Now Harry Redknapp must prepare for the ultimate challenge

Winner: Peter Crouch heads home
11 April 2012

For Tottenham, the hard work starts here. To borrow a phrase from Tony Blair, a new dawn has broken at White Hart Lane but to ensure it does not prove a false one, Spurs must devote all their energies to forming a clear plan for the Champions League.

Spurs' squad certainly know how to party and they deserve to celebrate what has been achieved during the last nine months.

When it has mattered, they have shown flair, resilience and courage, qualities they must call upon once more in European football and qualities manager Harry Redknapp and chairman Daniel Levy will seek in potential recruits this summer.

The Spurs board have never been shy to invest in improving their playing staff and they will surely do so again, yet their success in Europe will not depend solely on the quality of players who are brought to N17.

The task of keeping between 20 and 30 highly-paid footballers happy and united is one of the most difficult facing a manager and Redknapp has completed it with distinction this season.

A man known for his chirpiness, Arry was remarkably subdued in the post-match press conference after the victory at Manchester City that secured Champions League football, perhaps because he is aware that sterner challenges lie ahead.

Tottenham have a group of players capable of competing in Europe's premier club competition.
Any side capable of beating Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City — twice — in a single campaign can approach a European adventure with a light heart, although there will be some trepidation about the possibility of being drawn against proficient opponents in the final qualifying round in August.

City pair Craig Bellamy and Micah Richards, former Spurs midfielder Michael Carrick and Everton's Steven Pienaar are all thought to have admirers at the club.

What is perhaps more important for Redknapp, though, is to settle on a tactical alternative to the 4-4-2 formation that has brought him such success during 19 months in charge. Redknapp has often expressed a wish to tweak his system and play with a single forward in demanding away fixtures, a strategy which should bring benefits in the Champions League.

Peter Crouch, whose 82nd-minute header last night sealed victory, could probably operate alone in attack, while Redknapp has options in central midfield if he chooses the 4-2-3-1 system favoured by several European teams.

Tom Huddlestone and Luka Modric combined effectively against Arsenal, Chelsea and City, Wilson Palacios remains highly regarded by Redknapp, while much is expected from the Brazil international Sandro, who will make his debut next season.

Crouch reached the Champions League Final with Liverpool in 2007, so he knows exactly what is required to make progress in the competition.

While inventive attacking players are a necessity, the England forward believes that more prosaic attributes are the most important ingredients for success.

"The Champions League is difficult and you do have to be extremely organised away from home. That is the key," said Crouch. "If we qualify from the group stages, we have enough players and enough tactical know-how to be able to do well.

"I have never seen a changing room so happy as after the Manchester City game. It is a long, hard season, so to win a game away from home against a squad as good as City's is a fantastic achievement and I'd rank it alongside the best in my career."

Crouch's performance at Eastlands merited the glory of a winning goal but even his work was outshone by that of Ledley King, surely the most skilful and resourceful centre-back in England at the moment.

King's knee problems usually prevent him from playing more than once a week but he was able to overcome them to face City and he tamed Emmanuel Adebayor and Carlos Tevez with such masterly assurance that he must now be a strong contender to start England's first World Cup match against the United States on 12 June.

Six players in the Tottenham team last night have strong aspirations of being included in Fabio Capello's squad but the Italian considers King a jewel.

King's central defensive partner, Michael Dawson, has also given the England manager plenty to think about in recent weeks. His performances in the home wins against Arsenal and Chelsea, as well as last night, have proved he can perform against the best strikers in the world.

The 26-year-old might just have done enough to force his way into the 30-man squad for England's training camp in Austria, which will be named next Tuesday.

Capello will also have been cheered by Aaron Lennon's contribution at Eastlands. The winger was starting his first game of 2010 and only managed 70 minutes before running out of steam but he showed enough against City left-back Wayne Bridge to suggest he will be fit and raring to go by the time England's World Cup campaign kicks off.

Striker Jermain Defoe should also make the cut after a career-best 24 goals this season. He has struggled to find his best form since returning from injury last month but would be unfortunate to miss out. Defoe held the ball up well against City and forced a fine save from emergency loan goalkeeper Marton Fulop before making way
for Russian Roman Pavlyuchenko after 81 minutes.

Another of Tottenham's English contingent, midfielder Huddlestone, retains an outside chance of making Capello's squad. The former Derby man has enjoyed his best season in a Spurs shirt and displayed an impressive level of composure in last night's highly-charged atmosphere.

But it is King who could prove most valuable to Capello. Doubts over the fitness of Rio Ferdinand and form of John Terry and Matthew Upson, not to mention King's brilliant performances at the season's climax, have made it impossible to overlook his claims for richly deserved World Cup place.

After fighting so long for a place among football's upper echelons, Spurs can look forward to mixing with the game's royalty. Who better to lead them there than their very own King?

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