Friedel insists Tottenham will not buckle

A 1-1 draw against Stoke City on Wednesday has extended Tottenham’s winless sequence to four matches and, from having a 10-point cushion over Arsenal less than a month ago, they are now one point behind their north London rivals. Spurs are also outside the Premier League’s top three for the first time since November and, with a trip to Stamford Bridge looming on Saturday, could have their cushion over fifth-placed Chelsea slashed to two points. Harry Redknapp has been generally happy with the team’s performances during a run that seen Tottenham take one point from a possible 12 and Friedel, the Spurs goalkeeper, said that there was no cause for any alarm. “It’s definitely not doom and gloom, definitely not a pressure situation where lads are losing confidence and things like that,” he said. “I’ve seen that many times and that’s not what’s happening right now. If you look at the last four results we’ve only had really one of those that wasn’t a Tottenham performance and that was Arsenal away. I don’t think it’s about holding your nerve, I think it’s about going out and enjoying yourself and expressing yourself because those are the types of players we have. “I’m not concerned at all. Football’s not pressure. It might be for some, but football’s not pressure. \"I have three kids and raising them is far more pressure than a football match. Football’s fun. \"I think we all saw last week what pressure was [following Fabrice Muamba’s cardiac arrest at White Hart Lane].” Friedel also does not believe that the performance of the Tottenham team against Stoke was, in any way, affected by the emotional trauma of Muamba’s collapse during last Saturday’s game against Bolton Wanderers. “I think you can only speak for yourself personally,” he said. “For myself no. We’re footballers. It’s our job. \"I think the game’s got to go on. We also know that’s exactly what he wanted, what his family wanted as well. We will go into the Chelsea game very confident expecting to get a good result.”