Martinez wary of Spurs threat

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Wigan manager Roberto Martinez admits there can be no special plan for flying winger Gareth Bale because Tottenham have so many players who can hurt them.

“It will be a big mistake if you focus on one or two players of Spurs because you will get damaged by the others so you need to be careful,” said the Spaniard.

“It is difficult because if you put so much attention on Gareth Bale then you will give too much time to Luka Modric, Scott Parker, Jermain Defoe or Emmanuel Adebayor – and the list goes on.

“You need to be well balanced and keep the ball well. When you play against a side like Spurs you need to be perfect as they have no real weaknesses. They are in a great moment of form and are getting stronger and stronger.

“That performance against Liverpool was one of the highlights of the campaign so far.

“It shows you why they had such a starring role in the Champions League and the football they have played the last two seasons has been outstanding.

“They have a real understanding within the team with a good combination of hungry players and those who have been there a long time.

“If we are going to win on Saturday it will be because we will be outstanding and not how poor Spurs will be.”

“We know we will have to be at our best because Spurs are starting to hit form at the right time for them and the wrong time for us,” he said.

“We need to match them in every department but be ourselves and that is why we are focused on the game.

“If we carry on in the manner we finished the game against Everton we will get our rewards.

“Football can be cruel but I don’t think it will be that cruel.”

The Spaniard added: “I don’t look at the 9-1 result as my lowest point at Wigan, I look at it in terms of how far we have come.

“It showed all our weaknesses and where the work needed to be done and looking back I am extremely proud as to where we are as a football club and what we have achieved since then.

“We will always look back and see where we were and where we are now and that is a real sign of progress.

“Since then we have played three times against them and I think we showed great improvement (recording a win and a draw last season and a defeat the previous campaign).

“Now it is time to kick on again and make sure we can go to a different level.

“Producing a response has never been a problem in our dressing room, we all react in the right manner.”

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