Moyes hails his ‘incredible’ table-toppers

Aug 15 2007 by Nick Smith, Liverpool Daily Post

Everton FC Manager, David Moyes _158

DAVID MOYES hailed his “incredible” table-toppers last night as they secured a stunn-ing 3-1 victory over Spurs.

And the Everton manager also revealed his hopes for a more open Premier League this year after making it six points out of six at the start of the campaign.

All the goals came in the first half, with Leon Osman and Alan Stubbs scoring the decisive goals after Anthony Gardner had levelled Joleon Lescott’s third-minute header.

It was Everton’s second successive three points at White Hart Lane and the first time they have secured two consecutive league wins since they followed up that victory by beating Liverpool last September.

“I really thought we played well but I have to say the effort and work-rate they put in was incredible,” said Moyes. “You have to do that because Tottenham play through you a lot and you have to make sure you don’t get broken up and picked off.

“But we played well when we got the ball as well. In fact, I thought we had the better of the play. Our goalkeeper made one oustanding save in the second half but I thought he had less to do than Paul Robinson. Everybody seems to think it’s going to be the same people at the top again and maybe it will prove to be that.

“But let’s hope – and I can only hope as the Everton manager – that we see other people maybe getting a share because we need that.

“We were fourth two years and I’m certainly not going to come out and say we will do that.

“We’ll do the best we can but we don’t have that expectation and I’m not going to burden myself or the players with that now.

“In the end the top teams are really, really hard to beat.”

Martin Jol handed a full debut to £16.5million man Darren Bent and kept Dimitar Berbatov and Robbie Keane in the side to complete a three-man strikeforce.

Everton not only coped with that but managed to pile enough pressure on Paul Robinson’s goal to have made the margin of victory even greater.

But Moyes added: “It wasn’t easy. Up front, Keane played more off the right and they caused us some problems in that position in the first half. But we stuck at it and deser-vedly got the goals.”

Lescott, who flicked on a free-kick to force an own goal from Callum Davenport in the corresponding fixture last season, this time claimed a goal for himself as he gave Everton an ideal start just past the two-minute mark.

Gardner replicated the header after 26 minutes before Everton stepped up another gear, Osman firing in the second before Stubbs rifled in a free-kick with the aid of a deflection in added-on time at the end of the first half.

Moyes was unable to confirm last night whether Manuel Fernandes had completed his permanent move to Goodison, but did confirm Benfica have accepted Everton’s offer and the Portuguese midfielder is due in Merseyside to sign.

The only injury concern for Moyes last night was Joseph Yobo’s groin strain. It put the Nigerian centre-back on the verge of going off within the first five minutes but he battled through to play the full game.

Moyes said: “That shows that we instil the right things in the players here and they had it in abundance tonight.”

Tickets are now on general sale for Everton’s home game with Blackburn Rovers on Saturday, August 25 (5.15pm) from the Park End box office or online at evertonfc.com.