SPURS NEWS

Martin Jol hailed the versatility of Aaron Lennon as Tottenham swept aside hapless Charlton with a 5-1 victory in their Barclays Premiership clash at White Hart Lane.

Source: ITV

Lennon was not on the scoresheet as Spurs recorded their ninth successive win at home, but he had a hand in most of their attacks against the relegation-threatened Addicks.

Dimitar Berbatov scored the first and final goals, Jermain Defoe, Steed Malbranque and Teemu Tainio also netted, while Michael Dawson's own goal was the only reply from the visitors.

But Lennon's performance caught the eye, starting with setting up Berbatov for the opener on the half-hour mark.

Jol said: "It was very good, he played on the flank and couldn't get the ball and (Amady) Faye was spare in midfield. But I know Aaron can play on the left, in the hole and on the right.

"He put them under pressure with his dribbling and it's good for his confidence as well that he knows he can play anywhere.

"He can even develop as a second striker but, if you have a winger like him, it's a big plus."

Tainio doubled the lead with a deflected drive but Spurs were pegged back before the break when Dawson turned Andy Reid's cross into his own net.

Reid, the former Tottenham midfielder who moved to The Valley in the summer, received a standing ovation when withdrawn in the second half with a hamstring strain.

The match was already out of Charlton's reach before Reid's departure, with Malbranque's low drive restoring Spurs' two-goal cushion.

Defoe, playing against his former club, lashed in a fourth before Berbatov completed the rout with an individual effort after Paul Robinson had thrown the ball to him in his own half.

It was Berbatov's ninth of the season and his manager believes he is now settling in after his summer move from Bayer Leverkusen.

"Normally, a foreign player takes four, five or six months and I'm still convinced its not easy for him and other foreign players," Jol added. "But, sometimes, to go forward you have to take a step back and I'm very happy with their development.

"If he scores 20 goals, we'll be happy with him and he's scored nine now. Jermain Defoe could do that."

The victory puts Spurs back in the shake-up for the Champions League place they just missed out on last season.

They have lost only twice in 17 matches, with Jol adding: "I feel we are more consistent than people give us credit for. I think every other team besides the top two would be satisfied with those results.

"Last year, we were the best of the rest. At Spurs, the expectancy levels are always high because our home record is very good."

He added: "I feel we can be in the top four in the next two years."

Charlton boss Les Reed held a "frank" discussion with his players in the dressing room after the match.

"I think we caused them one or two problems to the extent that they changed their shape," Reed said.

"When the first goal went in, we lost our discipline and losing two goals in a short space of time was difficult to come back from.

"We got a lifeline going in 2-1 at half-time and I was confident that, if we put a few things right, we'd have a chance.

"I think some players tried too hard and did things out of character. Some of the boys tried to get us back in the game and we were punished."

He added: "We've had an honest discussion in the changing room. Almost everybody in the team has contributed to it.

"We've had to leave the dressing room with the commitment of what needs to be done to put things right. It was frank and earnest but the consensus was we're good enough to get ourselves out of it."

He added: "We've got to show character.

"If we're bottom at Christmas, we're not going to throw the towel in."