Parker praises 'resilience and character'

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Scott Parker believes more displays of greater resilience combined with a fully-fit squad can ensure they maintain their challenge at the top of the Premier League. There was little evidence of the free-flowing attacking football which has earned so many plaudits in last night's goalless draw at Liverpool. However, what was evident was the strength of their defence and the determination not to cave in under pressure. While a point on Merseyside meant the gap to leaders Manchester City was extended to seven points, Parker believes the performance was an important marker. "We all know what we can do on the ball at times and how much we can dominate teams," said the England international. "But certainly it shows that we have come a long way to go to Anfield and put in a really good defensive performance. "The one thing I have noticed is that at any point in the game we have got players who can score. You could be under as much pressure as you like but we have the players here who can quickly get you back into the game. The Manchester City match was a prime example of that. "But what I am most delighted about is the defensive side of our game - the resilience and the character. These are the things that all the great sides have. Our mentality is that we are coming to places like Anfield and we are not going to roll over easily." Spurs were missing the likes of Jermain Defoe, Rafael van der Vaart, Younes Kaboul, Aaron Lennon and Sandro - as well as manager Harry Redknapp who was stranded in London after technical problems prevented his plane taking off, the boss having been at Southwark Crown Court earlier in the day. Parker believes when everyone is fit they should be able to improve on what has already been an impressive campaign so far. "It has been a fantastic season and we still have a long way to go but we need to stay strong and build," the 31-year-old told the London Evening Standard. "We were missing a lot of key players and I am just really excited about what is in progress here."