The Carling Cup is a funny competition. It seems to creep up on you at the start of the season – especially if you are in Europe – and there is no grand fan fare ahead of each round like there is with the FA Cup.
Teams generally pick reserve sides, while the fans vote with their feet, leaving matches looking decidedly grim in half empty stadiums, especially if a Premier League side is at home.

Tottenham Hotspur 4-0 Liverpool. Yes, that's four, nil.
Isn't it great that all the limelight is surrounding the Manchester clubs and Arsenal? We can get on with our business of chalking up the wins. That's two wins on the bounce, but more importantly, two clean sheets.
Modric is looking like he's rekindled his interest, whilst Adebayor is simply superb.

I don't know about you, but I am fed up at our transfer activity, or lack of it, this season. We've needed a striker since January, yet it seems no proper moves to bring one in have happened. Is anyone asking why?
Apparently, we've got money to spend. Apparently, Levy and the board are committed in backing Harry.

By William Taylor
With Manchester City and Liverpool dominating the transfer window in the Premier League this season, it would appear unlikely that Spurs will be considered favourites among bookmakers to win the title.
However, it appears as though manager, Harry Redknapp has the title in his sights, with a return to the Champions League a must for the club.

Why is Harry Redknapp continuing this tug of war with Chelsea over the future of Luka Modric? Last week, he told us that he will attempt to convince the Croatian midfielder of the club's ambition. But how is he going to do that unless we sign anyone? Talk is cheap my friend.
Central to Modric's belief that his future is elsewhere, is his desire to win silverware and play Champions League football on a regular basis – something our Harry simply cannot guarantee at the moment, and given the lack of news on the transfer front, the former Portsmouth boss will have to rely on his persuasive manner that the club are as ambitious as the player.

Well, that was Redknapp's rant on TalkSport just now in reference to the Luka Modric transfer situation.

"The chairman has said that we ain't selling him and that's good enough for me...we've got him and we won't sell him to anyone. He's worth 40 or 50 million easy and he's under contract.

Personally, it hasn't shocked me. I watched Luka live in the last three to four matches last season. You could tell something wasn't quite right. He looked frustrated. For the first time, it looked as though he had developed Keaneitis - the degenerative disorder some footballers unfortunately inherit, in which they can't help but throw their arms up in the air like a runway controller.

Staying? Going?As I am sure you've heard, Harry Redknapp has emerged as the shock favourite to fill the position left vacant by Carlo Ancelotti at Chelsea.
Redknapp's odds to replace the former AC Milan manager have been slashed as owner Roman Abramovich goes in search of the man who he believes can bring him success in the Champions League.

It must have been a frustrating season for Jermaine Defoe. Anticipated to lead the line in Tottenham's maiden Champions League campaign while expected to score the goals that would keep Manchester City at bay long enough for the club to secure their place in European football's premier competition once more; for one reason or another it never really happened for our lad.

Yes, that's right, his mistake. When asked if he was happy at Liverpool, he gave the same run-of-the-mill answer, but did manage to let on that things weren't going to plan. No sh*t Sherlock!
You know it's only a matter of time before the mainstream media junkies start writing headlines like "The Prodigal Son Returns" and "I'm REDy to Quit my Liverpool Hell".

So that's why we signed him? I had always thought our young Brazilian was a diamond in the rough. Tonight's performance shined him up brilliantly! Watch your back Huddlestone, it looks like we've got a player that can fit in nicely alongside The Modfather.
Slowly but surely, Sandro has come of age, worn the lilywhite shirt with pride and put in a performance that I will long remember.

Don't you just love upsets? Well done Birmingham!
I know this may be a bit premature, but it looks as though Arsenal could go yet another year without adding a trophy to their cabinet after just losing to Birmingham City in the Carling Cup Final.
I make it 7 years. Fair enough, they could win the Champions League, but let's face it, there's more chance of Tottenham Hotspur winning it.

With Harry at the Villarreal vs. Almeria game, possibly watching Giuseppe Rossi or Pablo Piatti, and football agent Barry Silkman telling Sky Sports News that loan moves for Real Madrid's Karim Benzema and Lassana Diarra maybe coming off, things could look whiter than lilywhite in and around White Hart Lane this transfer window.

Newcastle United are in town. Let's send them home with nothing. In fact, while we're at it, we may as well talk business with Ashley and sort Andy Carroll's transfer out here and now.
Having just come off of a massive 10-man victory at Aston Villa, a game in which I saw a Spurs side play the best they have away, under the circumstances, I'd think it not too bad of me to ask that they players put in the same shift against the Toon.

Harry Redknapp spoke with Colin Mafham of the Express in a frank interview and laid out the facts about our intended title challenge.

"If we could find someone who would make a big difference to us then I know the chairman would go for him.
"But it's hard to find somebody like Terry or Carragher who can change the place and be a bit of a leader.