Redknapp pleads for new blood as second string flop in Europe

The Spurs manager stunned the board this week by declaring at the club's AGM that the team will have no chance of challenging the elite unless he can buy new talent.

He is looking at improving the strength of the squad by signing Peter Crouch and Sylvain Distin from Portsmouth, but Levy is not so sure about spending more money despite making £50million from the sales of Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov in the summer.

However, one look at a near second string's struggle to secure a draw at home to Spartak Moscow last night should make him reconsider.
Trailing 2-0 at half-time, Spurs were in serious danger of going out of the tournament at the group stage and the weaknesses were there for all to see.

Injuries had deprived Redknapp of key first-team players Ledley King, Jonathan Woodgate, Darren Bent and Jermanie Jenas while Vedran Corluka and Roman Pavlyuchenko were cup-tied.

Too many of the fringe players laboured in their absence in the first half, most noticeably Gilberto who looks certain to leave next month.

With Didier Zokora playing as a makeshift centre half alongside Michael Dawson, Spartak Moscow striker Artem Dzuba, who bore an uncanny resemblance to Crouch, made the most of the confusion to score two goals in the first half.

The opening effort was a gift as Gilberto let Dzuba run onto Gareth Bale's back pass to strike home, while Zokora was the one at fault in the 33rd minute when the forward ran past him with ease to again beat keeper Heurelho Gomes.

Luckily, Luka Modric is starting to justify his £16.6m price tag and helped turn things round after the break, and he scored his first goal in Spurs colours after being set-up by Aaron Lennon on 68 minutes.

Tom Huddlestone then finished a neat move to pull the home side level 16 minutes from time.

The fight back came at a price however, as Modric and Lennon are now both doubtful for the match at Newcastle on Sunday due to hamstring and groin injuries respectively.

Finishing second in their group means Spurs will now face a team dropping out of the Champions League in the draw for the last 32 today and it was no surprise then that Redknapp launched another appeal for signings after the match.

He said: "We are short in certain positions without a doubt. We've got a good squad here, it just needs thickening up. If we find the right players, we will bring them in."

While Spurs have all three cup competitions to look forward to in the new year, their League position is still a concern.

They are just one point above the relegation zone, but Bale hopes for a good run over Christmas.

He said: "The League is so tight and if we can have a good run over Christmas and a few teams don't, we can push right up."