AFTER suffering a 'good kick in the teeth' in Spain, combative midfielder George Boateng is confident Tottenham will feel the full force of Middlesbrough's most feared strikeforce tomorrow.

Forwards Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Mark Viduka are in the midst of an unlikely goal drought and again failed to find the net in the 2-0 defeat at Villarreal on Thursday night.

The pair went on for the second half as manager Steve McClaren chose to start with just Joseph Job up front.

Hasselbaink and Viduka will be back in tandem from the kick-off at White Hart Lane tomorrow.

The Dutchman has now gone seven games without scoring while Viduka, who went closest to breaking through the Villarreal defence, is without a goal since scoring two against Banik Ostrava on September 16.

But middle-man Boateng is convinced the 12-goal duo's lack of goals in recent weeks could work against Spurs.

"Tottenham will have watched our game in Spain and be distraught that we lost. We don't lose two in a row and they will be more than aware of that," said Boateng, who has scored twice this season.

"Jimmy and Mark are great players and we know a goal is just around the corner. They will score soon and Tottenham must be terrified of them both."

Middlesbrough travel to Tottenham, who have lost their last six in the league, aiming to win four successive top-flight league games for the first time in 56 seasons.

Boateng is convinced the failings in Villarreal will have made McClaren's men stronger and the Dutchman insists preserving fourth place is a possibility.

"Villarreal was a good kick in the teeth. It told us that we are not there yet. We know we need to do a lot more to be where we want to be," said Boateng.

"Being beaten by Villarreal was ideal for us because they like to play football and it showed what we need to do. We want to play more games like that and we will eventually win those types of games.

"It's not a case of having to pick ourselves up from that defeat. Tottenham is my favourite pitch and a lovely stadium. We do well there. It's the best possible game to bounce back."

Skipper Gareth Southgate described the reversal on Thursday as a 'wake up call' and Boateng, to a certain extent, agreed.

But the former Aston Villa and Coventry man believes McClaren's side will now become a better team as a result of failing to cruise through their UEFA Cup Group E with a 100 per cent record.

Boro know a point against Partizan Belgrade on December 15 will be enough to see them through - but if Egaleo fail to win their final two games progress will have been assured regardless.

Boateng said: "Maybe Villarreal was the lesson we needed.

"We did not get the breaks but we created a few chances. But we did not play well enough to win the game."

Darlington-born winger James Morrison, with the squad in Spain, has signed a new three-and-a-half year contract with the club.

The 19-year-old has been rewarded for the way he has coped with being thrown into the first team squad this season, just months after playing a part in the club's first FA Youth Cup success.

* Jermain Defoe is not for sale, according to Tottenham manager Martin Jol.

Defoe has scored nine goals in 17 appearances this season to provide a rare bright spark in a miserable run which has seen Spurs lose previous boss Jacques Santini and plummet to the lower reaches of the Barclays Premiership.

The 22-year-old's form in the white shirts of Spurs and England has prompted reports of an imminent £15m bid from Chelsea.

But Jol has vowed to cling on to his prize asset.

He said: ''We're a big club. Jermain has a five-year contract. He's our player and we're happy with him.

''Of course we could stop him going. He's got a good contract here and he can help us. He's an international.

''I don't want to think about offers of £15m to £20m coming in now. He knows we need him and I know he wants to play for Spurs and his international ambitions are a positive for the club.

''A lot of the time it's a question of how to get the ball up to him. We bought him for a lot of money and he's a terrific talent. I'm not worried about the future.''

Defeat against Boro would be Spurs' seventh straight league loss, equalling a club record.

But Jol pledged his faith in Defoe and the remainder of the club's English contingent to dig them out of trouble.

He said: ''If you are playing in the English League it is important to keep your English players to get the balance right. In the summer we brought in Defoe, Michael Carrick and Sean Davis.

''We're an English club. I don't believe in just buying Chinese or Japanese players - you can end up with a Tower of Babel.

''Imports have improved the English game but they are a risk.