless draw at Broadhall Way in the initial instalment of this FA Cup fifth round tie that sapped Tottenham of all momentum ahead of the defeats to Arsenal and Manchester United which killed off their Premier League title challenge. However, as is often the case for a lower-league team who manage to produce the performance of a lifetime in a glamorous cup game, Stevenage have suffered just as badly since their first heroic showing in front of the cameras. Having entered that on a run of eight victories in ten, they suddenly find themselves winless in five. This is also the fourth straight midweek in which they have played - Spurs' far larger squad have had the last four off - so finding the energy to frustrate the...

Harry Redknapp is everybody's favourite next England manager. He has worked wonders at Tottenham, leading them from bottom of the Premier League to title contenders in the space of three years. He has been cleared of allegations of tax evasion, he is personable and, above all, he is English. These are just some of the reasons the 64-year-old is 1.43 to continue where Fabio Capello left off. But avoid those odds like the plague. Much like the Wolves job, or being the successor to José Mourinho, becoming England manager is the definitive hiding to nothing. Admittedly, it is not without its kudos; the role is a particularly well-remunerated position and it must be immensely flattering to be called to answer the call of leading your country into battle. Redknapp, after all, is a patriot....

It's easy to draw the conclusion that Fabio Capello's resignation almost exactly four months to the day before their opening match against France is a disaster. Whereas every other manager at the competition(bar the hosts) will have had a two-year qualifying campaign as preparation for the main event, Capello's successor will have just a handful of friendlies available to him in which to find out which system to play, which players to pick, who he can rely on, who isn't his cup of tea. That of course isn't ideal but it may be the lesser of two evils because any confidence in Fabio Capello leading England to the final or better, was surely misplaced. The Italian is a wonderful manager, his CV speaks for itself. But in hindsight he was never the right man for this job. His disciplinarian...

[u]Watford v Tottenham, Friday 19:45 BST, ESPN[/u] Despite Tottenham's recent wobbles - if a home draw with Wolves and last-gasp reverse away to Manchester City count as such - it is difficult to make a case for them exiting the FA Cup to Championship strugglers Watford. If the fixture was taking place a few weeks ago, with Watford unbeaten in eight, it might be different, but since putting some breathing space between themselves and the drop zone, they have lost three straight league games. Spurs have a fine record at Vicarage Road, visiting five times without defeat since 1987, the last trip ending in a 2-1 victory in the Carling Cup three seasons ago. Add into the equation that they have won the four FA Cup clashes between the pair, and it is easy to see why they are 1.54 favourites. [u]Over/under...

Talking to Kay Dyson the other day brought home just how long it has been since Tottenham won the league. Her husband Terry, who remains the only player to have scored a hat-trick for Spurs against Arsenal, was a member of Bill Nicholson's double-winning side, but unsurprisingly few are old enough to truly remember either his achievements or those of that 1960/61 vintage. Sadly, many of the players themselves are struggling on that front. "Some of the old double-winners still do signings and that," said Dyson, "but unfortunately there are only a few left now that still have all their faculties intact". Hopefully for Spurs fans, they will soon no longer have to delve back into the black and white archives of Danny Blanchflower, Dave Mackay and Cliff Jones or turn to the fading memories ...

[b][u]Tottenham v Rubin Kazan, KO 20:05, live on Channel 5[/u] [/b] Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp is likely to shuffle his pack for the visit of Group A leaders Rubin Kazan, though his options have been severely reduced in the heart of his defence. Ledley King, Michael Dawson, Vedran Corluka and William Gallas will all miss the game through injury meaning Sebastien Bassong and Younes Kaboul are the only fit, senior, central defenders at the club. But with the four injured players also expected to miss Sunday's Premier League trip to Blackburn will Redknapp risk Bassong and Kaboul for this game, or will he go with reserve team players Danny Rose and Andros Townsend who can both play in Spurs' problem position? Kazan boss Kurban Berdyev has also promised changes ahead of his club's...

[b]That Harry Redknapp would quite like to add a striker to his squad is one of the worst-kept secrets in football, and he has raised further funds to do so by selling Robbie Keane.[/b] The Republic of Ireland captain completed a surprising and swift £3.5 million move to [b]LA Galaxy[/b] - insert standard "he must have supported them as a kid" gag here - where he will play alongside the likes of [b]David Beckham[/b] and Landon Donovan. And as the 31-year-old's departure leaves Tottenham with just three first-team strikers in Jermain Defoe, Peter Crouch and [b]Roman Pavlyuchenko[/b] - all of whom have been linked with exits during this transfer window - the need to sign an alternative before deadline day becomes all the more urgent. The Lilywhites, who are 4.2 to finish the new...

[b]There's a crucial few months in store for Harry Redknapp says Mike Norman, as the Tottenham boss tries to retain his current playing staff as well as adding enough quality to mount a Top 4 challenge.[/b] It surely has to be one of the most frustrating aspects of being a top football manager. You put together a highly talented squad capable of challenging for domestic and European trophies, but as soon your club's progression stalls slightly your big name players seemingly want to jump ship and play their football elsewhere. And this is exactly what seems to be happening to [b]Harry Redknapp[/b] at Tottenham currently. Redknapp must be tearing his hair out right now. It seems a day doesn't go by without more news about [b]Luka Modric's[/b] desire to play for Chelsea, Rafael...

The North London derby isn't a fixture that really needs the ante upped, but with Tottenham needing a win to draw level on points with fourth placed Manchester City and Arsenal after an away victory to keep in touch with Manchester United at the top of the league, this encounter is likely to be even more keenly fought than normal. Harry Redknapp is without the injured Alan Hutton, Ledley King, Wilson Palacios and Jonathan Woodgate, but Steven Pienaar could return after a period out with a groin strain. Peter Crouch is also available again having been suspended for the Champions League game against Real Madrid. Arsenal are likely to have Manuel Almunia, Denilson, Bacary Sagna and Thomas Vermaelen missing with injury, but Alex Song should start after featuring as a substitute against...