Harry wants top four over cup

Redknapp keen to secure Champions League qualification

Last updated: 1st December 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Harry wants top four over cup

Redknapp: Wants to finish in top four

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Tottenham Hotspur boss Harry Redknapp admits he would prefer to qualify for the UEFA Champions League rather than win the Carling Cup.

Redknapp led Spurs to the final of the competition last season only to lose to Manchester United on penalties just 12 months after his predecessor Juande Ramos oversaw victory over Chelsea at Wembley.

Spurs face United in the quarter-finals of this season's renewal on Tuesday night and Redknapp acknowledges he enjoys a trip to Wembley for a cup final.

However, the experienced boss concedes his biggest motivation is trying to secure a top-four spot in the Premier League to bring Champions League football to White Hart Lane.

"Wembley is a great day out, but I would love to get into a Champions League position with Tottenham," said Redknapp.

"You can win a cup and have a bit of luck on the way, but to get to a Champions League position would be done through a whole season. It would be great for us.

"It is a one-off game at Wembley, a great day out for the fans. If you win it everybody enjoys it, but Tottenham won it two years ago and then went into freefall. So it didn't do them any good."

Dominate

Redknapp was encouraged by the manner of his team's performance in drawing 1-1 against Aston Villa on Saturday, showing the progress being made after last season's escape from the relegation zone.

He added: "This time last year, you wouldn't even have considered us breaking in there, we were at the bottom of the league.

"But you look at the way we played during the second half on Saturday and to dominate a team like Villa as we did second half.

"Normally, you see a Man United dominate someone like that or a Liverpool.

"I think we are getting to the stage where it is possible for us to go away (to top-four clubs), we can play at these places and feel we've got a chance of winning."