Liverpool prepare red-hot reception for Redknapp

Liverpool will give a warm welcome to old boy Jamie Redknapp on Saturday before attempting to give his new club Tottenham Hotspur a lesson in the harsh reality of life at the top of the English premier league.

Spurs climbed to third in the table with their home victory over Bolton Wanderers last weekend and boss Glenn Hoddle summed up their mood by insisting this week his players would not fear a trip to Anfield.

Redknapp, the former Liverpool and England midfielder whose 11-year career on Merseyside was blighted by injuries, has been integral to Spurs' revival since leaving Anfield in the close season.

But after a shaky start Liverpool have strung together five league wins -- with four clean sheets -- to go top of the league and they show little sign of relinquishing their grip.

"I am sure Jamie will get a good reception from the (Liverpool) fans because they still love him," Liverpool defender Sami Hyypia told the club's website.

"We are happy he is playing football again. After the game I will be happy to shake hands and be friends with him...during the game we will be more like enemies."

Michael Owen, the scorer of a hat-trick for Liverpool in their 3-1 comeback win over Spartak Moscow in the Champions League in midweek, has now registered eight goals in his last seven games.

Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier has warned that the 22-year-old is still operating well below maximum capacity.

"He is only at 60 or 70 percent of what he can do," said Houllier. "No striker is fully accomplished at 21 or 22."

If Liverpool's form or Owen's touch was not enough to change Hoddle's mind about Spurs' sense of trepidation, Liverpool also hope to call on midfielder Steven Gerrard again on Saturday.

Gerrard has missed their last two games with the hip injury he suffered playing for England in their Euro 2004 qualifier against Macedonia earlier this month.

Frenchman Bruno Cheyrou could also be considered again against Spurs, after missing the Spartak game with a thigh problem.

KEANE BONUS

Liverpool head the table by one point from Arsenal, whose two defeats in a week -- to Everton and Auxerre -- have undermined their sense of invincibility.

Spurs could climb to within two points of Liverpool with a win at Anfield, where they have not won in the league since 1993, although they have recorded two cup victories there in that time.

Hoddle's outlook has improved with the form of Robbie Keane, the striker signed from Leeds United for 7 million pounds in August who grabbed two more goals -- his first at White Hart Lane -- in the 3-1 win over Bolton.

"When you win matches and you're in a decent position in the league it gives you confidence," Hoddle told the Spurs website. "We'll go to Liverpool with belief...but we need to keep our level of performance as high as it can be.

"We've had 10 games and we're in a nice position."

As well as Keane, midfielder Simon Davies is enjoying the form of his life for Wales and his north London club.

But Spurs have been here before -- a month ago. Then, they travelled to Old Trafford full of confidence and, despite a solid effort, lost 1-0.

Hoddle's hand will be strengthened over the coming weeks by players returning to fitness, although the Liverpool game might come too soon for Darren Anderton, Ledley King and Anthony Gardner.