MANCHESTER - Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp hit back at the critics who said his team didn't try in the FA Cup loss to Manchester United.

Critics said this was because it had already made it to one cup final and is trying to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

Tottenham are due to face Man United in the League Cup final at Wembley on March 1 and level on points with last-place West Bromwich Albion in the league.

Redknapp was accused of putting out a patched up line-up that rarely tackled in Saturday's 2-1 loss in the fourth round of the FA Cup at Old Trafford.

"I don't know what game they have been watching," said Redknapp, who now has to rally the team for a vital league game against fellow struggler Stoke tomorrow.

"We don't want to lose any game. I wasn't at all disappointed at what we did tonight. Other people might have been but I know what they can do to you here."

Redknapp was minus several of his most effective players, like winger Aaron Lennon and midfielder Jermaine Jenas, and said he only had two fit strikers.

Defenders Jonathan Woodgate and Ledley King were also missing and he said he put goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes on the bench even though he was not fit because he didn't have an experienced backup 'keeper available.

"We had injuries. I stuck two kids on in the second half. I had never seen one of them play before," Redknapp said.

"But we haven't been beaten 6-1 by Man United. We came here and we have been beaten 2-1 and we had one of two chances to have got a draw."

Although Tottenham won last season's League Cup and are still alive in the Uefa Cup, the north London club have underachieved for many years, without a league title since 1961 and an FA Cup since '91.

Redknapp said he felt there was a tendency for people to criticise Tottenham without justification.

"Everybody wants to jump on the bandwagon and say Tottenham are this, Tottenham are that," he said. - Sapa-AP