Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson can understand Harry Redknapp's decision not to risk his best players for Tottenham's FA Cup tie.
He said: "Even 20 years ago if you had been down the bottom of the league and had an important game on the Tuesday after a Saturday cup tie, then a club of Tottenham's standards would have concerns about the league.
"It is paramount for a club like Spurs to be in the top flight.
"I remember when I first came down here, we drew Man City in the third round of the cup and we were sixth from bottom. We put straw on the pitch to get the game on because we couldn't afford delays with the position we were in the league.
"My main concern then was to make sure we stayed in the league. Can you imagine your first season at Manchester United and the club gets relegated?"