TOTTENHAM defender Jonathan Woodgate believes the club have to spend their way out of trouble in the January transfer window.
Yesterday's 2-0 defeat at West Brom was Spurs' fourth league match without a win and only their goal difference is keeping them out of the bottom three.
Manager Harry Redknapp knows he still has plenty of work to do despite enjoying immediate success after taking over from Juande Ramos in late October.
He has been linked with the likes of Jermain Defoe - the player he signed for Portsmouth from Spurs only 12 months ago - West Ham's Craig Bellamy and Middlesbrough's Stewart Downing.
Woodgate would welcome all three to White Hart Lane.
"We are in a relegation battle and we have to keep improving. Every team has to buy players," said the former Middlesbrough defender.
"If you look at this time last season, Spurs signed players (Woodgate and Alan Hutton at a cost of £17million) and we must keep on buying.
"We need as many top-quality players as we can get. Stewart Downing is a Middlesbrough player, so I can't say much about his future.
"But he is an England international and anyone who plays for England is a good player."
Redknapp is expected to escape a Football Association charge despite his scathing comments about referee Steve Tanner after the West Brom defeat.
FA disciplinary chiefs have studied Redknapp's remarks and although the case is viewed as being borderline, they are expected to decide against any charge unless further comments come to light.
The FA are much stricter against managers who suggest there is any bias on the part of the referee, or who deliver insults such as calling officials 'Mickey Mouse'.
Redknapp said after the game: "I never complain about referees - I haven't done that for years but this guy was scary.
"He's a poor referee and I've seen him make a mess of so many games."
Woodgate has also criticised Tanner, saying: "If we (players) make mistakes, we are punished but if the officials do, what happens to them? Nothing. Something has to be done.
"We are playing in the Premier League, which is the biggest league in the world. You expect it in a Sunday league but not in the Premier League."
Manager Harry Redknapp knows he still has plenty of work to do despite enjoying immediate success after taking over from Juande Ramos in late October.
He has been linked with the likes of Jermain Defoe - the player he signed for Portsmouth from Spurs only 12 months ago - West Ham's Craig Bellamy and Middlesbrough's Stewart Downing.
Woodgate would welcome all three to White Hart Lane.
"We are in a relegation battle and we have to keep improving. Every team has to buy players," said the former Middlesbrough defender.
"If you look at this time last season, Spurs signed players (Woodgate and Alan Hutton at a cost of £17million) and we must keep on buying.
"We need as many top-quality players as we can get. Stewart Downing is a Middlesbrough player, so I can't say much about his future.
"But he is an England international and anyone who plays for England is a good player."
Redknapp is expected to escape a Football Association charge despite his scathing comments about referee Steve Tanner after the West Brom defeat.
FA disciplinary chiefs have studied Redknapp's remarks and although the case is viewed as being borderline, they are expected to decide against any charge unless further comments come to light.
The FA are much stricter against managers who suggest there is any bias on the part of the referee, or who deliver insults such as calling officials 'Mickey Mouse'.
Redknapp said after the game: "I never complain about referees - I haven't done that for years but this guy was scary.
"He's a poor referee and I've seen him make a mess of so many games."
Woodgate has also criticised Tanner, saying: "If we (players) make mistakes, we are punished but if the officials do, what happens to them? Nothing. Something has to be done.
"We are playing in the Premier League, which is the biggest league in the world. You expect it in a Sunday league but not in the Premier League."
Copyright (c) Press Association
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