Paul Ince thought that his team had played well and deserved something from the game, but while they had contributed, they made elementary mistakes that cost them three points and deservedly so. The biggest was failing to counter the threat of Aaron Lennon. “[Theo] Walcott’s a fantastic talent, but so is Lennon,” said Redknapp. “Lennon’s a winger as well; he’s still only a kid. There’s nothing to stop him; there aren’t many around that can go and do what he can do. I think if he plays like that he can put himself back in the picture again, so it’s up to him now. His confidence is high and he’s playing well.” He demonstrated that by schooling Blackburn’s left-back Martin Olsson, resulting in the young Swede getting sent off.

Ince accepted that the second booking was justified, but questioned the first. However, Olsson was actually fortunate to still be on the pitch when Howard Webb brandished the red card. “He’s committed a foul that was a yellow card and he didn’t get booked, because the referee let us play the advantage,” said Redknapp. “The game went on for quite a while and he didn’t book him. Then he committed another foul that was a yellow card and then the next that was a yellow card for sure. I think he had no choice really, but Lennon can do that to you when he runs at you; his feet are so quick, you think the ball is there and the ball is not there suddenly, so that’s caused problems.”

Olsson was outclassed and Ince’s tactics were lacking in terms of coping with the threat that Lennon posed, but after the sending off, Ince believed that they still competed hard and created chances, which was true, but how did Redknapp see the match? “I was pleased,” he said; “this was a big game for us today. It was important to see how we bounced back here after our first defeat at Fulham last week, so we talked about the game last week and it was important that we got a win today. I was a bit concerned before the game; looking at them, they are a big side. I was concerned about set plays and reacting to that threat from corners and free-kicks. I said not to foul; the important thing was not to give free-kicks away anywhere, because even if it was twenty yards in their half they would send the two centre halves and just load the box up and we’d have to deal with balls in the box that drop in anywhere. The only concern I really had was set plays.”

It can often be difficult playing against ten men, but Ince thought that it was always difficult once a man gets sent of, although Redknapp sees the other side as well. “I think they had two banks of four really and they were playing for a set play,” he said. “I could put a session on tomorrow morning on the training pitch where you could play eleven against eight and you’ll find it very, very difficult to break up the eight if they are half decent and they work.” Blackburn certainly did that, but they did not shut up shop, as they knew they needed a goal and had to attack. They did so and the match was reasonably open. Ince had that right, but he was wrong to suggest that Tottenham was fortunate. They earned their advantage and exploited it.