Christian Gross started his Tottenham career with a crucial win - and one
which came at the expense of rock-bottom Everton.
A section of the Merseyside club's fans stayed behind at the end to chant for
chairman Peter Johnson's exit, banging their seats and howling in rage as
stewards and police moved in.
A win would have eased the pressure on Johnson, but the game had been drifting
towards a goalless draw until Spurs grabbed two inside five minutes through
Ramon Vega and David Ginola to give their new manager a perfect start.
For Everton it had started so well. Neville Southall passed a late fitness
test on a back problem to win selection for his 750th senior game for the
Toffeemen, Norwegian new boy Thomas Myhre being left on the bench.
They also fielded new signings Mitch Ward and Carl Tiler, with Howard Kendall
leaving out England international Andy Hinchcliffe.
Gross dropped five players from the Monday defeat by Crystal Palace, a game he
watched but didn't interfere with, leaving Chris Hughton in charge.
Out went John Scales, Darren Anderton, Justin Edinburgh, Steve Clemence and
Steffen Iversen, with Gross playing the rigid 4-4-2 formation he had promised.
Kendall's men started with promise. Duncan Ferguson almost scored inside the
first minute with a header that was deflected inside the six-yard box and was
rolling into the net until 36 year-old Clive Wilson hacked the ball off the
line.
Gary Speed then had a low drive held by Ian Walker as Everton attacked with
passion and no little intent.
But slowly the fire died away, and Spurs - without being commanding - were
able to contain the Premiership's bottom club.
Andy Sinton and Allan Nielsen both had shots that fizzed over, but the nearest
anyone came in the first period was when Gary Speed hooked the ball into Nicky
Barmby's path, for the ex-Spurs striker to cut inside Sol Campbell and lift his
shot over Walker and onto the bar.
Campbell was dumped on the track by Ferguson, and eventually the England man
had to be replaced by John Scales before the break.
Everton started the second half meaning business, Speed just missing the far
post with a low shot under intense pressure from Nielsen, but the home side were
too predictable.
Ruud Gullit had criticised their long ball tactics after the midweek defeat at
Chelsea, and Everton showed they have learned few other options.
With three towering centre-backs, wing-backs and the giant Ferguson, the ball
is continually launched 30 or 40 yards, and it become all too obvious.
With so much at stake both managers started to change things with the
introduction of more attacking players: John Oster and Danny Cadamarteri for
Everton and Anderton for Spurs. Hinchcliffe replaced Terry Phelan on the left.
Almost immediately, the game changed. David Ginola, a flickering fringe player
in the first half, got annoyed when he was brought down and got nothing for it.
It roused the Frenchman from his slumbers and he had three chances inside five
minutes - it's amazing what a flash of temperament can produce.
That seemed to wake Spurs up too, and after 71 minutes they went ahead when
Ramon Vega, who had missed a glorious chance earlier, this time dived forward to
head home a Wilson flick-on after Sinton's cross had floated into the box.
Everton were stunned, their fans silenced, and four minutes later Ginola made
it two when he ran down the right, held off Ward and lashed the ball into the
roof of the net.
No lack of commitment now from Spurs, and the game was over as a contest.
Walker made fine saves from a Ferguson header and a Speed 20-yarder, but Everton
had been deflated in a big way.
Gross had got the win and the response he wanted.
The vast majority of the crowd slipped away into the night, numbed by the the
club's terrible form. But, 15 minutes after the end, some fans were still there,
chanting their anger.
It was billed as the showdown between two chairman, Johnson and Alan Sugar,
both the target of claims that they have failed their team.
In the end it was Sugar who left with the sweet taste of victory in his mouth,
while Johnson had to endure yet more abuse.
Teams
Everton: Southall, Ward, Short (Cadamarteri 74), Bilic, Tiler,
Phelan (Hinchcliffe 72), Farrelly (Oster 65), Speed, Williamson,
Barmby, Ferguson.
Subs Not Used: Myhre, Ball.
Booked: Bilic.
Tottenham: Walker, Carr, Wilson, Campbell (Scales 44), Vega, Fox,
Calderwood, Sinton, Nielsen (Anderton 58),
Ferdinand (Iversen 78), Ginola.
Subs Not Used: Baardsen, Allen.
Booked: Scales, Vega.
Goals: Vega 72, Ginola 76.
Att: 36,670
Ref: P Jones (Leicestershire).
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