White Hart Lane Wednesday, August 8th, 2001   1st Team Friendly       Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 Fiorentina
2001 /02

Comments :

Tottenham Hotspur 3 - 0 Fiorentina Poyet turns clock back Ferdinand 15, Poyet 30, Iversen 50 Buzz up! Digg it Jon Brodkin at White Hart Lane The Guardian, Thursday 9 August 2001 00.13 BST Article history Given that this was Bill Nicholson''s testimonial, Tottenham fans must have hoped for a performance to rouse memories of the glory, glory nights. Few will be talking of another Double just yet, but there was plenty to cheer them in this victory over Fiorentina. Gustavo Poyet caught the eye, scoring one goal and setting up the third for Steffen Iversen as Spurs beat the Italian Cup holders convincingly. If the defending was suspect at times without Sol Campbell, Nicholson must have enjoyed some of the passing, movement and invention Glenn Hoddle has instilled in his side. This was an opportunity for Spurs supporters not only to pay tribute to Bill Nicholson, whose impressive achievements at the club included managing the 1961 Double-winning side, but also to glimpse several of Glenn Hod dle''s summer signings. Teddy Sheringham was ruled out by injury and may miss the start of the season but Christian Ziege, the Yugoslav Goran Bujevcevic and Gustavo Poyet started against a Fiorentina team who finished ninth in Serie A last season. Before kick-off Nicholson had walked on to the pitch arm in arm with Martin Chivers and been given a rapturous, emotional welcome by a close to capacity crowd. Coming forward Hoddle''s team were far tidier. Within quarter of an hour the captain Les Ferdinand had put them ahead from Mauricio Taricco''s cross after a strong challenge on the goalkeeper Giuseppe Taglialatela. And Poyet showed why Hoddle may have secured a bargain in signing him from Chelsea for £1.5m by adding a second. Of the newcomers, the Uruguayan was