• Worries for Tottenham as they crash 4-1 at home
• Strong Spurs team prove no match for Spaniards

Though these fixtures are all about sharpness not scorelines, with Champions League fixtures arriving soon Tottenham must hit the ground running this season and Harry Redknapp’s team did not fare well by either measure at White Hart Lane last night, succumbing 4-1 to Villarreal.

Redknapp named a strong line-up for the visit of the Spaniards, the first of a hat-trick of friendlies against European opposition designed to ready the club for their Champions League play-off next month. Fiorentina and Benfica follow before Spurs begin their Premier League campaign away at Manchester City on 14 August. This result, though, did not bode well.

“They’re a great side, I was very impressed with them,” said the Spurs manager. “We had a good squad out, but they were sharp. They were different class.”

Jermain Defoe started up front, with Michael Dawson and Aaron Lennon the others of England’s World Cup squad involved, while Heurelho Gomes played in goal having missed the club’s pre-season tour of the United States. Jermaine Jenas, his influence at White Hart Lane surely threatened by Redknapp’s interest in Scott Parker, started alongside Tom Huddlestone in midfield, while Robbie Keane, similarly under pressure given his manager’s interest in Craig Bellamy, took the captain’s armband. Jenas, though, hobbled off with a leg injury inside the first 20 minutes.

With Dawson and co needing to shake off the disappointment of England’s time in South Africa as well as their summer rust, Spurs could hardly have got off to a worse start. David Fuster and Santi Cazorla had already gone close by the time the visitors opened the scoring after 21 minutes. The impressive Cazorla found space 20 yards out and shaped to shoot, only to play a wonderfully disguised dinked pass through to Giuseppe Rossi. The former Manchester United striker, himself needing a confidence boost after Italy’s dismal World Cup campaign, made no mistake.

Though Spurs were undone by a moment of individual excellence for the first, a portion of blame could be attributed to the rusty Dawson for the second. The central defender failed to cut out Marcos Senna’s through-ball and Rossi, clean through, again slotted calmly past Gomes.

Redknapp’s seven half-time substitutions, rather than disrupt Spurs’ rhythm – there was little to speak of anyway – in fact offered the home side greater fluidity and control. Gareth Bale has begun pre-season in the same impressive manner in which he finished the last campaign and on 55 minutes Spurs pulled one back. Peter Crouch took advantage of defensive hesitancy to slip in Giovani dos Santos, and the Mexican chipped the ball confidently past Diego López in the Villarreal goal.

Rossi, though, completed his hat-trick with 20 minutes to go, his long-range drive deflecting off Vedran Corluka to make it 3-1, and Marco Ruben added a fourth with four minutes to play. The Yellow Submarines, despite finishing seventh in La Liga last season, will play in the Europa League this year, following Mallorca’s expulsion after going into administration. If they do not hit their straps when things really kick-off, Tottenham could still join them.

Tottenham HotspurVillarrealFriendliesJohn Ashdownguardian.co.uk

• Spurs manager rebuts allegations of unsettling midfielder
• Redknapp no closer to resolution in bid for Bellamy

Harry Redknapp has hit back in the row over the future of West Ham’s Scott Parker. Redknapp and Spurs were this week accused of unsettling the player with their £7m bid, the Hammers co-chairman David Sullivan saying he was “very angry with Harry, Daniel [Levy, the Tottenham chairman] and Spurs”.

But Redknapp argued that any damage to the players’ peace of mind was the fault of West Ham. “Who made it public that we made an offer?” he said last night following Spurs’ 4-1 friendly defeat against Villarreal.

“You can make an offer for a player if you want to. You can make an offer for anybody. I’m sure the chairman must have got some encouragement or he wouldn’t have made an offer. So I’m not sure the full story has been told about that one. The chairman wouldn’t have made an offer unless he thought there was a chance that they wanted to do something.”

A deal for another target, Manchester City’s Craig Bellamy, also seems no closer to a resolution. “I like Craig Bellamy but I don’t know if they would sell him,” said Redknapp. “The chairman deals with all the transfers. He asks me what I want and I tell him. I don’t know where he’s at with Bellamy, if anywhere.”

Redknapp also revealed the motivation behind his attempts to sign two players with a combined age of 60, with the reigning European champions proving the inspiration. “If you’re going to be really successful you need a few men in your team, not lads that are learning,” he said.

“We’ve got a good group of players but two or three players with experience would make a massive difference to the team. You look at Inter Milan – they won the Champions League with a team of men, they were all experienced players. You need players with experience.”

Harry RedknappTottenham HotspurWest Ham UnitedTransfer windowJohn Ashdownguardian.co.uk

• Free transfer to Bundesliga ends Spurs’ hopes
• ‘He will be an inspiration. His qualities will help us’

Real Madrid’s Raúl has signed a two-year deal with Schalke, the Bundesliga club have confirmed, despite considerable interest shown in the forward by Tottenham and Newcastle. The player commented earlier this week: “My future lies in Germany or England.”

Raúl bid an emotional farewell to Madrid on Monday, bringing the curtain down on a 16-year career at the Bernabéu. He had long been expected to go to Schalke on a free transfer, despite speculation that he may move to England, and has now completed his move.

The Schalke coach Felix Magath told the club website: “It’s great news for FC Schalke 04. I am pleased that we have succeeded in such an exceptional footballer and world-class striker switching to the Bundesliga. He will be an inspiration. His qualities will help us.

“His commitment is a crucial step in our efforts to strengthen the squad for future tasks, and to restructure. I look forward to working with this good professional.”

Raúl was a key part of one of Madrid’s most successful sides ever, winning three Champions League trophies and 16 titles in total, but was only a bit-part player last season and has decided to end his career elsewhere.

The former Madrid captain had been at the Bernabéu since joining their youth team in 1992 and is the club’s all-time top goalscorer, with 323 goals in 741 games.

SchalkeTransfer windowReal MadridTottenham HotspurBundesligaEuropean footballguardian.co.uk