Tottenham are 'coming back strong' feels Harry Redknapp

Tottenham are now just one point behind rivals Arsenal (Getty Images)

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp feels his team are "coming back strong" at the right time but was never overly concerned about their form.

Spurs retained their slight grip on fourth place in the Barclays Premier League with a 4-1 win at Bolton last night.

The result was enough to keep them ahead of Newcastle on goal difference and move them within a point of Arsenal above them.

With the battle for Champions League qualification spots so tight, Spurs' back-to-back wins over Blackburn and Bolton, after a run of three successive defeats, have been vital.

But Redknapp said: "I don't remember having a rough time. I felt we had been playing well.

"It just went that way for us. We weren't playing badly, we hadn't lost our confidence.

"It has not been that drastic, but everyone has spells.

"Man Utd were eight points clear - league over. Suddenly they get beat at Wigan, draw with Everton get beat by Man City. It happens.

"That is what makes this game so great, eight points can go like that.

"You have got to keep at it. Everybody has bad spells during a season.

"Arsenal had an horrendous spell but came back strong. We have had a dicky spell, now we are coming back strong.

"That is what you have to do, you have to keep going."

Spurs' form has tailed away in the second half of the campaign after their strong start made them potential title challengers in January.

It has been suggested the constant speculation linking Redknapp with the England job - now taken by Roy Hodgson since then - might have affected Spurs.

When asked if that was the case, Redknapp said: "I don't know. I don't think so but other people on my staff think they were, but I don't know. It is difficult to tell.

"Every day I went in and the lads were still bright as buttons, working fantastic and doing unbelievable things.

"We just had to keep believing and keep playing and it would come right and that is what we have done in the last two games."

On-loan Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor struck twice at the Reebok Stadium to take his tally for the campaign to 16.

Redknapp would like to keep him next season.

"Of course I would," he said. "I love Adebayor. He is a real character and a good player.

"We will have to see what the summer holds. I haven't spoken to the chairman about players.

"We haven't sat down yet but he has done very well for us."

Redknapp played down reports linking the London club with Ajax and Belgium defender Jan Vertonghen.

He said: "He is a good player, a player I have looked at and watched.

"I think there are a lot of clubs interested in him though. So, that is all.

"We haven't gone anywhere with it. We haven't spoken to the club.

"He is just a player I have watched, along with a lot of other players."

PA