Redknapp backs Spurs to stick together

Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp is adamant there will be no rush of players wanting to leave White Hart Lane should the London club fail to qualify for the Champions League.

Spurs have won just one of their last nine Premier League games and dropped to fifth in the table.

And should capital rivals Chelsea, who will face either Bayern Munich or Real Madrid in the final, win this season's tournament, a top four finish may not be good enough to gain a place in European club football's premier competition.

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy was lauded before the start of this season for rejecting several offers from Chelsea for Luka Modric while Barcelona, knocked out of the Champions League by the Blues on Tuesday, have been linked with Spurs star Gareth Bale.

But Redknapp does not expect the duo to leave at the end of the season, come what may.

"No, I don't," he said on Sky Sports News. "When they came to the club, Tottenham weren't in the Champions League, and were nowhere near getting in the Champions League.

"They play for Tottenham. They're at a great club. There's no reason they should want to leave. If we don't make it this year we'll try again next year. There's not too many clubs they could go to better than Tottenham.

"Gareth Bale and Luka Modric have both signed long-term contracts. Gareth has had a fantastic time for young player at Tottenham. He needs to stay at Tottenham a few more years yet and keep developing.

"We've progressed so much in the last four years, we've got to keep that going and push on even more in the table and look to win a Premier League. It's not impossible."

Chelsea knocked out reigning champions Barcelona with a remarkable rally at the Nou Camp where, despite seeing captain John Terry sent off in the first half, they secured a 2-2 draw and a 3-2 aggregate win.

Redknapp believes interim manager Roberto di Matteo is now set to get the job on a full-time basis.

"It's an unbelievable achievement," said Redknapp, the favourite to become the next permanent England manager.

"You just can't put it into words, how good it was. To play against 10 men, 2-0 down, and come back shows fantastic quality. And in the end they deserved it. They rode their luck but when you've got 10 men playing against Barcelona you need all the luck you can get.

"Great credit to the manager. Robbie's done a great job there.

"He must have a very good chance (of getting permanent job), a great chance. He's done a fantastic job since he took over.

"That's up to the chairman of Chelsea, but he couldn't have done any more than what he's done. He's had a fantastic run and he's a nice guy as well. I hope he gets the job."

Meanwhile Redknapp insisted Tottenham could yet end the season as one of the top four clubs in England.

"We've got to make sure we finish fourth or third, make sure we're in a position to qualify," he said. "If we don't, it doesn't matter what happens.

"It's still wide open - Arsenal, Chelsea, ourselves, Newcastle - it's still any two from four."

"We've got to go on a good run now.

"If we pull off good results in these last four games we'll be in the Champions League and I'm very confident we'll do that."