Spurs 0 Everton 2

Andrew Johnson celebrated his England call-up with a superb performance as 10-man Everton rocked Tottenham 2-0 at White Hart Lane.

Spurs flattered to deceive against the vibrant Toffees and Calum Davenport's 52nd-minute own goal and a 65th-minute second from Johnson set the seal on a miserable afternoon for Martin Jol's side.

Johnson, selected for England's Euro 2008 qualifiers against Andorra and Macedonia, was a thorn in Tottenham's side all afternoon as Spurs turned in possibly their worst performance under Jol's control.

Jol's ambition to build on the success of last season's UEFA Cup qualification may be difficult to attain unless he can persuade chairman Daniel Levy to open his chequebook once more.

The Merseysiders thwarted the home side by filling their midfield and eradicating the supply line to England winger Aaron Lennon.

The tactic worked superbly as Spurs, without a recognised left-winger in their ranks, had no other outlet to undo Everton's well-marshalled rearguard.

Spurs had been linked Middlesbrough winger Stewart Downing and on the evidence of this lack-lustre performance, Levy would be well advised to make a concerted effort to prise him away from the Riverside.

Spurs were outclassed from start to finish and even after the first-half dismissal of Kevin Kilbane for a second bookable offence, Jol's side had little idea how to make the most of their numerical advantage.

Everton had begun the game in confident mood with Leon Osman firing a speculative 20-yard drive wide of Paul Robinson's right-hand post in the fourth minute.

Spurs, in contrast, struggled to find their rhythm, particularly in midfield where they often found themselves outnumbered by blue shirts.

Consequently, they resorted to hitting elongated passes to Dimitar Berbatov and Robbie Keane and the tactic appeared to work with Spurs winning their first corner in the 14th minute.

However, although they failed to take advantage, Spurs maintained their pressure and Kilbane received his first yellow card for bringing down Young-Pyo Lee as he attempted to gain territory on the right flank.

Spurs almost took the lead in the 26th minute when Gary Naysmith was forced to hook the ball against his own crossbar after Lee Carsley had inadvertently deflected a throw-in into his path.

But the home side, enjoying a sustained spell of pressure, were beginning to find gaps.

Prompted by the pace of Lee and Aaron Lennon on the right flank, there was an ominous intent to their approach play for the first time.

That was underlined in the 31st minute when Everton were reduced to 10 men after Kilbane was sent off for a second bookable offence.

The Everton winger, who had struggled to match the pace of the overlapping Lee all afternoon, brought him down on the edge of the area and was given his marching orders by Mark Halsey.

Tottenham began the second half with renewed enthusiasm but for all their clever approach play, they were unable to make the most of set-pieces.

Lennon won a corner within the first minute of the re-start but Dawson's header looped aimlessly over the crossbar.

In the 49th minute, Mikel Arteta squandered a chance for Everton to break the deadlock when he sent his 20-yard free-kick into the crowd behind Paul Robinson's goal.

The home side were struggling to take advantage of their extra man and the lively Johnson was giving the Spurs defence some uncomfortable moments.

In the 52nd minute he won a free-kick which led to Everton's opener. He got the better of Benoit Assou-Ekotto and the Spurs defender could do nothing but haul him down.

Arteta's ball into penalty area was met by the head of Lescott but his effort was of little danger until Davenport deflected the ball past his own goalkeeper to give Everton a deserved lead.

The goal sparked Tottenham into a frenzied response but the final ball, so often lacking in quality in the opening period, was again their downfall.

But it got worse for Spurs in the 65th minute as Everton scored a superb second. Osman did well to shepherd the ball from Edgar Davids before supplying Phil Neville on the right.

His low cross was met by the outstanding Johnson who celebrated his England call-up in style by slipping the ball beyond Robinson to ensure a fine victory.

David Moyes tipped midfielder Leon Osman for an England call-up after the 10 men of Everton sent Tottenham crashing to their second defeat of the season.

Moyes was also full of praise for Andrew Johnson, who celebrated his call-up to the England squad for the Euro 2008 qualifiers against Andorra and Macedonia with the decisive second goal.

Everton winger Kevin Kilbane had been red-carded on the half-hour for a second bookable offence but the Toffees made light of the numerical disadvantage to win the game in the second period.

Joleon Lescott's header was deflected past Tottenham's England goalkeeper Paul Robinson by the frame of Calum Davenport and then Johnson set the seal on an outstanding individual performance with the second in the 65th minute.

A beaming Moyes said of their performance: 'It was as close to good as you could probably get.

'There were so many nine-out-of-10s and 10-out-of-10 performances.

'Our centre-forward (Johnson) was one of the 10s and my feeling is Leon Osman is good enough to play for England.

'I think he is close to being considered. If he performs the way he did today then it won't be long until he is in the squad. I have mentioned him once to the England manager.

'He has got tremendous talent and I have to say Gary Naysmith probably played Aaron Lennon better than I've seen anyone play Aaron Lennon in a long, long, time.

'I could say a lot of things about my players. Lescott made his full debut today against Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov and did a really good job. Hopefully he gets credited with a goal.

'More importantly with 10 men we passed the ball and made it very difficult for Tottenham.'

The win also made it easier for Moyes not to moan too much about Kilbane's dismissal.

'I thought the first challenge on Lee Young-Pyo did not warrant a booking, that was my feeling,' he stressed.

'But it was done and while sometimes they don't work for you, maybe it did today.'

Johnson was outstanding in attack and played as the lone striker for long periods of the game.

Tottenham's defence struggled to cope with his power and pace and his goal was a just reward for his endeavours.

Now Moyes believes he is in the right kind of form to kick-start England's Euro 2008 campaign.

Moyes said: 'If England are looking for goals, he is in form. He links up and gives the players an outlet.

'He is so quick and has scored two goals in three games. I am always going to support my own player, but if England are looking for goals, he can get them.'

Great expectations - Tottenham 2 - 0 Sheffield United

They are Jose Mourinho's pick as the side to break the monotony of the Premiership's established superpowers this season, yet Tottenham started their first home game of the season with pressure bearing down on their collective shoulders.

'I expect Tottenham to be in the top four, maybe the top three,' is the prediction of the Chelsea manager, yet after their opening day defeat against Bolton provided more answers than questions, they needed to provide some definitive proof of their class against the favourites for Premiership relegation.

Seasoned Spurs watchers will not have been too surprised to see them crumble to their now traditional defeat at the Reebok Stadium, but those who expect a little more from Martin Jol's men this time around will have been bemused by the feeble manner of their surrender.

A popular orange fizzy drinks advert coined a phase to describe a messy fate befalling an unsuspecting victim a few years back and Tottenham suffered something similar as they were 'Boltoned' on Saturday, yet they were not the first and won't be the last to suffer such a grizzly demise.

If Tottenham are to live up to Mourinho's billing, games like this need to be negotiated with comfort and as they produced a scintillating first 45 minutes to sweep the Blades aside, the side who came a close as possible to a top four finish last season stated their intentions to go one better this time.

If promise is to be converted into tangible success, the form and fitness of summer buy Dimitar Berbatov is likely to be crucial. While the enigmatic Mido was a glorious talent when he wanted to be, the explosive Egyptian forward could not be relied upon to lead the line alone with any level of success, yet the same cannot be said of Berbatov.

A fee of £10.9m may seem like a lot for a player who has rarely captured worldwide headlines, but Jol's lengthy pursuit of the Bulgarian international looks set to pay handsome dividends as it's not just the personal qualities he brings to the team that may be vital. Berbatov's best quality may be the options he provides as Jol attempts to solve the dilemma of getting the best out of Jermain Defoe and Robbie Keane.

On this occasion, it was Ireland captain Keane who started in place of his English colleague and with Berbatov happy to command the attentions of two Blades defenders, Keane was released to weave his magic from a deeper position and how he revelled.

Looking fully fit after recovering from the calf injury that saw him relegated to the bench for the Bolton game, Keane was the heartbeat of this Tottenham effort as he turned in the sort of performance his supporters have long known him to be capable of. Displaying an immaculate first touch, this is a striker whose creative skills are as impressive as his abilities in front of goal and for the first 45 minutes, he produced a master class of forward play.

Keane's perfectly weighted cross so nearly provided Berbatov with the opening goal after just five minutes and even though Aaron Lennon can take the credit for the opening goal that was tapped home by the Bulgarian a minute later, it was merely a lull in the Keane show.

Another gloriously floated ball from the golden booted Dubliner after 16 minutes allowed Berbatov to lay on Tottenham's second for Jermaine Jenas and while dominant possession enjoyed by the home side allowed him to sparkle, Keane's command of the ball was a sight to behold.

With Edgar Davids and Teemu Tainio providing the defensive back-up in Tottenham's midfield, the front three of Lennon, Berbatov and the imperious Keane were too much for the overwhelmed Blades to handle and the same will be true for many a Premiership side this season.

Four days after their brand of passionate and committed football earned an unlikely point against Liverpool, Neil Warnock's men had stepped up a level and once their valid appeals for a penalty were waved away when David Sommeil tumbled in the box on the hour mark, their faint hopes of a comeback evaporated.

The key ingredient in this Tottenham side is the pace they ooze from every position and Neil Warnock was quick to confirm as much. 'We were a little bit in awe of them for the first 20 minutes and a few of our lads let themselves down in that period, but I felt their quality was outstanding,' stated the Sheffield United boss.

'Keane and Lennon were fantastic all night and gave us all kinds of problems. What we have to do now is stop worrying about the excitement of playing in these great venues and against these great players and concentrate on what we can do.'

The goal Keane so richly deserved should have come moments later as he scuffed a glorious chance in the box after another fine Lennon run and if you were looking for a flaw in Tottenham's make-up, it would have to be their inability to kill off opposition that were waiting to be beaten. Complacency is rarely a concern for the top four in Premiership, who love nothing better than rubbing salt into the wounds of humbled opponents.

The rousing reception that greeted Keane's 81st minute departure was well deserved and to have a player of Defoe's quality itching to replace him suggests the strength required to last through an English winter in present in this Spurs squad.

'I am a happy customer,' said Spurs boss Jol. 'It's hard to pick out an individual performance after a performance like that as I could not ask for any more that that. We had great link-up play, gave perfect support for our strikers and we showed that the result from Saturday did not affect us too much.

'It was an all-round performance and the key now is producing performances like that first 45 minutes every game. The score doesn't reflect on the game because we could have scored three or four and that is the area we need to work on. If we can score more goals, then we will have everything we need.'

With experienced and class added to the side that finished fifth last season, Mourinho's confidence in Tottenham's Champions League ambitions may well prove to be well placed.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Robbie Keane

It took the Irishman some 46 minutes to put a foot wrong and his annoyance at a rare piece of poor control said much about the high standards he sets himself these days.

MASCOT MAYHEM: Tottenham's decision to employ eleven mascots never fails to amuse and on this occasion, the curious policy was further exasperated by the fact that the female mascot accompanying Edgar Davids was as tall as the Dutch legend.

WHERE WERE THE BLADES: In what was their first Premiership away day for many a year, it was curious to note that half the Sheffield United travelling support section was empty for this game at White Hart Lane.

EARPIECE DISASTER: In the midst of yet another touchline ban, Neil Warnock admitted his communication with the bench broke down. 'I couldn't get any messages down to my staff,' he moaned. 'Our technology is not too good at Sheffield United.'

FOOD WATCH: The spicy chicken stew before kick-off was worthy of a second helping and the meat pie a half-time was an added bonus. Culinary class from the Tottenham catering team.

TOTTENHAM VERDICT: The top six is a certainty for a side whose pace and ability shone through and if they can keep they key men fit and avoid distractions from the UEFA Cup, something far more lucrative could be possible.

Spurs 2 Sheffied Utd 0 - Berbatov stars for Spurs

Tottenham announced their return to winning ways with a performance of such style and elegance to see off newly-promoted Sheffield United 2-0.

Bullied and beaten by battling Bolton on the opening day of the season, Spurs responded with a superlative showing which, in the first half especially, echoed the silky football regularly witnessed during the team's glory days in the 1960s.

First-half goals from Dimitar Berbatov and Jermaine Jenas proved to be enough to secure their first win of the new campaign as the Blades were given a harsh lesson in the realities of life in the Barclays Premiership.

It was a victory orchestrated by the outstanding talents of Robbie Keane and England winger Aaron Lennon as Neil Warnock's side succumbed to the full onslaught of a Spurs side in irresistible form.

The legendary Spurs boss Bill Nicholson built his all-conquering side on the foundations of an unbending defence, midfield subtlety and an attack which had guile, strength and pace.

It was a recipe which brought Tottenham success at home and abroad and there is much to suggest that current coach Martin Jol has the ingredients to deliver similar success in today's modern era.

United had promised to give Spurs more of the same tough-tackling treatment they had experienced at Bolton but their pretensions had been hampered by the loss of striker Rob Hulse, Derek Geary and unwell Paul Ifill.

The night began badly for United as Tottenham's #10.8 million Bulgarian striker Berbatov took just seven minutes to score on his home debut.

It was England winger Lennon who did all the damage by turning Chris Armstrong inside out on the right flank and delivering a low cross into the six-yard box for Berbatov to score from point-blank range.

In the 17th minute, Spurs added a well-worked second and it was Keane, enjoying the freedom of a deeper role, who started the move. He crossed for Berbatov to head the ball into the path of Jenas who coolly slipped the ball over Paddy Kenny.

Republic of Ireland international Keane was at the heart of their best moves as Spurs made light of the absence of England striker Jermain Defoe.

A bruised foot, collected at Bolton on Saturday, kept Defoe on the bench and Keane seized the opportunity to become the chief architect behind United's downfall.

In the 29th minute he was again the provider, somewhat fortuitously this time, when his attempted shot fell at the feet of Berbatov on the edge of the penalty area. The Bulgarian swivelled menacingly before unleashing a shot which brought a fine save from Kenny.

Jol had demanded a big response from his side after Saturday's debacle at the Reebok Stadium and Spurs had provided it with some irresistible football.

The pace of Lee Young-Pyo and Lennon on the right flank was proving to be an unstoppable combination and time and again United left-back Armstrong found himself having to face the frenetic artistry of the England winger.

Thankfully for United, Lennon's crossing failed to match his approach work and a succession of headed clearances helped the visitors to keep the scoreline somewhat respectable as the first half drew to a close.

Spurs continued to dominate proceedings in the second half - pinging the ball around the midfield with a swagger and confidence which underlined their domination.

In the 61st minute, Keane was guilty of missing an easy chance to increase their advantage. The Irishman sent his shot wide of Kenny's left-hand post after Lennon had once again eluded the United defence and pulled the ball back from the byline.

In the 82nd minute, Keane made way for Defoe and the Irishman was deservedly given a standing ovation by the home fans for a performance of sheer class and quality.

Two minutes later Defoe brought a fine save from Kenny with an 18-yard drive as the ball threatened to squeeze inside the post.

Defoe was clearly determined to get on the scoresheet and in the 87th minute he almost managed it with a rasping 25-yard drive which United goalkeeper Kenny was forced to palm away.

Tottenham coach Martin Jol hailed Aaron Lennon as one of the best young wingers England have produced in a decade after he inspired Spurs to victory over Sheffield United at White Hart Lane.

Lennon laid on the first goal after seven minutes for £10.8million signing Dimitar Berbatov to score on his home debut and tormented United's defence all evening.

The England winger's performance was mirrored by captain Robbie Keane who began the move which led to Tottenham's second from Jermaine Jenas after 17 minutes.

Sheffield United boss Neil Warnock labelled Lennon `unplayable' and Keane `outstanding' and a delighted Jol said: 'It's about control with Aaron because normally if you are a quick player you lack a bit of vision.

'But he shows me every day in training that he has vision as well as speed.

'He is one of the best wing players I have seen in the last 10 years. He is different. Aaron will improve and it is only a matter of experience with him, he is only 19.

'With Keane it is all about knowing when to drop off, it's about timing. You need players like him to get the ball.'

Jol was delighted with his team's overall performance after their disappointing 2-0 defeat by Bolton on Saturday.

He added: 'The final score doesn't reflect the game because we could have had three or four. That is the only thing we have to work on, to score more goals.

'I am more than pleased because it was a good performance. We didn't do well against Bolton and everybody wanted to do better. That is what we did.'

Jol was also happy with Berbatov's contribution after the player learned the harsh realities of life in English football against Bolton.

He added: 'English football is different and he realised that against Bolton. I think he showed his class. We gave him a lot of support. You can't ask for more than that.

'After a defeat like we had a Bolton maybe confidence was not 100% but they didn't show that. We wanted to play a high tempo and put them under pressure and that's what we did.'

United manager Neil Warnock admitted some of his players were in awe of Spurs and had no answer to Lennon or Keane.

Warnock, banned from the touchline, also confessed it was difficult to communicate with Stuart McCall in the dugout because of the noise in the stadium.

He said: 'We were in awe of them. One or two of our players let themselves down for 20 minutes.

'We had a difficult day because we lost three players before the game so we had to change a lot of things round.

'Our preparation was poor because it threw us out. I thought their quality shone through. Keane was outstanding as was Lennon in the early part of the game.

'At 2-0 a lot of people must have thought it was going to be double figures but I thought we responded well and it would have been nice to put them under pressure.

'I am quite pleased with the effort in view of the changes we had to make. We just were not good enough on the night.

'We are glad to be in the Premier League but we have got to stop worrying about teams and get amongst them.

'We gave them too much respect in the first 10 or 15 minutes. One or two players were looking around and not concentrating.

'But it was the quality of the opposition as well not just our mistakes. Lennon, in spurts, was unplayable.'

Warnock has now served his touchline ban and will be pleased to be back on the bench after failing to get his messages through to McCall against Spurs.

He added: 'Our technology is not the best. When you are doing these things you don't anticipate 30,000 crowds; nobody can hear you.

'It was just like an echo, I could hear Stuart talking but I couldn't hear what he was saying.'

Aging Beauties

Bolton 2 Spurs 0

Goals from Kevin Davies and Ivan Campo brought a smile back to the face of Bolton manager Sam Allardyce.

The duo scored in the space of five first-half minutes to condemn big-spending Tottenham to a 2-0 defeat at the Reebok Stadium.

Allardyce has not had the best of summers after losing out to Steve McClaren for the role of England head coach.

He was then thwarted in his attempts to add a quality striker - although the window remains open - and injuries to his squad disrupted their pre-season programme, which has not gone well.

But it all turned out right on the opening day with the Bolton supporters raising the roof.

In contrast, Tottenham boss Martin Jol will be hoping there are better days ahead after spending over #20million in the close season.

Bolton set the pace from the start and Calum Davenport headed clear after Ricardo Vaz Te had flicked on a corner from Gary Speed.

It was a brief respite as from the resulting corner from Speed, Davies escaped his marker to head home in the ninth minute.

Bolton extended their lead five minutes later when Campo drove in a low shot from distance. While the ball swerved at the last minute, England goalkeeper Paul Robinson appeared to react slowly and should have kept the shot out.

Considering they just missed out on a Champions League slot last season, it was a dreadful start by Tottenham.

But they hit back in the 24th minute when new Spurs striker Dimitar Berbatov released Jermain Defoe, only for Jussi Jaaskelainen to parry the ball to safety.

Tottenham were beginning to pick up the pace of the game and Abdoulaye Meite did well to clear in the 29th minute under pressure from Berbatov.

Then Davies got back to head away an in-swinging free-kick from Didier Zokora which had drifted over the head of Jaaskelainen.

Bolton almost made it 3-0 in the 34th minute when they were awarded a free-kick after Edgar Davids had brought down Davies. Veteran midfielder Speed's effort from 20 yards was sweetly struck, but Robinson was equal to it.

Tottenham made a bright start to the second half and Aaron Lennon strode forward in the 49th minute, only for Tal Ben Haim to make a timely block.

But a poor clearance by Michael Dawson from Vaz Te's cross in the 55th minute almost cost the visitors dear. Kevin Nolan latched on to the loose ball, only to see his effort go marginally wide of the post with Robinson beaten.

Tottenham were playing with a lot more purpose now and Dawson got on the end of a cross from Lennon in the 58th minute but headed into the goalkeeper's arms.

Robbie Keane was introduced into the action a minute later when he replaced the tiring Zokora.

Berbatov then broke clear, only for Jaaskelainen to smother the ball at his feet.

Play switched back down the other hand and El-Hadji Diouf went close with his effort from an acute angle.

The Senegal striker was again out of luck in the 64th minute when his close-range header was superbly turned away by Robinson.

Republic of Ireland striker Keane looked full of running after his thigh injury, but he was getting little change out of the Bolton back-line.

The home side looked dangerous going forward and Davies saw his close-range effort blocked and Speed sent the rebound off target - but Bolton were already home and dry.

Allardyce said: 'It was a great start for us after I had brought players in to do set pieces on the pitch this morning. We have not had enough time to do this work this week.

'I am glad to say Kevin Davies has put one in the back of the net for us. Then Campo produced a stunner - a terrific daisy clipper past Robinson before he could dive.

'That has to be goal of the season for us.

'We could have got more as well and don't forget Tottenham are highly fancied to do well.'

Tottenham felt Abdoulaye Meite had impeded a couple of their players before Davies scored.

Jol said: 'The first goal was a big disappointment and there will be a lot of confusion this season.

'The directive is that the attacking players will be protected but we were not allowed to play the ball out of the field.'

The Spurs boss did concede, however, that his side were not able to match Bolton physically.

'You have to compete with them but they were stronger than us,' he added.

'It is very difficult to play against and they kept it tight after going 2-0 ahead.

'It was a terrific strike from Campo, and he has done that before, but we should have blocked the shot.'

Allardyce also paid tribute to the fans who raised the roof at the Reebok Stadium.

He added: 'I thought they were terrific, particularly in the second half.

'Instead of getting impatient they were singing away and encouraging the lads.

'Every little thing helps, especially when you are in our position with just 13 fit professionals.

'It was a terrific performance from the team after such a disruptive pre-season. We could not have asked for any more.'

England 4-0 Greece: Dream start for McClaren

Steve McClaren marked his first game as new head coach by providing the perfect hangover cure for England's disappointing World Cup campaign.

On a night of new beginnings at Old Trafford, John Terry marked the opening match of his reign as England captain with the first goal, with Chelsea team-mate Frank Lampard and Peter Crouch (twice) also scoring.

The goals came with the help of some generous Greek defending but that should not distract from the freshness of England's first-half display.

McClaren's pre-match call was for the players to break free from the 'shackles of expectation' and they answered it in style.

They set about the game with pace and a range of movement, which seemed a million miles from what it had been under his predecessor in the World Cup finals.

The 4-0 scoreline was the best start by an England manager for 60 years. Walter Winterbottom started his reign with a 7-2 win over Northern Ireland in 1946 and, at one point, McClaren's new-look team looked capable of beating that.

McClaren's assistant Terry Venables beat Greece 5-0 in his second game at the helm, in 1994. Twelve years later, Venables was back in the camp and everything McClaren touched worked perfectly.

There may have been no David Beckham but the new boss reshuffled roughly the same squad used by Sven-Goran Eriksson in Germany, just making a couple of tweaks to the way they played.

True, this was a friendly and the faded European champions looked nothing like a world power but the new England manager could not have dreamed that his changes would work so emphatically.

Terry was given the captain's armband and promptly opened the scoring.

Steven Gerrard was moved to the right and rampaged forward like he does for Liverpool.

Gerrard's first-half efforts were outstanding and probably deserved the man of the match award which went to Owen Hargreaves.

But it was Hargreaves' presence in the centre of midfield which allowed Lampard to run free and rediscover his scoring touch after a barren World Cup.

Hargreaves, who took Beckham's number seven shirt, delivered another intelligent performance in front of the back four.

Stewart Downing in his first England start, set up three goals from the left wing.

Crouch, brought in to replace the injured Dean Ashton, scored twice to take his England return to eight goals in 12 games.

When asked to defend, McClaren's team did it well, with Ashley Cole twice clearing from the line in a matter of seconds at the start of the second half.

McClaren even ended the saga about Chris Kirkland's dad's bet by handing the goalkeeper his first cap at half-time.

Eddie Kirkland and his mates stand to win a £10,000 jackpot after wagering £100, 12 years ago, on Chris playing for England.

Kirkland made one excellent flying save to deny Georgios Karagounis in the closing minutes.

McClaren was not given the warmest of welcomes to the touchline ahead of his first game.

He wandered to the bench in his suit, almost unnoticed as the teams lined up to be presented the Football Association dignitaries.

England fans soon warmed to him. When he returned after the half-time interval, with his team 4-0 up, he was cheered.

Terry had triggered the mood swing with his second England goal. The new captain leapt above Angelos Charisteas to head England in front in the 14th minute.

Lampard made it two on the half hour. He won the ball, deep in his own half, gave it to Jermain Defoe and charged forward.

Defoe's pass found him and Lampard enjoyed a stroke of luck as his shot clipped defender Paraskevas Antzas and looped over keeper Antonios Nikopolidis.

Lampard was close to his second within five minutes when he latched onto a low Downing cross but Nikopolidis saved and Crouch tapped in the rebound.

Crouch's second was equally simple, a near-post header from another pinpoint cross by Downing.

McClaren preached the virtues of flexibility before the game and he changed his system for the last 20 minutes. Off came Defoe and Downing and on went Kieran Richardson and Aaron Lennon.

England adopted a 4-5-1 formation, designed to become 4-3-3 on the attack, and Richardson and Lennon were the wide men.

Darren Bent, Jamie Carragher and Wayne Bridge all appeared as well but England were unable to add to their first-half tally.

It may have been part of McClaren's plan to keep a lid on expectations ahead of the Euro 2008 qualifying campaign.

It is worth remembering that Greece were not good enough to reach the World Cup finals. They are certainly not the well-drilled unit they were in Euro 04.

Beware Greeks gifting goals but this demolition job left England fans to wonder what might have been.

Spurs out to banish Champions League woe

Following the disappointment of missing out on the Champions League after several members of their team were struck down by a virus before the final match of the season at West Ham, Tottenham will be eager to bannish those demons and break the stranglehold of the top four.

Although on paper at least the squad is stronger, the loss of Michael Carrick and Mido as well as the injury to Ledley King leaves a crack through the spine of the team.

Mido's permanent switch after a highly impressive loan spell appeared done and dusted, only for the fiery forward to come unstuck towards the end of last season due to both niggling knocks and alleged training ground disciplinary issues.

Carrick, meanwhile, heads to Manchester United for what many believe is a vastly inflated sum which may eventually net the north London outfit £18.6million and the ever-reliable King will be on the sidelines for at least two months.

However, gone are the days when Spurs lacked any kind of strength in depth or the spending power to rectify the loss of key players. As soon as it became clear Mido was no longer welcome, and jettisoned back to Roma, Spurs wasted little time in replacing him. Dimitar Berbatov joined from Bayer Leverkusen for £10.9m, just shy of the club's record signing, fresh from finishing second in the Bundesliga scoring charts with 21 goals.

With Berbatov added to the ranks, Spurs have a triumvirate of strikers - Robbie Keane and Jermain Defoe completing the set - who should provide the goals to again put the club in the hunt for a place among Europe's elite.

Ireland international Keane, after such an impressive 2005/06, will begin as first choice alongside the new Bulgarian, who has received glowing reviews in pre-season. If Defoe does continue to be benched there will be inevitable speculation over his future as the transfer deadline approaches. After missing out on the World Cup largely due to his lack of playing time last season, Defoe will be acutely aware of his need for match minutes as Steve McClaren looks for players to fill the boots of Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen in the opening internationals of the season.

Although Carrick had two superb seasons at White Hart Lane, the arrival of Didier Zokora from St Etienne for £8.2million provides a ready-made replacement. One of the most impressive players in Germany this summer, strong on the ball and full of skill, the Ivory Coast international could turn out to be one of the signings of the season.

Carrick's return of just two goals in 75 games is hardly irreplaceable, so if Zokora can get on the scoresheet more often Spurs will feel the switch has been beneficial. Of course, both Berbatov and Zokora will need to adapt to life in English football quickly. With a catalogue of foreign failures behind them, such as Goran Bunjevcevic, Sergei Rebrov and Heldar Postiga, the club are well aware of the pitfalls.

Zokora will have the experienced shoulders of Edgar Davids alongside him. Many thought the Dutch international - who remarkable has never cost a single penny in transfer fees - would depart the Lane after just one season but the bespectacled midfield maestro will be on hand to provide a guiding hand to Spurs' young stars and new faces.

Spurs are hardly short of options in midfield. In Aaron Lennon, boss Martin Jol has one of the most exciting young players in Europe. The former Leeds United trainee was a driving force behind Spurs' chase for European football after breaking into the team on a regular basis following the turn of the year, producing the form which left Sven Goran Eriksson with no option but to name him in the England squad for the World Cup.

Only 19, Lennon will be more closely watched this term but such is his lightening pace few will get within touching distance. There's every chance he'll be 'given the treatment' from time to time and it will be interesting to see how he deals with this.

In addition, Jol can call on Teemu Tainio, Jermaine Jenas, Danny Murphy, Andy Reid and returning loanees Wayne Routledge, Reto Ziegler and Tom Huddlestone.

With King on the treatment table, there is an opening in the heart of defence alongside Michael Dawson - another player in the ranks hopeful of impressing McClaren. Calum Davenport, so often appearing to be a misfit after signing from Coventry in a deal worth up to £3million two summers ago, caught the eye across the pre-season campaign and may well get the nod ahead of Anthony Gardner.

Who else will feature in front of England number one Paul Robinson remains uncertain, but the positive comments from Jol on Benoît Assou-Ekotto, another summer signing from RC Lens of Ligue 1, point to the Cameroon international taking Lee Young-Pyo's position at left-back. An exciting 22-year-old, Assou-Ekotto has shown great ability to get up and down the flank in support of the attack. He is also able to play on the left-wing, which is another option should Spurs stick with the South Korean defender.

The future of right-back Paul Stalteri remains in doubt. The Canadian has been fighting what appears to be a losing battle to win over the supporters and the clock is ticking. Jol continues to track Pascal Chimbonda following his stunning debut season at Wigan but Spurs are reluctant to meet the £6million asking price.

Despite Jol's undoubted success at transforming Spurs from a club destined to spend every season on the cusp of European qualification, there are many who question if he truly knows what his best team is. And with White Hart Lane appearing to have an ever revolving door for transfers that seems unlikely to change in the near future.

Perhaps currently one of the most popular managers in the Premiership right now, Jol rather fell into the role following the farcical tenure of Jacques Santini. After those three months of turnmoil and madness the charismatic Jol has brought respectability back to the Tottenham job. And his belief in young British talent when arch rivals Arsenal appear intent on filling their Academy with a league of nations only helps his standing with the fans.

However, Jol is under no illusions that the Spurs board expects success and sooner or later that will have to bring silverware rather than being nearly men. ENIC, owners of the club, have invested a great deal of money in the squad and there must be a tangible return.

UEFA Cup football is just the start and - considering their squad is far superior to Middlesbrough's which reached last season's final - Spurs will be expected to be strong contenders.

Although Spurs will once more target a place in the Champions League they may find the task more difficult as Arsenal will be expected to improve on last year's woeful performance. Either Spurs must improve markedly to challenge the big four, or they must rely on Arsenal, Chelsea or Manchester United to suffer an annus horribilis.

Pre-Season: Spurs 2 Real Sociedad 1

Michael Dawson celebrated his England call-up with his first goal for us and the winner against Real Sociedad in Saturday's friendly at the Lane.

The central defender was named in Steve McClaren's first England squad on Friday and was on the spot when Dimitar Berbatov headed down Didier Zokora's deep corner in the 61st minute. He might have had another almost identical goal only for the linesman's flag to rule it out.

Jermain Defoe, also in that England squad to face Greece on Wednesday, opened the scoring with a cracking finish in the first half as we completed another summer unbeaten in pre-season friendlies.

With the big kick-off at Bolton now on the horizon, it was good to see Didier Zokora complete his first 90 minutes at the Lane and look so comfortable in the holding midfield role.

Aaron Lennon was a constant threat, Lee Young-Pyo looked at home again at right-back and newcomers Berbatov and Benoit Assou-Ekotto continue to catch the eye.

We didn't have it all our own way though as Real Sociedad proved a tough nut to crack and shocked the home crowd with an equaliser completely out of the blue just as we looked to get on top towards the end of the first half.

The opening exchanges were like a chess match as we worked out how to break down this tight Spanish unit, Rivas particularly impressing in his anchor role within a five-man midfield.

A couple of bursts from Lennon had fans out of their seats but goalmouth action at either end was at a premium.

That all changed in the 27th minute when Jermaine Jenas got a foot in centrally, Edgar Davids picked up the pieces and threaded past the perfect pass for Defoe to expertly pick his spot from 20 yards.

Jenas went close to doubling the lead after 34 minutes when Berbatov nodded down Zokora's corner and the midfield pounced only to see his snap volley crash back off the crossbar.

Rekarte was forced to hack away Defoe's cross with Lennon ready to tap home and a second goal looked on the cards - unfortunately, it arrived out of the blue at the other end!

With 39 minutes on the clock, a Sociedad attack appeared to have broken down about 35 yards out only for Uranga to pick up the ball and curl into the far corner beyond the diving Paul Robinson.

The start of the second half was a stark contrast to the first as we managed to penetrate straight away. Two fantastic crosses from Assou-Ekotto caused havoc and a typical Lennon dart led to tricky chances for Berbatov.

What turned out to be the winner arrived after 61 minutes. Zokora hit a deep corner to the far post that Berbatov headed back, Davenport challenged, the ball was loose and Dawson arrived right on time to smash home.

A number of substitutions began to affect the rhythm of the game - although Lennon looked a threat every time he received the ball, forcing Alonso into a cynical foul after 65 minutes - and the next action of note was Dawson's 'goal' disallowed for offside, another clinical finish from close range after 71 minutes.

A couple more crosses flashed in at either end and that was about that - Reebok Stadium, here we come!

Pre-season: Dortmund 1 - 1 Spurs

Dimitar Berbatov scored the goal that secured a share of the spoils against Borussia Dortmund on Saturday afternoon.

The striker struck two minutes before the break to level the scores after Alexander Frei shot the home side into the lead from a free-kick that narrowly beat the returning Paul Robinson.

The hugely imposing Westfalenstadion - known also as Signal Iduna Park - was quite a spectacular sight. Set in the industrial heartland of Dortmund, the arena holds 80,000 with the terrace behind the goal - known as 'The Wall' having a capacity of 20,000-plus people.

Word before the game suggested that the football passionate public of Dortmund would attend this contest in numbers reaching 50,000 and, even though it was a friendly, The Wall was pretty much full and in good voice - generating quite an atmosphere.

Martin drafted his World Cup players back into the First Team fold, with Robinson joined by Lee Young-Pyo, Didier Zokora, Jermaine Jenas and Aaron Lennon in starting the game. Robbie Keane and Berbatov were given the chance to fine tune their strike partnership, while there was a place for Danny Murphy on the left of midfield.

Dortmund are a week ahead in terms of preparations as the Bundesliga begins next weekend and the German version of the Community Shield takes place this evening between Bayern Munich and Werder Bremen.

You'll Never Walk Alone boomed around the stadium just before the teams emerged to be greeting by a sea of bright yellow. A league game here must be quite something...

Lee operated from right back in this game, with Benoit Assou-Ekotto continuing to quietly impress on the left side in what was a sluggish start to the meeting, with the home side content to retain possession and build slowly and patiently from the back and across and through the middle.

Robinson received a spot of early treatment after colliding with Calum Davenport while trying to make contact with the ball from a corner, but all was well with England's No.1 who was enjoying his first time on the pitch since England's penalty defeat to Portugal not far away in Gelsenkirchen.

He was soon called into action to expertly tip over a powerful strike by Nelson Valdez and shortly afterwards diverting a goalbound cross from Steven Pienaar over the bar.

On 16 minutes the ball was in the Dortmund net when a free-kick - which was not actually targeting goal - from Murphy sailed through everyone and inside Weidenfeller's left hand post. It did not result in the lead being taken due to an offside decision against Assou-Ekotto.

Jenas flighted a free-kick just over the bar before Lennon then came into play and threaded the ball into the area and in the path of Keane. The striker chipped his effort from a tight angle and was unfortunate to only find the side netting.

The lads were bossing the game and managed to increase the tempo, while quieting the home crowd - it was the bank of travelling Spurs fans, a good few hundred, making the din at this point.

Dortmund nearly managed to punish us on the counter-attack when Valdez broke and played in Frei. The Swiss international striker was just about to pull the trigger when Michael Dawson stepped across and applied a vital block.

Frei had more luck on 36 minutes when he stepped up to take a free-kick from the edge of the area and his precision finish gave his side the lead with the ball squeezing just inside Robinson's left hand upright. It was certainly not a deserved deficit.

Murphy came close to cancelling out the arrears when he advanced and spotted Weidenfeller off his line, but lofted his shot just over bar.

On 43 minutes we were level when Berbatov advanced towards the left of the area and the Bulgarian cooly evaded his marker and dispatched the ball low past Weidenfeller with an excellent finish for his fourth goal of the pre-season campaign.

Both teams started the second half with an unchanged line-up and it was Dortmund who were quicker into their stride when Philipp Degan push forward down the right and planted a cross onto the head of Valdez, but the Paraguay international nodded wide with the target at his mercy.

German international David Odonkor made his entrance on 51 minutes to try and inject some pace down the Dortmund right flank before, six minutes later, Jermain Defoe took to the field in place of Lennon, with Reto Ziegler coming on for Muprhy.

Lee and Jenas made way a few minutes later as the World Cup players gradually took their exit and the match was slipping into pre-season mode before Keane nearly kicked it back into life when he did well to latch onto a loose ball inside the Dortmund area. With his back to goal, he lifted the ball over Weidenfeller but it landed on top of the crossbar and bounced to safety.

Wayne Routledge was soon on in place of Berbatov, with Tom Huddlestone taking over from Zokora in midfield for the final 14 minutes.

Robinson had to be brilliantly alert down to his left to deny substitute Ricken and Dortmund a likely winner on 84 minutes, not long after Keane fired high at the other end from a low Defoe centre.

The changes had disrupted the flow of what was an entertaining game and both sides will probably be satisfied with avoiding defeat ahead of the challenges that are looming fast.

SuperBand大决战 迷路兵台上台下大胜！

年纪最小的SuperBand迷路兵要高喊：我们不是小孩，我们是…冠军！

迷路兵在【非常SuperBand】大决战成功夺垒，以65%投票率，成为新加坡史上第一天团！迷路兵台上获胜，迷路粉丝们台下也high整晚，声势压全场！

“小兵”立大功！
迷路兵在上周六（8月5日）的SuperBand大决战以65%对35%的得票率，击败对手SOUL，成为本土第一天团。

比赛一开始，迷路兵的电话投选一路领先，只有一次被SOUL迎头赶上，但是迷路兵很快就抢回“主导权”，最后成功胜出！迷路兵将获得华纳音乐公司1年唱片合约。

迷路兵团员纷纷表示这次夺冠，他们的感觉自己好像做梦一样。

Sam说：“感觉很奇怪，好像做了一个很长很长的梦……”

伟奇在一旁接话：“…这不是一个恶梦，而是一个很美的梦。我们都没有想到自己会走到今天，一直以来我们都只是尽力做好每一场比赛而已，有个happy ending，我们都很开心。”

Nic则表示：“其实如果当不成SuperBand我们也一样会很开心。因为我们已经表演了4首歌曲，相对其他2组，我们是很幸运的……但是成为SuperBand，我们的梦更美妙了。”

华纳音乐统筹企划James Kang表示他在首次看到迷路兵的表演时就对他们留下深刻印象，并打算耗资6位数制作费打造迷路兵的首张专辑。

非常SuperBand 评审兼节目总监制李仪文在赛后的记者会上表示，第一回合淘汰赛，迷路兵以33%高票晋级；SOUL则以1%微差险胜Lucify，顺利挤入2强，J3得票率最低，只占整体的18%。

成绩揭晓时，迷路兵团陷入疯狂，尤其3位迷路爸兴奋得不顾形象跳起来狂叫、狂吹哨子……现场尖叫声、哨子的BB声立刻响遍全场；粉丝疯狂地将手上的荧光棒猛往舞台方向扔，站在前线拍照的记者首当其冲，大家在“荧光棒雨”里左右闪躲，没想到记者还是身中多棒，好～刺激啊！

比较之前的【绝对SuperStar】、【校园SuperStar】、【超级主持人】等寻星大赛，【非常SuperBand】大决战参赛者之间更显得“兄弟情深、惺惺相惜”，战斗意味不浓，加上现场又酷又炫的灯光效果，以及安排参赛者乘坐摩托车进场等等，架势十足，简直是演唱会feel嘛!

记者在比赛后访问其他参赛组合，他们对迷路兵夺冠都表示：迷路兵多才多艺，他们能够夺冠，是实至名归，可见三子人缘极佳。

评审方面，不知道是否因为成绩100%由观众投选决定，吴佳明、周崇庆和李仪文等3位评审乐得放下重担，给的评语不外乎“可爱”、“帅呆了”等好话，无甚看头。只有许环良依然不改辛辣，直言批评SOUL从比赛开始频频走拍、表示不了解迷路兵为什么选唱“勇气”这样成熟的歌……让台下粉丝听得心惊胆跳，哗声四起。

中场表演……

张震岳和他的乐团Free9以及MC HOTDOG，还有牛奶、其他参赛组合∶使诺鼻、Juz-B、BRODS、“梦幻组合”（由有音乐总监从个组合精挑细选的“好手”组成，包括：AMBER、静爆乐团、JADE、G-Force等团员）的演出，让比赛生色不少。牛奶和女子组合成员Glamours大跳贴身舞，让大家尖叫。

使诺鼻、Juz-B以及张震岳演出时是现场最高潮，台下粉丝尖叫、疯狂地扭动身体，投入在声光影俱佳的演唱会，似乎忘了这是一场比赛。

Super另类大决战

SuperPattern多得吓坏人 －迷路兵
Pattern多多是迷路兵的风格，大决战当然要使出绝招啦。除了在歌曲中间穿插对话之外，迷路兵这次豁出去了，竟然出动红酒。一边喝酒，一边演唱，问你想像得到吗？


另类的演出为比赛注入一丝轻松的感觉，也看得出他们为比赛下足心思。记者过后访问得知，原本还有其他pattern的， 但是弹到一半李顺利（Nic）的吉它弦断了，一些pattern玩不出来。

Super动感 让人闻歌起舞－SOUL

从参赛以来，SOUL的舞技有多厉害是毋庸置疑的。当晚，他们演唱4首歌，其中三首是快歌。SOUL将舞艺发挥得淋漓尽致，快速利落的动作，变幻无穷的舞步，让粉丝high翻天！

他们在演唱最后一首歌“Perfect Man”时还特别站在方形的箱子上，高头大马的身形配合一身白色长舞衣，简直像白马王子落入凡间，让观众很有feel啊。

Super绚丽 迷死人－Lucify

Lucify 真是美～～到，全场无人能比！他们虽输了冠军，却赢得全场喝采。

Lucify第一个出场，他们重口味的日系打扮，脸上头上皆浓妆艳抹，主唱Shinya一开腔就让全场尖叫，现场气氛急速推high。让他们打头阵，是绝对好选！

演唱第二首歌的时候，他们一身黑皮夹克配黑丝袜加上红色苏格兰子格子裙，依然型爆全场！可惜他们无法晋级，大家无法看到他们接下来还有什么美丽绝招。

Super好听到耳朵漏油 －J3
J3的风格一路走来都始终如一，当晚以一曲爵士版的“小薇”尽显唱家班实力。他们为这首平凡且带点“Beng”味的歌曲，注入新的感觉，配合绝佳唱腔，唱到大家的心坎里，让4位评审一致赞好。

J3演唱第一首歌曲时，还露了一手pattern，在副歌部分加入对话，还表演扔手机，厉害～～但是论pattern的新鲜大胆，还不及pattern王迷路兵。

粉丝大比拼
大型比赛例行动作：偶像台上争死活，粉丝台下暗较劲。这次，4强粉丝以黑（Lucify）、白（SOUL）、蓝（J3）以及粉红（迷路兵）分类，各占一区。

4个粉丝阵容各出奇招为偶像打气，其中人势最鼎盛的要属迷路兵和SOUL两个阵容。Lucify粉丝一身黑，和台上偶像一样酷。而J3阵容人数相对较少，人气最弱，气势也不足。迷


迷路兵团 人气最旺 声势最大


记者发现，迷路兵团最有秩序，也最博爱，不管哪个组合在台上，他们都挥动荧光棒“伴舞”。

迷路兵团由3位迷路爸领军，团员一身武装，各自穿着印上迷路兵logo的粉红制服，哨子、荧光棒在手，情绪高昂，随时候战。

迷路爸在比赛开始前就集中火力，早早到现场指挥大队，兴奋地和粉丝打招呼，喊口号，还和SOUL团员Alfred的父亲称兄道弟，先礼后兵。

吉它手李顺利（Nic）的妹妹（自称迷路妹）在场内来回穿梭，和粉丝紧密联系，她前来“助阵”的朋友还特别穿上专属制服，前面印了三个Q版迷路兵，衣服左下方印了“迷路妹”三字，后面则印着一个大大的“迷”字，只此一件，别无分号。走到哪里都让人瞩目，是活生生的活动看板！

（注∶迷路兵的粉红色制服是由键盘手伟奇设计的。迷路兵表示，因为资金不足，无法像其他组合那样帮助粉丝印T-shirt，只好由伟奇设计制作一个logo样板，在大决战前的粉丝聚会上，特别请粉丝带来粉红色T-shirt，再由3位团员一件一件T shirt亲自喷印。绝对是诚意之作！！！）

SOUL阵容 粉丝同心，其利断金！

9位粉丝花大钱力挺SOUL，筹了$500，分别买了白色帽子、白色长气球和荧光棒，细心打包分类成250个“粉丝福袋”，在现场分派给死忠粉丝，尽心尽力，几乎做到企业化水准！除了有心的粉丝，团员Alfred的家人几乎全员到齐，父母、弟弟黄业伦、外婆、亲戚等……俨然是家族大聚会。

白帽子、白气球，白色制服，SOUL的粉丝团，气势仍不容小觑。

如果说迷路兵和SOUL的粉丝是热情派的；Lucify和J3就属于温和派的。Lucify的粉丝大部分穿上黑色的制服，小部分人做视觉系打扮，脸上画了黑眼线，大家一起扮酷！噢～～DEFUSE团员和“新加坡偶像”歌手沈祥龙站在最前线，拿着看板为Lucify打气。Lucify在第一回合被淘汰后，Lucify阵营立刻变成“沉默的一群”，尖叫声消失无踪。

J3阵营是4强中最弱的，也看起来没什么组织，他们没有制服，看板也稀稀落落。J3阵容被安排在迷路兵旁边，当迷路兵阵营一片骚动时，立刻形成强烈对比。或许，J3迷都像J3一样，走斯文抒情路线吧。