Unwanted FA Cup replay just adds to Harry Redknapp's headache

In six days' time, Spurs travel to Emirates Stadium for the second north London derby of the campaign, before they face Manchester United at White Hart Lane on March 4. A trip to Everton follows on March 10 and at a time when Tottenham would have cherished a week without a game, they must now meet Stevenage again on March 7 following yesterday's goalless draw.

Victory in that match would bring a quarter-final against Bolton at White Hart Lane and on March 24, Chelsea are the opponents at Stamford Bridge. Tottenham's London rivals are in poor health at present but they rarely lose at home to Spurs. The last time Tottenham won a League match at the Bridge, Luton and Millwall were in English football's top division.

It is hard to imagine Stevenage causing as many problems for Tottenham next month as they did yesterday. Spurs were imprecise and shaky on a narrow, bumpy pitch, and the League One club displayed energy and confidence in surroundings they know well.

Yet with injury and illness affecting Redknapp's squad, the fifth-round replay will test the manager's judgement. Who to keep and who to rest?
Many have made contributions to Tottenham's powerful season. The sense remains, though, that Ledley King, Luka Modric, Scott Parker, Gareth Bale and Emmanuel Adebayor provide the edge in the most important matches.

Only two of the quintet were able to feature yesterday.

Modric is suffering from flu, Adebayor twisted his knee during training on Friday and although King was on the bench, Redknapp said he would not have been fit to come on.

As committed as Redknapp is to winning a trophy in what will probably be his final season at Spurs, he will surely have enough trust in his squad
players to finish the job against Stevenage.

Imagine the dismay at White Hart Lane if Modric or
Bale were ruled out of Premier League battles - and a possible Cup quarter-final - because of injuries sustained in the replay.

Everything possible will be done to ensure Modric, King and Adebayor - as well as Rafael van der Vaart and Benoit Assou-Ekotto - are available for Sunday's derby. Van der Vaart's calf problem has kept him out of the last three matches, while Assou-Ekotto has had a minor groin operation but ought to be ready for Arsenal.

A solid points total from the matches against Arsenal, United, Everton and Chelsea would give Spurs considerable confidence that they could secure third place in the Premier League, or perhaps better. Of their final eight opponents, only Norwich and Sunderland are currently in the top half of the table. The FA Cup remains an objective, too, especially as two home wins would secure a semi-final place.

The Champions League - European football's money-printing machine - means a top-four finish is the primary goal for every English club. Yet for most footballers, the instant joy of winning a trophy would outweigh the promise of competing in the continent's main club trophy. Jake Livermore has yet to play in the Champions League but he has featured in all three of Spurs' FA Cup matches this season and he is already hooked on the competition.

"You want to lift a trophy," said the 22-year-old midfielder. "I want to be part of a Spurs team that lifts the Cup and I want to be remembered for that in years to come. Football is about winning and glory and hopefully we can look forward to that.

"Winning this competition and getting into the top four are our priorities. The team we put out shows how seriously we are taking this competition. It was close to the strongest team we could have fielded and it showed just how much we want to win the Cup."

Danny Rose, one of Spurs' few constant attacking threats, bemoaned his side's inability to open the Stevenage defence and called the replay "an unnecessary game we didn't want".

Redknapp and his players will hope it proves to be no more than a minor distraction.