Luka Modric: More Team Playing Defensively Against Tottenham

The transition from depth-dwellers to top-four challengers that has been achieved during the reign of Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp has ensured that more Premier League sides adopt a defensive attitude when they face Spurs, canny playmaking midfielder Luka Modric claims.

"Patience", Modric feels, is the key should the Lilywhite north London side fail to get an early goal, as results are harder to achieve as game-time runs out. He said in a recent Spurs matchday programme: "Everyone in the division knows that we have a good team and that this season we are pushing for a place in the top four, so some teams will come here and defend and look to hit us on the break.

"It is difficult if we don't open them up and get an early goal, then the game gets harder and harder the longer it goes on, but patience is the key," said Modric.

"Everyone - the players and the crowd - must be patient and the fans need to get behind us all through the game, even if the goal doesn't come straight away.

"Even if it is 0-0 at half-time, or after 70 minutes, we mustn't panic in these situations. We need to just keep playing our football, keep creating chances and hope that one of them will go in. We will always make chances because we play an attacking brand of football and more often than not we will convert at least one of them."