Off the mark: Roman Pavlyuchenko's first goal for Tottenham Hotspur got Harry Redknapp's new team off to a winning start at White Hart Lane  Photo: GETTY IMAGES

“We've got our Tottenham back,” they sang, heralding what Spurs fans already believe is a new era at White Hart Lane. To be frank, it could not have been any worse, with Spurs suffering the poorest start in their history and left at the foot of the Premier League without a win.

That began to change on Sunday and though Spurs remain 20th, and with the prospect of a trip to Arsenal followed by the visit, next Saturday, of new leaders Liverpool, the feeling of renewed optimism throbbed around the Lane.

Rome may not have been built in a day but a man called Roman began the difficult recovery process when an infectious fit of Redknapp-Mania spread throughout one side of North London. Darren Bent’s late penalty left Tottenham fans in new territory.

Now Redknapp must concentrate on a difficult survival plan. He would not like reminding that when he went to Southampton with a similar brief, he won four games out of 22 and the Saints went marching on – to the Championship.

“For me,” added Redknapp, “survival is my first priority. The record was eight games, two points, so you're in trouble. Anything else is a bonus. The priority has to be League points. We have to go up the table.”

Before kick off they played the theme to Star Wars; such was the expectation buzzing around the Lane, one half expected Luke Skywalker and Hans Solo to emerge brandishing light sabers and killing off Darth Vader, in the image of Bolton.

The baddy, on Sunday, was dressed in black and while Harry Redknapp luxuriated in the joy of success, then man just yards to his right, Gary Megson suffered remarkable abuse from the traveling Bolton fans with cries of “you don’t know what you’re doing” and “Gary Megson is a ******” after a late double substitution.

Megson appeared angry about the haranguing. He said: “It doesn’t really surprise me. I don’t really want to comment. That’s for other people to say what they think about it. The players have been talking about it in the dressing room and that’s where it will stay.”

The rest of the stadium spent most of the afternoon urging ‘Arry to “give us a wave”. He responded every time and his reaction to the final whistle suggested he had suffered Spurs’ season-long pain as much as the locals. Those fans also sang the name of Jermain Defoe, once of Spurs and signed for Pompey by Redknapp. His return should not be discounted.

Spurs’s task was made easier by the 56th minute dismissal of Gavin McCann, sent off for a second yellow card. That, though, mattered little to Spurs’ long-sufferers; this was a win, and at times, Spurs looked as if they had introduced new players with David Bentley, restored to the right after complaining that the players didn’t know what they were doing, and Luka Modric impressive throughout in a roving midfield role.

Juande Ramos, sacked a year to the day after Martin Jol was dismissed, will privately be wondering how East End nous succeeded where Latin encouragement failed.

The game was just 22 seconds old when the fans started singing Redknapp’s name and a goal after just 17 minutes calmed the nerves. How ironic it was that two men costing £30 million should be responsible, with Bentley’s pin-point cross converted by the head of the totally unmarked Pavlyuchenko.

If Bolton felt they could respond, their hopes were ended when McCann, having been booked for an off-the-ball foul on Bentley, was dismissed for lunging into Huddlestone.

Heurelho Gomes, Tottenham’s erratic goalkeeper, did his best to ruin Redknapp’s day, dropping crosses and punching when he could have caught the ball. That Spurs still kept a clean sheet was down the the determination of their back four.

Chances were squandered at both ends but things went from bad to worse for Bolton when, in the 76th minute, Jussi Jaskelainen saved superbly from Modric then brought down substitute Darren Bent, who converted the penalty.

Титов собирается пожаловаться на "Химки"

Как стало известно "Чемпионат.ру", полузащитник "Химок" Егор Титов в ближайшее время может обратиться в Палату по разрешению споров РФС. Причиной жалобы является задолженность перед ним по бонусам за 2008 год. Согласно контракту, за успешное решение задачи сохранения "Химкам" прописки в элитном дивизионе, Титову должны были выписать премию в € 800 тыс.

Интересы 32-летнего футболиста в переговорах с руководством подмосковного клуба представляет Герман Ткаченко.

Помимо Титова, подобные претензии к клубу имеет ряд игроков, правда речь идёт о меньших суммах.