We must find the type of quality kids that Arsenal produce, says Harry Redknapp

Mihir Bose
30 Oct 2009

Harry Redknapp has admitted that Tottenham have to start matching Arsenal's impressive record of youth recruitment if they are ever going to eclipse their north London rivals.

The teams meet tomorrow for the first time in the Premier League this season at the end of a week that has seen another generation of Gunners youngsters - including English-born Sanchez Watt and Craig Eastmond - progress to the quarter-finals of the Carling Cup.

By contrast, only Ledley King has made the rise from the youth to the first team at White Hart Lane, a situation that troubles Redknapp.

He said: "When you look at the match against Liverpool and you look at the Arsenal kids that is where the gap is. It is an area we have to start producing some young players at Tottenham.

"The last young player we produced at Tottenham was Ledley King. That was a long time ago. Arsenal keep finding the kids."

Redknapp believes that, while Arsene Wenger should take a lot of the credit for discovering the talent, much more is being done behind the scenes. "I don't want to be disrespectful to Arsene Wenger but he is not out there on the touchline looking for kids," Redknapp added.

"It is other people that bring them to him. He does not see them until they arrive on the door.

"I probably watch more youth football than Arsene, the difference is they have got full-time scouts all round the world and they have invested heavily.

"We have invested heavily but the management team here has changed a few times and Arsenal have more continuity.

"Steve Rowley has been there for years scouting and Liam Brady has been involved. The same manager has also been in charge for 13 years. That is where they have got a start on Tottenham."

Redknapp will also be casting envious glances at four senior players in the Gunners line-up tomorrow. Cesc Fabregas, Robin van Persie, Andrey Arshavin and Gael Clichy are a quartet that the Spurs boss would love to see line up in the white of Tottenham.

"Cesc Fabregas is fantastic, Van Persie is top class, Arshavin is a top player and so is Clichy," Redknapp said. "Arsenal don't have a target man. They are playing really with one striker and lot of movement. Van Persie drops off and comes in the hole. Arshavin looks a real danger coming off the left side."

Unfortunately for Spurs the derby will not feature three of their own star attractions as Luka Modric will be missing along with Jermain Defoe and Aaron Lennon.

Redknapp said: "They are three outstanding players who are all quick and are all sharp. They are a big loss to us because of the way we have to play. They are very small and we are not a big team. We have to play a passing game and we have to move the ball on the floor."

Peter Crouch, Roman Pavlyuchenko and Robbie Keane will all be vying for the two strikers' roles and David Bentley is also likely to come in on the right- hand side of midfield as Spurs attempt to win their first game on their rival's turf since May 1993.

Despite their lack of success, Redknapp is still confident of causing an upset. He said: "We are going to cause them some problems. We have some good players and we are looking forward to the match."