Harry Redknapp remembered to look serious occasionally after Tottenham Hotspur’s 4-2 victory over Liverpool in the Carling Cup fourth round on Wednesday, but it must have been difficult. He was brought in, less than three weeks ago, to replace Juande Ramos as Spurs manager and stabilise a failing team. Instead, he has instigated a revolution.

Fraizer Campbell, who scored twice on Wednesday to cap an impressive performance, said: “Once you’ve won one game, you believe in yourself; you win another one and we feel like we’re invincible — and we’re beating teams quite comfortably.”

Campbell is on a year’s loan from Manchester United. Sir Alex Ferguson, the United manager, turned down a £7 million bid for the striker from Hull City and Redknapp says he now understands why, having given the player his first start since taking over. “He’s been telling me that I’d get my chance and he’s stuck to his word,” Campbell said. “He’s put confidence in all the players, every single player, every single squad player as well has got confidence in himself and the belief that we are better than we are in the league.”

The draw for the quarter-finals of the Carling Cup is made tomorrow and Campbell would prefer Tottenham not to be pitted against United because he would not be eligible to play against his parent club.

Everyone wants to know the manager’s secret, but the Redknapp revolution appears to be based simply on giving players confidence. “We always had belief in ourselves and since the manager came in he’s given that belief back to each and every one of us,” Michael Dawson, who captained Tottenham at White Hart Lane on Wednesday, said. Dawson’s game has been revitalised sufficiently for him to believe he can be part of Fabio Capello’s plans for the England team. “I’ll never give up on trying to play for my country,” Dawson, who has 13 caps at under-21 level, said.

“He’s come in and told us to go out on the pitch and express ourselves. That’s what it’s about. We’ve got great players and he was disappointed to see us in the position we were. But the players are now playing with no fear and showing what they’re all about.”

Redknapp is keen to shake up the coaching system and use former players more. “So many come out of the game and get lost to the game,” he said when explaining why he has appointed Les Ferdinand, the former Newcastle and Tottenham striker, to work with his forwards. “In this country we spend too much time as a group. You need to do more individual work. If you look at American football they all have specialised coaches — we don’t do that. We have a specialised goalkeeping coach but why not have a striking coach, and someone who can work with midfield players?”