Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas is happy to lean heavily on Gareth Bale.

Villas-Boas does not mind unduly that they are relying so heavily on the winger's talents.

"This is always the problem with big teams," he said. "Do Barcelona rely on Lionel Messi? Do Real Madrid rely on Cristiano Ronaldo? I don't think so.

"But the great players have to make the difference. They are the stars and Gareth has been magnificent this season. We are fortunate to have players who can be decisive on those moments. At the same time, we're trying to unlock the best out of Adebayor. Last year shows the example of what we're trying to get out of him.

"We have been speaking to him about how he can get into that goal-scoring position. Strikers live off goals and we are doing everything we can to try to unlock his full potential."