Tom Huddlestone: ‘Tottenham need to win ugly at times’

TOM Huddlestone believes Tottenham should be brave enough to throw away their footballing principles and fight dirty when required with the battle for the Champions League places fiercer than ever.

Tom Huddlestone believes Tottenham should fight dirty when required Tom Huddlestone believes Tottenham should fight dirty when required

Spurs moved up into the top four last year, thanks in part to their willingness to mix things up a bit when their passing football was not getting the results.

They start their next campaign against rivals Manchester City and from the very first kick, Huddlestone is determined to go out all guns blazing.

He said: “Maybe in previous years that approach to good football has been a millstone around our necks. We have over-played things at times.

“We coped with the dirty side of the game a lot better last year – the stuff teams have to do, such as work extremely hard for 90 minutes, get the tackles in and chase after lost causes. It got us a lot of results.

“There has been a few times when Tottenham did win ugly, but you have to remember the Spurs philosophy of good players playing the game in the so-called right way.

“If teams come to White Hart Lane and try to play football, as Chelsea did, then we can match them. We have to make a big statement for the first game against City. We have to let people know that finishing fourth was not simply down to luck because Liverpool couldn’t get it together.”

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp is facing a battle of his own to convince chairman Daniel Levy to sanction a bid for Manchester City striker Craig Bellamy.

Redknapp has identified Bellamy, 31, as one of the men needed to sustain a Premier League and Champions League campaign.

But Levy is wary of Bellamy’s bad-boy reputation and at about £6million, does not think he represents value for money.

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