Redknapp hoping to avoid distraction of Europa League

Spurs have enjoyed a glorious debut season in the Champions League this term, but it now looks likely that they will miss out on dining at Europe’s top table next year.

Last weekend’s defeat at Chelsea saw Redknapp’s team slip to sixth and they could be 10 points behind fourth-place Manchester City by the time they face Blackpool at White Hart Lane this evening.

With four matches of the season remaining, it appears the best that Tottenham can hope for is to overcome tricky games at Liverpool and City to beat Kenny Dalglish’s team to fifth.

That would mean earning a place in the Europa League – a competition that Redknapp has never hidden his dislike of. The Spurs boss watched City play 12 games in the competition this year, hoping they would stay in it so Spurs could capitalise on the distraction and fatigue that playing in such a tournament brings, and pip them to fourth.

Redknapp knows his team would have to play 17 times to make the Europa League final and concedes that would have a huge impact on his long-term goal of bringing Champions League football to White Hart Lane on a regular basis.

“Teams who get into the Europa League want to get out of it,” Redknapp said. “Half of them put reserve teams out in the early stages and it’s difficult to play every Thursday and Sunday. It disrupts things.

“We didn’t have European football last year and we finished fourth. That was a big advantage to us.

“If there are teams around you in the Europa League, you want to keep them in it. If we were in it next year, and you were one of the other clubs around us, you’d want us to stay in that competition because it takes its toll.

“I wanted Man City to stay in it this year because they were playing every Thursday night, slipping off to Azerbaijan to play a team out there. It’s unreal, but that’s how that competition is.”

Spurs will have the chance to move back into fourth place if they beat Ian Holloway’s strugglers tonight.

Redknapp still maintains that his team have a chance of making the top four but concedes that they must win every match to do so.

“Our chance hasn’t gone, but we need four wins really,” he said.

Tottenham will be without Tom Huddlestone (ankle) and Benoit Assou-Ekotto (hamstring).

Blackpool manager Ian Holloway has no new injury concerns.

James Beattie has recovered from the illness that kept him out of the goalless draw with Stoke last weekend.

Wolves boss Mick McCarthy will give a late fitness test to striker Sylvan Ebanks-Blake (hamstring) ahead of tomorrow’s Barclays Premier League derby with West Brom at Molineux. Paul Scharner is supended for the Baggies.