Hoddle: Anderton is going nowhere

Adrian Curtis13 April 2012

Glenn Hoddle today stressed once more that he is not prepared to sell Darren Anderton to Leeds in return for striker Robbie Keane. Speculation that the Tottenham manager was to reconsider the controversial deal surfaced again at the weekend.

But Hoddle is adamant that he has no such plans despite the growing pressure on him to sign a big-name striker in time for the Premiership opener against Everton at Goodison Park this Saturday.

Anderton missed yesterday's entertaining 2-2 draw with Serie A's Lazio at White Hart Lane with a knee injury but the latest claims about the England midfielder's future were dismissed by Hoddle.

He said: "Darren has got slight knee ligament injury at the moment. The speculation isn't going away but the deal isn't being done."

Hoddle also confirmed that the club had signed Chinese triallist Qu Bo - but for £150,000 instead of £2million that has been quoted.

Bo will join the club on a 12-month loan deal if a work permit can be arranged.

"I don't know where £2m came from. It's a 12-month loan subject to a work permit," said Hoddle. "After that we have an option to buy him at £1.3m. The loan fee is £150,000 and that comes off the deal if we decide to buy him at the end of the period. It will be a good challenge for him and the coaching staff."

Hoddle was also reluctant to say anymore about the club's £15.8m move for Spanish striker Fernando Morientes. However, he admitted the deal remained in progress.

Hoddle said: "The position has not changed since Wednesday. Our bid is not finished."

Should it become dead in the water then Hoddle may well look again at Brighton's Bobby Zamora and Derby's Malcolm Christie.

Both were on target at the weekend in the opening games of the new Nationwide League season and Hoddle confirmed that both players have been under long-term surveillance by his coaching staff.

Meanwhile, Spurs produced another fine performance against a star-studded Lazio side with former Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp stealing the show with a wonder-goal. Redknapp's 25-yard volley, which put Spurs 2-0 up, brought the White Hart Lane crowd to its feet and even had manager Hoddle purring with delight. However, he insisted that the injury-prone Redknapp will be treated with care in order to get him through the coming season.

Hoddle will use the same medical tactics that enabled Spurs to get the best out of Darren Anderton last term and that means lots of care and attention after games. He said: "The real Redknapp is in there and just waiting to come out. We were not expecting him to be ready yet because it's a building process - just as it was for Darren last year.

"If he needs a session in the gym or on the bike instead of training with the rest of the squad, then that's what we will do because we have to nurse him back correctly. Once we've done that, we also work hard on the mental side of things to break through that barrier as well.

"But Jamie is very receptive and is a smashing player to work with. I don't think he has deserved the cards that he has been dealt in his career but the next three years could be a fantastic time for him.

"I have a feeling we can really get the best out of him at Tottenham."

Redknapp's stunning strike added to the lead given to them by defender Dean Richards after two minutes.

Lazio coach Roberto Mancini was far from happy with their defending but the Italian side managed to reduce the deficit before the interval when Claudio Lopez drilled a shot into the top left-hand corner of the Spurs net. The second period belonged to Lazio who would have won the contest but for some inspired keeping by Kasey Keller.

However, when Tottenham's defence failed to cut out a cross from Lopez, Hernan Crespo sent a glancing header into the net for the leveller. The manner of their equaliser was something that Hoddle will not be prepared to accept come the new season.

He said: "There were a lot of things to learn from this game but I was not happy with their second goal. It was absolutely dreadful and we almost allowed the same thing to happen again from a throw-in on the other side.

"If anything like that happens again, then we will not be doing our jobs as players and coaches."

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