Tottenham 1 Blackpool 1:ALAN SHEARER is frequently accused of being a pundit of no importance but a comment he made on Match of the Day may help to inspire Blackpool's survival effort.

The former Newcastle United striker suggested on television recently Charlie Adam’s slump in form could be down to the fact the Scot knows he missed the best opportunity that he will ever get to advance his career when Blackpool rejected January transfer bids from Liverpool, Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur.

Blackpool’s manager, Ian Holloway, said Adam’s anger at that claim has fuelled an upswing in his performances.

At White Hart Lane, Adam displayed the class that led to him being shortlisted for the PFA player-of-the-year award. With Adam resurgent Blackpool look capable of climbing out of the relegation zone.

“I think Alan Shearer upset him because he was worrying about what he said about ‘I hope his time hasn’t passed him by’,” said Holloway.

Adam’s passing repertoire is the primary reason his peers ranked him among this season’s best performers and he showcased his range well, enabling Blackpool to spring forward on rapid counterattack whenever they won the ball back off the hosts, who enjoyed the majority of possession.

The purity with which he strikes was perhaps best exemplified in the 24th minute, when he met a high, spinning ball with an exquisite volley from 16 yards, forcing a splendid reflex stop from the goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes.

Adam, who actually turned 25 in December, also made a sweet connection with the ball when taking the 75th-minute penalty his team were awarded when Michael Dawson handled in the box but again Gomes pulled off a superb save. The error-prone Brazilian then gave Adam a chance to make amends by conceding another spot-kick within less than a minute, foolishly barging over Gary Taylor-Fletcher. Adam scored emphatically.

But Adam’s impact was not all positive. On the hour mark he was the perpetrator of an ugly foul that left Gareth Bale with a serious ankle injury. The Welshman was carried off and will undergo a scan today, but his season looks over.

Although Jermain Defoe slammed the ball into the net from 20 yards in the last minute to prevent Holloway’s team from leaving White Hart Lane with maximum points, Blackpool were a lot more secure at the back.

Blackpool’s last two matches are at home to Bolton next weekend and then a daunting trip to Old Trafford. “If he keeps Blackpool up and doesn’t get manager of the season, it’ll be a criminal,” said Harry Redknapp. “He should be the manager of the century.”