Richards: It was too early to sack Hoddle

"The board backed him in the summer but I thought it was a bit too early. That decision was down to other people. I was disappointed but I have to kick-on. I feel for Glenn because he tried to hard to be successful. If that is his only fault, then it is not a bad one to have.

"I never had a problem with him but if other players did then that's fair enough. I spoke to him the day after they made up their minds to get rid of him. He was sick about it."

Richards, though, is not upset by the loss of his vice-captaincy role in the absence of Redknapp.

Pleat opted to give the armband to Carr while Redknapp recovers from a knee injury.

Richards added: "I did get told I was vice captain at the start of the season but different managers make different decisions. David felt Steve has been at the club a long time and is well respected by the supporters. He is a good player and one the lads look up to. It's not a problem for me, I just get on with my game."

Off the pitch, the talk continues to surround Pleat's future and a host of names linked to the club as Hoddle's successor. Despite stories claiming that a deal is on the cards to land Celtic's Martin O'Neill, Pleat is adamant no list of contenders has been drawn up as yet.

Pleat, continuing to avoid questions over his own plans, said: "I will continue to look after the shop until someone says different or we have a meeting and we discuss who is available or suitable.

"Then it will be a group decision. The last thing I have spoken about so far this week is the profile of the type of person that might be suitable to run a club like Tottenham."

Pleat's assessment of his side's goalless draw was more forthright. Spurs lacked the technical ability to create any real chances and, as Richards pointed out, they rode their luck on occasions.

Spurs could have been three goals down at the interval, but Keller produced marvellous saves to deny Nicolas Anelka and Paulo Wanchope, while Carr cleared another Anelka effort off the line. It was the same story in the second half but City could not find a way through.

Pleat said: "The scoreline was much better than the performance. Our goalkeeper did very well and we dug in. We were poor in possession and the players are capable of doing much better.

"We did not pass the ball well and if you keep giving it away, the opposition keep coming at you. We were at full stretch but we have now kept two clean sheets and the players will take a lot of confidence from that.

"But we have to improve when we have the ball."