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Everton 1-0 Tottenham Hotspur
For those of you not watching the rugby, welcome to the last of the day’s football coverage. And it’s an interesting game. Will Tottenham’s tilt for third fall off the tracks altogether? They badly need a good result – even a win – after bad defeats against Arsenal and Manchester United. The only problem is that Everton isn’t exactly the best place to go for that, given that they’re unbeaten in nine.
Louis Saha is on the bench for Tottenham, since it’s actually against Premier League rules to have a gentleman’s agreement.
The teams:
Everton: Howard, Neville, Heitinga, Distin, Baines, Coleman, Osman, Fellaini, Drenthe, Cahill, Jelavic. Subs: Mucha, Hibbert, Jagielka, Stracqualursi, Gueye, Rodwell, Anichebe.
Tottenham: Friedel, Walker, Kaboul, King, Assou-Ekotto, Bale, Sandro, Parker, Modric, Defoe, Adebayor. Subs: Cudicini, Van der Vaart, Saha, Kranjcar, Rose, Livermore, Nelsen.
Referee: Mark Halsey
Tottenham certainly don’t look like a team who’ve been badly beaten – scoreline-wise – in their last two. Very positive and purposeful start with Bale haring down the wing.
An interesting formation for Spurs, though, with Baleon the right and Luka Modric on the left. Wouldn’t appear to get the most out of their talents.
Both teams still feeling each other out to an extent, with Everton have coming back into the game more. They are the second lowest scoring team in the Premier League, though, so this was never going to be a goal glut.
GOAL! Everton 1-0 Tottenham
Jelavic hits his first goal for Everton after 22 minutes but, as good as the finish was, you have to look at Younes Kaboul. He let Leon Osman in far too easily to set up the chance. Tottenham have a job to do… again.
The goal has really livened this game up with shots suddenly being fired at both ends. Seamus Coleman and Gareth Bale both have a go.
As has happened before in this fixture, Everton mostly handling Bale well. Coleman and Baines doubling up on him. The winger badly needs Walker to start overlapping to create space to exploit.
Friedel has to fly across the box to deny Jelavic a brilliant second, the striker delivering a free-kick supremely. Might have just lacked a bit of power to really put the keeper in danger though. It looked spectacular, mind.
Spurs enjoying a spell of pressure but no cutting edge. They essentially look exactly what they are: some good individuals in the wrong positions, meaning there’s little cohesion.
The second half starts. No changes from Redknapp in terms of substitutions, surprisingly.
Brilliant tackle from Distin at the edge of the box to block a Modric strike. Everton are pressing Spurs very quickly all over the pitch here.
Saha about to come on for Adebayor. Perhaps surprising Redknapp chooses the Togolese striker to come off. Defoe tested Howard only moments ago, however.
Younes Kaboul blazes a free-kick over the bar at the edge of the box. Sums up Tottenham’s game. Not sure whether it’s the lack of form or lack of a familiar shape but they’re struggling for creativity and increasingly resorting to such sledgehammer attempts.
Van der Vaart coming on for Sandro as Redknapp finally – and radically – changes shape.
What would you put Spurs’ recent slump down to? Distraction, Redknapp overplaying first XI early on or just inevitable poor run?
Jelavic going off to a standing ovation after scoring on his Goodison debut with Stracqualarsi coming on.
Still much the same from Spurs. Banging their heads – or, rather, the ball – off the brick wall of Everton’s defence.
Five minutes left, Spurs have a corner and bring on Jake Livermore for Scott Parker. They must go for this now.
A comedy of errors there from Spurs, illustrating their frustration. First, Assou-Ekotto plays a ludicrous backheel near his own box.With Bale realising he isn’t going to get there, he throws himself to the turf over Leon Osman’s challenge. The Welsh winger then objects to the Everton man’s complaints, pushing him rather forcefully. No action though.
So close for Spurs! With Friedel in the box causing problems, Saha shoots at goalbut his effort hits post, hits Howard and goes out!
FULL-TIME: Everton 1-0 Tottenham Hotspur
Yet another big result for Everton – if only they could start a season so strongly. Spurs, however, might be starting to have the same problem at the other end of the campaign. Their third place – and arguably even fourth – is suddenly looking a lot less secure.
I could get over them having wanted to play for England if they were going in fully committed, but the way Bamford seems to be yanking McCarthy’s chain has me seriously questioning him. In or out ffs. We’ve always been technically weaker than other teams but team spirit and commitment has generally been what’s bridged that gap. It can’t be under-valued or taken for granted. If he’s this non-committal, odds are he’s not going to give 100% when he comes in. That’s not to say being born and raised in Ireland is any guarantee of this. Just compare Jon Walters and Stephen Ireland. Bamford really not endearing himself though by ignoring Mick’s calls and the like.
@ScewMadd: totally agree! Whether you like Bamford for not he does have links to Ireland but the “I’ll consider my options” stuff is getting really old.
@ScewMadd: he’s had serious injuries. If Leeds lost him now then it would be disastrous for their promotion bid. Bamford stalling for the moment makes perfect sense. Leeds fans would never forgive him if an injury for Ireland against Gibraltar cost them the promotion they crave
@Stanley Baggins: completely agree I don’t want him near that Ireland squad until the season is over for Leeds.
I agree with Kevin Kilbane that Patrick Bamford’s first choice was England, but Ireland aren’t in a position to be picky right now. He’d be a very good addition to the Ireland squad at the moment.
@James Clancy: Spot on,yesterday’s squad announcement showed the squad needs to be supplemented with quality.
@James Clancy: not buying it, your either Irish or English, not just Irish when your not good enough for England
@emmetnichol: reality is vast majority of players would pick England over Ireland if they’ve been born and raised there. Its a more natural choice and u have your agent in your ear telling you how many more zeros on your career earnings it’ll make. Kilbane is the exception. He was immersed in Irish culture since birth.
Clinton could have played for the mighty Jamacia but he decided on us..legend
Granny rule players used to declare for Ireland because it put them in the shop window. If they nutmegged Baggio in a game then that often resulted in a move to Liverpool or Everton a few weeks later.
Today players even in the championship are on such nice money that they don’t need International football anymore to retire wealthy…. So when a great player wants to play International football for us where we pay nothing to them in return, even if they only decided at 25 years old to join, then we should still welcome them with open arms.
Sweet god… do we ever learn. Laughing stock..
You can only laugh at the very small minority who knock granny rule players when we’ve just named a squad containing the likes of Glen Whelan and Padraig Amond. No disrespect to those two at all who are wonderful professionals but they’re hardly Aldridge, Townsend, Houghton etc
Another Clinton Morrison, albeit a lot more talented
@Seán Ó’Sionúir: The Clint did very well for us.
@Seán Ó’Sionúir: you should watch the sky YouTube interview of Clinton on playing for Ireland. He’s was 100% committed to the irish setup from the outset, unlike wasters Bamford, Rice, Grealish, Noble, Nolan etc
@Facundo: you should leave Noble out of that list, he was approached and did the honourable thing and said he felt English so he wouldn’t declare for us.
Absolutely nothing wrong with that.
@Panch Murphy: Yeah and he also went out of his way to have a whisper in rice’s ear about declaring for England, along with rats John Terry, gold and sullivan, swaying his decision. Beautiful human beings, all 4 of them
Quality will improve by picking Irish players over English players starting at under age level