SAM Allardyce is preparing his defensive duo of Gudni Bergsson and Mike Whitlow for a "special assignment" to dent Tottenham's fast-growing confidence.

The Reebok boss has singled out Teddy Sheringham as the man Wanderers need to shackle if they are to achieve a positive result at White Hart Lane.

But he is backing his defence, marshalled and inspired by the veteran defensive duo, to maintain their rich vein of form which has brought 12 points from a possible 21 on their travels this season.

"Spurs are playing well and Teddy Sheringham is perhaps their biggest influence from what I've seen of him," the manager said. "He will need some special attention.

"He's 35 but he looks about 28 and had one of his best years of his whole career last year at Manchester United in terms of games played, goals scored and what he achieved.

"But Mike Whitlow and Gudni have been fantastic, handling some of the best strikers in Europe, if not the world, so there's no reason to fear that they won't continue to do well."

Under the guidance of Glenn Hoddle and the influence of Sheringham, Spurs are starting to look the part in the Premiership.

But Wanderers have taken much bigger scalps on their way to collecting 20 points from their first 14 games and the manager was in optimistic mood as he prepared for the first of two games in successive weeks to the North London ground.

"We have no fears away from home," he insists. "In fact we have no fears anywhere. We'll play our normal game. We'll be aware of them as an attacking force and hope the back four will be as solid as they have been and, if we are as deadly as we have been lately, we'll be all right."

Allardyce readily admits that Monday's game is more important than the following week's Worthington Cup quarter-final. "Beating them in the first one is all the matters, we'll enjoy the second one after that" he says. But he is aware that Spurs are starting to hit form.

"He (Hoddle) is back to his old tried and trusted system of a back three, which we have only come across at Blackburn this season," the Reebok boss explains, "so we'll have to do some extra work in view of the system we are playing against.

"We'll have to do our best to keep Sheringham quiet ... and Darren Anderton who has overcome his injuries and playing every week.

"So the usual tough Premiership encounter!"

Nicky Southall, Jermaine Johnson and Gareth Farrelly are in contention to stand in for the suspended Paul Warhurst.