Harry Redknapp has called on his strikers to start delivering to prevent their campaign falling short.
Redknapp demands more from misfiring strikers
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has called on his strikers to start delivering the goods to prevent their UEFA Champions League quest falling short.
Spurs are three points adrift of Chelsea in fourth place and have found the net just 33 times in 24 games this term, a record which leaves them lacking in comparison to their rivals.
At the same stage of last term they had found the net 49 times and are now relying heavily on the input of summer signing Rafael van der Vaart.
While the Dutchman has made an excellent start by scoring nine league goals, Jermain Defoe, Roman Pavlyuchenko and Peter Crouch have struck just seven times between them.
Defoe, who scored 28 goals for club and country last season, has seen his form dip this year and is yet to find the net in the Premier League ahead of Saturday's clash with Bolton.
Produce
After seeing a deadline-day bid for Villarreal striker Giuseppe Rossi fail, and sending Robbie Keane on loan to West Ham, Redknapp is keen for Defoe, Crouch and Pavlyuchenko to start delivering fast.
"They are our strike-force now," Redknapp said. "We are relying on those three to produce the goals.
"Van der Vaart is the only man who has got his ratio of goals. We need the strikers to start scoring regularly as well."
Defoe's failure to find the net is the most alarming for Redknapp, who has always been able to rely on the 28-year-old during his spells at West Ham and Portsmouth.
Defoe's progress has not been helped by an ankle ligament injury he picked up on international duty in September that ruled him out of action for two months.
Confidence
His manager insists he is not too concerned about the striker's goal drought and is sure that he is capable of helping keep alive Spurs' dreams of making the Champions League for a second successive season.
"We are waiting for him to suddenly have that burst of goals that could make the difference to us," Redknapp said.
"If he can go on a run and score some goals he can take us where we want to go. We are relying on him. He is a fantastic finisher.
"Goalscorers need confidence. The other night he had a couple of one on ones that he would normally score (but) once they do start going in for him he will start going on a run."
