Everton 1 Tottenham 1 : 13 Aug 2016

In reality Spurs rode their luck because this was a below strength Everton team, who also are transitioning in selling their highly rated defender John Stones to Manchester City and awaiting to bring in a really great signing in Ashley Williams to the team.  With their main goalscorer not playing, Everton for the first hour dominated Spurs and had several chances to win the game.

They did not in part due to a splendid performance by Eric Dier, though with the focus on new arrival Victor Wanyama, Dier's performance was not given the credit he deserved, and the substitution that saw Dier and not Wanyama leave the field actually represents a potential problem, especially since both players are really like-for-like players and Wanyama is the player that manager Mauricio Pochettino developed at Southampton.

What goes missing in today's story is that it is Wanyama's reputation for getting into disciplinary trouble that cost Spurs the first goal.  One of his many fouls led to a freekick.  That the freekick was an innocuous cross that went straight into the goal, should not deflect the burden of responsibility on Wanyama's lack of discipline.  It was clear when goalkeeper Lloris went off injured that he was carrying an injury which left him unable to reach for the cross.

The arrival of other other new acquisition Vincent Janssen was credited for Spurs turnaround because Spurs did pick up their performance when he replaced Dier.  Yet they picked up in performance because the twin threat that Janssen posed as a co-striker with Harry Kane, led Everton to sit back in a more defensive posture and allowed Spurs to come onto them.

Erik Lamela for the first hour did not have much of an impact in the game, but he was in the right place at the right time as Spurs levelled against the run of play.  The good news is that Lamela has found his scoring form for Argentina during the summer, has had a good pre-season from a goal-scoring point of view and finished his chance with aplomb.

Ironically there was talk of Italian clubs coming in for Lamela, but this would be a stupid moment to sell Lamela, for while he had a terrible start fitting into the Premier League when he first was acquired, he has benefited most from Pochettino's tough training regiment.  It was clear that Everton were not just sitting back in the last 30 minutes because of deference to twin-strikers, but also their fitness level at present does not match that of the Spurs team.

The absence of Mousa Dembele was telling today because the combination of Wanyama and Dier denied Spurs of a gifted player who can switch efficiently between defense and attack, so much so that his presence leaves opposition teams with more to contend with, because either he moves forward with surprise or he can hold the defensive structure of Spurs together as Spurs left back Danny Rose and right back Kyle Walker can shift into natural wingers as they use their terrific speed to support the diamond of attacking players Spurs usually field.

With Wanyama in the team, his reckless tackles keep Spurs pinned back and gift opposition teams dead ball situations from which the Spurs defense is less agile in defending and he only does what Dier does which is act as effective center-backs and defensive minded footballers.  If Eric Dier loses his place to Victor Wanyama then the better player is being traded for a player the manager would consider one of his men.  Dier came to Spurs in the deal that resulted from the Gareth Bale proceeds.

Last year the first match was an undeserved loss against Manchester United, but this season it was a point gained for Spurs rather than a point lost.  The worst result for Spurs would have been for Everton to win on Ronald Koeman's debut as Everton manager.  That would have given them early momentum for a team that is expected to challenge.  In many ways Koeman represents a far superior tactical strategist than Pochettino.  Pochettino excels in his training methods and his focus on superior fitness, and in this regard Eddie Howe, the manager of AFC Bournemouth is a good comparison.  In Koeman Everton have gained a manager of the future.

Pochettino is a great talent also but he has been fired in the past when his over-performing teams fell into the relegation zone while he was managing in Spain, and the real test of Pochettino is when he will win silverware.  It is more probable that Koeman will turn Everton into potential cup winners than Pochettino, and here Koeman matches well with the abilities of Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.   Sir Alex Ferguson is one manager whose views are interesting in that he see's the potential of Pochettino, but the problem for Spurs is knowing exactly where his ambitions are - or whether like Southampton, Spurs are simply a stepping stone to the one club Pochettino has an admitted regard for, which is Paris St.Germain.

Whether PSG finally come calling upon Pochettino remains to be seen and just as Pochettino acquired the incredible Toby Alderweireld from Southampton, the question remains how many of the Tottenham team he may one day take with him if her ever manages a team like PSG.  That problem does not exist with Ronald Koeman, other than if Manchester United come calling for Koeman, but Koeman would be equally delighted to join a team like Tottenham - that isn't the case with Mauricio Pochettino - he knows he is a manager in great demand, with Argentina making inquiries this summer if he can become a  manager of the national team.

Spurs 1-1 draw against Everton was in all respects a gift of a point.  Whereas the two Manchester Clubs have averaged 150 million pounds in new player spending, and both Liverpool and Chelsea have spent double the amount Spurs have so far this season, the outlay of $30 million on Janssen and Wanyama does not inspire as much confidence that Spurs are investing big in a real league title challenge, it suggests that they are sitting back and waiting on how the big money spends of Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United work out.  Add to that Liverpool buying well with their six acquisitions, the two that Spurs have made, coupled with this luck-lustre performance already sows some early seeds of doubt, yet in the full context of a seasons start, this was definitely a point gained, which is better than nothing.