Defoe: I can sparkle with Kanoute

Jermain Defoe today insisted Spurs would cope with the loss of Robbie Keane for the start of the new season.

Defoe is likely to start the season in a striking partnership with Freddie Kanoute. Although both played separate halves in last night's 2-1 friendly defeat by Feyenoord in Seville in the Kappa Cup, Defoe is sure they can rekindle the partnership they enjoyed at West Ham under new Spurs coach Jacques Santini.

Keane has an ankle ligament injury that will keep him out for six weeks and Defoe said: "I'm hoping this season will be a good one for me. Obviously at the time I didn't make the England squad for Euro 2004 I was disappointed, but I want to put all that behind me now and I'm just looking forward to the new season. I feel strong and sharp.

"It is a blow for Robbie and the team because he is such a good player but Freddie is big and strong and has the experience as well. I am really confident this year that we will do really well as a team.

"We've played a lot of games so far and I don't think it has taken long for us to click. When a new manager comes in they have different ideas but the things we have done in training so far I have really enjoyed, and so have a lot of the other players.

"It has shown in the games we have played and people can see what he is trying to do. He has a lot more input and hopefully that will show against Liverpool in our first game."

Pre-season friendlies are a notoriously poor barometer of an impending Premiership campaign and Spurs will hope this is the case after they slumped to their fourth pre-season defeat in nine games.

They took the lead through a revitalised Kanoute but two goals, one in each half from Dirk Kuyt, left Santini's men facing a third-place playoff against Partizan Belgrade tomorrow night.

Spurs were without goalkeeper Paul Robinson, attending a family funeral, and midfielder Sean Davis, who remained in London to be with his wife who is undergoing a difficult pregnancy.

Santini claims he will be ready for the 14 August kick-off against Liverpool at White Hart Lane, but does not have much time left to find a solution to some early problems

New Swedish signing Erik Edman was on the bench until the second half but Lens trialist Dagui Bakari looked short of Premiership class and sporting director Frank Arnesen will be weighing up whether to tell the Ivory Coast striker 'thanks, but no thanks' next week.

Pedro Mendez was also unimpressive but may be given time considering he played in the Champions League Final with Porto last season. Finding his best 11 may be Santini's biggest task and his decision to start with the central defensive partnership of Gary Doherty and Goran Bunjevcevic wasn't an instant hit.

On the positive side, there is no doubt Kanoute is out to prove to Santini that he has a future at White Hart Lane. He failed to do it at Lyon and was so upset that Santini ignored his claims for French national selection that he opted to play for Mali instead.

Yet his second goal in as many games demonstrated that Kanoute could yet be the perfect foil for Defoe in the absence of the injured Keane.

Kanoute took full advantage of Michael Brown's clever reverse pass to steer the ball home for the opening goal in the 27th minute. Kuyt levelled on 39 minutes before clinching victory for Ruud Gullit's Dutch side with a neat diving header.

Santini said: "We have played many games and it is difficult because we have many injured players, two others with family problems and they are not here with us. This was a good training session for the players. We have a hard match against Liverpool coming up but I am happy for the players. The pitch was very hard and no good to play good football.

"We play against Cagliari on Saturday and then against Celtic next Tuesday but the only thing on my mind is our first game against Liverpool in our stadium. I am happy we will be ready."

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