Portsmouth’s visit to White Hart Lane was much anticipated, although not entirely for the contest on the field. Harry Redknapp was facing his former club for the first time since leaving them to take the Spurs job in October. Jermain Defoe lined up against the team whose shirt he wore less than two weeks ago. And Sol Campbell was appearing in front of the fans, a section of whom abused him so disgracefully during the reverse fixture in September.

In the event, all three were booed but thankfully nothing more than that. While Harry did not look too happy to be subjected to chants of “Redknapp, Redknapp, what’s the score?” when Pompey took the lead, Campbell’s response to the boo boys was to produce an imperious performance at the centre of the Portsmouth defence. While his team-mates offered less going forward, a draw was probably a fair result and an entirely unsatisfactory one for Spurs. Under Tony Adams, Portsmouth have dropped down the table and, with Spurs starting the game propping up the rest of the Premier League, this was certainly an opportunity to take three vital points. A win would have lifted Spurs up to 12th, but the 1-1 draw leaves them level on points with the four teams below them.

It would have been different but for Darren Bent’s horrendous miss from five yards out ten minutes before the end. Afterwards the manager suggested that “my missus could have scored that one” and it certainly might be worth giving Mrs. Redknapp a runout for the next game rather than the hapless Bent. Thankfully the injury that forced Pavyluchenko off the field on the half hour does not seem serious and he should be fit to partner Defoe up front for the forthcoming “six-pointer” against Stoke.

Before then Spurs have two cup games – the second leg of the Carling Cup semi-final against Burnley and a fourth-round FA Cup tie with Manchester United. It will be interesting to see how Redknapp treats those fixtures. With a 4-1 lead from the first leg, the Burnley match should be a formality and an opportunity to field some fringe players. Although it may seem heretical for a club with Spurs’ FA Cup tradition, it might not be a bad idea to take the same approach against United. With the team still involved in the UEFA Cup, progress in a third cup competition would be a very mixed blessing indeed. Cleary the league must be the priority and, equally clearly, there are key players whose fitness and availability will determine whether or not Spurs remain a Premier League team at the end of the season. These would certainly include Woodgate, Corluka, Lennon and Modric, who have performed consistently in recent weeks and were outstanding against Portsmouth.

With Gomes obviously carrying an injury, Redknapp will presumably give either Cesar Sanchez or Ben Alnwick a game at Turf Moor – regardless of his stated lack of confidence in the second-string keepers. Hopefully the under-utilized Tom Huddlestone will also make an appearance. And if David Bentley plays and can reproduce the form that he showed when he came on for the last twenty minutes at the weekend, then perhaps at least one expensive under-performer can start contributing to what is going to be a relegation dogfight.