Brad Friedel believes Tottenham have quality to shoot up the goal charts

 
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Giuseppe Muro11 November 2013

Brad Friedel is not concerned by Tottenham’s lack of goals despite only Crystal Palace and Sunderland scoring fewer times in the Premier League this season.

Spurs have scored just nine in 11 games and Andre Villas-Boas’s side have now gone more than 300 minutes without finding the net from open play in the League.

That low goal tally includes three penalties but their 1-0 defeat to Newcastle owed more to Friedel’s opposite number than poor finishing from Tottenham’s forwards. Spurs found goalkeeper Tim Krul in inspired form at White Hart Lane as they missed the chance to go third and close the gap on leaders Arsenal.

“We have got so many quality players who have goals in them,” said Friedel.

“I really do not think that, come the end of the season, our goal tally will be one of the lower ones. It will be right up there. We see the quality in training on a daily basis and it is not a lack of confidence or anything of that nature.”

Tottenham had 31 shots on goal but could not find a way past Krul, who made a string of wonderful saves. Friedel said: “As a goalkeeper, we have all had days like that and he will be feeling like a million dollars. Balls were just hitting him or him making great saves.

“We could have scored six with the chances we had. We came up against a keeper in good form, it was not terrible finishing. We are creating so many chances and it will come good.”

Friedel only found out he was playing against Newcastle hours before kick-off after Villas-Boas was told not to start Hugo Lloris by the club’s medical department.

Lloris suffered a head injury against Everton last weekend but is expected to play for France in Friday’s World Cup play-off against Ukraine. Lloris will be available when Spurs play the two Manchester clubs after the international break and Friedel, 42, is happy to play understudy to his team-mate.

“When I signed here, they were looking for a long-term No1 and they have found a very good one,” said the American. “If I need to deputise, I will try to do it to the best of my ability.

“I did not know I was starting until yesterday morning but I have a lot of experience and that does not faze me. That is what you would want in your No2. I am thankful to get a game. I just wish we had got the three points.”

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