Spurs plot Reds' scalp
Harry Redknapp, whose magic touch since taking over at Tottenham has seen him dubbed the Harry Potter of English football, will be hoping to cast another spell on Liverpool when the Reds visit for a League Cup tie on Wednesday.
Redknapp's wizardry has worked wonders since he quit Portsmouth for north London with Spurs winning four and drawing one of his five matches in charge to haul themselves off the bottom of the Premier League table and out of the relegation zone.
Now, with the first phase of his mission at White Hart Lane accomplished, Redknapp must turn his attention to Tottenham's defence of a trophy they lifted last season in the euphoric early days of his predecessor, Juande Ramos's regime.
A dramatic 2-1 win over Liverpool at the start of the month began Spurs' current three-match winning run and they are likely to face a shadow of that Reds side this time around.
Rafael Benitez is likely to ring the changes but Redknapp understands what another win over Liverpool and progression in the competition can do for his reinvigorated team.
The new manager has already got Tottenham's first-team regulars buzzing and he is likely to use Wednesday's match as an opportunity to give a number of fringe players the opportunity to impress.
The new manager is keen to strengthen his squad but insists he will not be overly concerned if chairman Daniel Levy tells him there are no funds for January transfer window purchases.
"If there is no money, there is no money. The chairman at Portsmouth used to ask me if I needed anything and I would say no.
"I don't want to spend his (Levy's) money. If the chairman says there is a certain amount to spend, then that is different.
"But if there is no money, then I am just as happy to find a couple of loans and free transfers if I have to bolster the squad."
Liverpool travel to north London as the Premier League's second-placed team but are likely to be underdogs, with Benitez set to rest a significant number of the players that have been instrumental in the fine start to the league campaign.
While Fernando Torres may be given the opportunity to build his match fitness following a recent hamstring injury, Benitez is likely to take the likes of Steven Gerrard, Alvaro Arbeloa, Fabio Aurelio, Dirk Kuyt and Robbie Keane out of the firing line.
And that could mean that Lucas Leiva, Philipp Degen, Emiliano Insua, Nabil El Zhar, Damien Plessis, Jermaine Pennant and David Ngog are all given the chance to impress at White Hart Lane, with the Brazilian goalkeeper Diego Cavalieri also set for a run-out.
With a league trip to Bolton on Saturday in the back of his mind, Benitez will be hoping to reach the next round with the minimum of disruption to the side that he has in mind for the Reebok Stadium.
Although all the attention has been on Benitez's side's flying start in the league, Lucas says the players are keen to bring home every trophy they can.
"The League Cup is an opportunity for us to show what we can do," he said. "It's an opportunity not just for me but for all the players and the club.
"It is not as important as the Premier League, but when you play for a club like Liverpool you want to win all the trophies. I have never played at Wembley and hopefully I will get the opportunity."
"I know it's a very famous stadium. Some of the Brazil internationals are played there but I have never had the opportunity to play in one of them, so hopefully I can play in the final."
Comments