Tottenham climbed into pole position this midweek following the stunning 5-1 thrashing of Hull City and currently top the table on goal difference just ahead of Chelsea.
Jermain 'hat-tricks' Defoe is looking like the best bet for Premier League top scorer at this early stage but Spurs strength at the moment lies in their squad.
The goals will grab the on-the-pitch headlines and try to drown out the less flattering off-the-pitch news but Spurs are looking strong in all departments and possibly for the first time in recent seasons have a subs bench packed full of talent.
With Bentley's recent arrest and Defoe's on-going lawsuit it is perhaps no surprise that Harry Redknapp has chosen to publically praise his less high profile players and has focused on Luka Modric as the shinning example his team mates should follow.
Redknapp said: "He's not just a great footballer, he and Vedran Corluka are fantastic people.
"There is nothing flash about them. They are dedicated professionals.
"They come here every day and work hard getting on with their training. You haven't got to worry about what they are up to. They are proper solid characters."
With regards to the Croatian midfielder, Redknapp added:
"He's a fantastic footballer, Alex Ferguson said to me last year that he could play in any team. I agree with him, he's so good.
"Anyone would love to have him. When I was at Portsmouth I spoke to (Croatia boss) Slaven Bilic. Niko Kranjcar was a good player but they all said Modric was the best player. Slaven said he was world class."
"He's strong. I didn't realise it.
"I thought he was like Eyal Berkovic when I got here, who was a great footballer who had no strength but could play in a certain position.
"This little fella is strong. He heads the ball, tackles and has got strong legs. He's a powerful little lad. He's got a great heart and is a great all-round player."
So it is clear Redknapp is fan of quieter personalties but he insists he isn't looking to offload any of his star players, despite continued speculation regarding a double Villa swoop for Jermain Jenas and the out of favour David Bentley.
Speaking to Sky Sports News, Redknapp, said:
"I keep hearing that. I've never heard from Martin or anyone else about it.
"I just think it's probably a football agent trying to sell one of his players to make some money, trying to gee-up some interest from somewhere, but they are good players.
"Jenas is injured unfortunately at the moment. He's a great lad and a good player. Hopefully he'll be fit for the weekend.
"If someone offers crazy money for any footballer, as it proved with Ronaldo, then it's good business.
"You can never say never with any player, but he isn't a player that we want to sell."
A little less emphatic about keeping hold of Bentley then, but with recent headlines that is to be expected.
Spurs travel to Upton Park this Sunday to take on West Ham United and hopefully continue in the rich vein of form they currently find themselves in. There's a long season ahead but on recent evidence it will be one that Spurs' fans will enjoy.
First published on www.ComeOnSpurs.com on 21/8/2009
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