The papers are still salivating at the performance of Spurs in their 9-1 thrashing of Wigan with discussions aplenty about the title credentials of Harry Redknapp's side. But as per usual, there's always one eye on South Africa 2010, with Henry Winter at the Telegraph choosing to talk up the World Cup chances of fleet-footed winger Aaron Lennon ahead of his team-mate and five-goal hero Jermain Defoe.

"If Erik Edman ever appears on Mastermind, his specialist subject will be "Aaron Lennon's heels''. The Spurs winger's high-speed obliteration of Wigan's defence was fabulously well timed in a World Cup season. He knows all about them. He kept seeing them at White Hart Lane on Sunday, briefly close up but then disappearing towards the touchline. The Wigan Athletic left-back is a decent defender, talented enough to compete internationally 51 times, but the fleeting image of Lennon's flying heels will stalk the Swede's sleep.

Goals pay the rent, as David Coleman famously exclaimed about Kevin Keegan, and Jermain Defoe could lease the Lane for a year such was the rich quality of his spree against Wigan.
Defoe's five-goal haul was undoubtedly special, guaranteeing his place on the England bench in South Africa, but of more significance in this World Cup 2010 season was Lennon's contribution. Sorry, Jermain. The bigger story revolves around your rather quick mate 'Azza'."

Elsewhere, Matt Dickinson at the Times, chooses to tackle a different World Cup issue, namely the possibility that we may have an extra two assistants behind the goals in South Africa. FIFA's announcement of an extraordinary general meeting apparently indicates Michel Platini's extra official's plan could soon become more than just a Europa League reality.

On the pinboard in my office I still have the grotty piece of paper on which Platini sketched out his plan for extra officials behind each goal. That was 2001 and it was the first anyone had heard of such a plan. Related Links

Fully eight years later, it grew to become a Europa League experiment — and now the Uefa president will hope to make it a daily reality. Platini’s plan to roll out extra officials may prove the big winner of last week.

You can hear the argument already. Had those extra eyes been there in the Stade de France when Henry handled, they could hardly have failed to spot it.

As an influential member of Fifa’s executive committee Platini will now believe that his scheme can be rolled out, perhaps even in time for the World Cup finals, although it would still have to be approved by the International Football Association Board, which meets in March in Zurich.