Harry Redknapp: We're going all out attack in the San Siro

By Matt Lawton for the Daily Mail

Here in Milan last night, Harry Redknapp was very much in the mood for romance. He expressed his 'love' for the Champions League. His desire to be adventurous. His wish for an away goal.

Even with so many of his more attack-minded players injured, with Gareth Bale left at home and Luka Modric unlikely to start following an appendix operation, Redknapp had the look of a manager intending to excite and entertain. A manager who has waited his entire career to be involved in matches like this and is determined to make the most of it while he's involved.

He is not, however, being cavalier. Redknapp has built his Tottenham team to attack and he argues that it would be more dangerous to play in a style that does not suit them. 'I have a problem setting up a team that is designed to attack to defend,' he said, presenting himself as something of a pragmatist.

Talking tactics: Harry Redknapp and his coaching team training on the San Siro pitch on Monday

Talking tactics: Harry Redknapp and his coaching team during training on the San Siro pitch on Monday

William Gallas, a player experienced in the art of beating teams like AC Milan, urged his manager to adopt a more cautious approach. 'Milan will be very clever,' he said of the Serie A leaders. 'And for that we need to be tight, compact.'

AC Milan v Tottenham

But he then undermined his argument by warning of the dangers of Antonio Cassano. 'He's cup-tied,' said a member of the assembled media in the Sala Stampa at the San Siro. 'I didn't know,' said Gallas with a smile. 'But then I don't follow football. I'm sorry.'

A hearty laugh followed, but so too did a serious question. Does he think Spurs can perform with such defensive discipline? 'That's a good question,' he said. 'I'm not sure.'

Redknapp is sure, even if he is keen to see an improvement on their last visit here, against Inter Milan in October, when they found themselves four goals down after just 35 minutes before the aforementioned Gareth bailed them out. Their cause was not helped, of course, by the early dismissal of Heurelho Gomes.

'We have not got the players to come here and shut up shop,' said Redknapp. 'We are an attacking team and that is how I like it.

'Whoever I play, Aaron Lennon, Rafa van der Vaart, we are not set up to stick five defensive midfielders across the middle of the park because we haven't got them.

'Attacking football is what got us here in the first place. We have had a go all through this competition, so we will have a right go again.

'We can score here tomorrow. I don't want to concede bags of goals, for sure. We can't afford the same mistakes, we can't start like that again. But as far as shutting up shop goes, it's a non-starter because we don't have the players here.

'What we have to do is give ourselves a chance when we take Milan back to White Hart Lane. At home, with a full house and players like Bale, Modric and Tom Huddlestone back, we can give anybody a go.'

On the attack: Redknapp was in buoyant mood at the pre-match press conference in Milan

On the attack: Redknapp was in buoyant mood at the pre-match press conference in Milan

We are in the knockout stage - new territory for Tottenham. And a new challenge, for all the dangers Inter posed, in the form of players like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Robinho and Pato. This is a team weakened by key absentees, with Mark van Bommel cup-tied like Cassano. But, as Gallas said, the side that sits at the summit of Serie A has 'pace up front' and a striker in Ibrahimovic who he ranks ‘among the best in the world’.

The Swede scored twice at Arsenal for Barcelona last season, but Redknapp is more interested in seeing Peter Crouch and Van der Vaart score against Milan this evening.

Perhaps because he knows that of the 63 teams that have scored in the opening away leg of a Champions League knockout encounter, 47 have gone through.

Redknapp could barely contain his excitement. ‘We’ve got a real chance here,’ he said. ‘Champions League football is another level. It’s what you dream about. You can see why players want to play for clubs in the Champions League.

‘We turned up at the airport with all the fans, got to the hotel and had Claudio Gentile in there; Wesley Sneijder came to see Rafa. It’s got a great atmosphere and I’m starting to get that buzz.

‘It’s been fantastic. Milan was a good draw. I’d much rather have them than Copenhagen. If we’d had them, everybody would have said we were certainties to go through and it would’ve been a real banana skin; not as easy as it looked.

‘But we’ve got to do it the hard way. It’s a great draw, one of the best clubs in world football. Coming to San Siro, to see the team that’s top of the Italian league, it’s a great game for us.’

Threat: Zlatan Ibrahimovic will pose Spurs problems if he is on form

Threat: Zlatan Ibrahimovic could pose Spurs serious problems if he is on form

And not impossible to win if they can limit the damage tonight and unleash their best team in the second leg in north London.

Encouraged by the fact Manchester United and Arsenal eliminated them in the two seasons before this one, Redknapp thinks his side have ‘a great chance’.

Encouraging too was the fact the minds of Massimiliano Allegri’s players seemed to be elsewhere. Not so much on the game as on other, less pressing, matters.

Ibrahimovic spent yesterday talking about his flirtation with Manchester City during the summer. ‘I had a couple of talks with City and they had a fantastic project going on but I’m not one of those players who plays to go there and play for money,’ he said. ‘For me, it’s important to see what kind of future there is, what kind of possibilities there are. For me, the project of City is not now.

‘I think in a couple of years they will come top but Milan now is at the top and I want to be playing at the top when I’m 29 years old rather than 32 years old.

‘City have made good investments and are playing well. The trainer I know well from Inter and he is doing fantastic at City and they are one of the top teams around, but the choice for me was Milan. It was not about money. If you are a great player there is money everywhere.’

Redknapp obviously hopes Ibrahimovic won’t be quite as good this evening as he clearly thinks he is.