It takes a while to shake off the previous season in football, good or bad. Mauricio Pochettino and his Tottenham Hotspur side kicked off their 2016-17 Premier League campaign against Everton on Saturday still contending with both.The good was in being able to keep together a talented, predominantly young team that finished third last season, the only differences at Goodison Park being the appearances of new signings Victor Wanyama (replacing the still suspended Moussa Dembele) and Vincent Janssen.The bad was the shadow cast by the disappointing aftermath of their title challenge, something going behind to Ross Barkley's free-kick in a poor first-half display threatened to awake unwanted memories of.Erik Lamela's second-half equaliser earning a 1-1 draw ensured the enduring optimism in this team trumped doubts about its all-round aptitude. But it is clear for now all involved are still negotiating how to take forward parts of 2015-16 without letting it encumber their hoped-for progression.It is understandable that a year just past is often used as a reference point for what may be ahead. Pre-season can only tell us so much about a team's prospectsand if you have done as well as Tottenham mostly did, you will want to believe you can carry it forward.The kinds of motivation utilised by coaches at such points is interesting.An example that sticks in this writer's mind is that of the longtime Duke basketball coachMike Krzyzewski (also currently seen back coaching Team USA at the Olympics). Per The Last Great Gameby Gene Wojciechowski, having used failure as a motivation a year earlier, he "compartmentalized" their 1991 national championship and encouraged his team to begin a new chapter."He told his team and the media that the Blue Devils weren't defending the 1991 championship," Wojciechowski wrote. "After all, it had been bought and paid for with victories, and nobody could take it away."Of course, football is a different beast to basketball in so many respects (not least the college game being subject to cyclical turnover in playing personnel). But the need for the Lilywhites to sustain a certain level under considerable scrutiny and pressure is a common one.Speaking in his pre-Everton press conference, Pochettino was caught somewhere between eagerly anticipating the fresh start and wanting to reiterate why it was his team is so good."Yes that is our challenge, to improve our performance, to compete better and to achieve another level," he said. "But this is very hard because we are nearly on the top and it's sure that the competition will be tough."At the same time,Pochettino went so far as to offer his team's general stabilitynot spending huge sums in the transfer market (yep, 17 million for Janssen and 11 million for Wanyama are considered smaller fees these days)as a possible advantage over those like Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United they will be vying to compete with this season."That shows when you spend a lot of money its because you are not happy with your squad and with your players and you are desperate to improve your squad," the Argentinian remarked. "I am very happy with my players, I think its very difficult to find better players than we have."Watching Spurs in the opening 45 minutes against Everton, they were playing with a complacency that suggested they believed that a little too much.Barkley's goal was somewhat unfortunate, flying over everyone and beating Hugo Lloris at the far post after Wanyama was judged by referee Martin Atkinson to have fouled Kevin Mirallas (questionable).The surrounding lethargic performancesloppy in possession, unfocused at the back and slow-moving in the opposition halfwas less excusable. Rustiness was probably a factor, but the lack of urgency betrayed an assumption the contest was going to be simpler.Pre-match, Pochettino had expressed the belief improving his side's "mental state" was "very important." The tempestuous reaction to the stress of keeping their title hopes alive in a London derby with Chelsea and the big comedown that followed (costing them second place ahead of Arsenal) have to be a thing of the past."To move on the team and improve, to achieve another level here [with their mentality] is what we need to improve," he said. "It's not tactical, it's not philosophy because after two years we [know] very well how we need to play."The need for greater mental fortitude was definitely underlined in the opening against Everton. Pleasingly, though, Tottenham's post-interval improvement showed they recognised the need to up their game and not feel sorry for themselves like they had in last season's 5-1 final-day thrashing by Newcastle United.Showing such resilience is going to be vital to any success in the long, Champions League-augmented year ahead. This was something to build on.Pochettino's suggestion tactics and philosophy will not play such a prominent part in Spurs improving from here was a little naive, though.Everton have shown them already they cannot grow stagnant here. Ronald Koeman's newly inherited side were not only more up for it than their visitors early on, they were the better team.They closed down Spurs' defence with the kind of aggression that was the north Londoners' trademark last season. Though without the focal point of imposing frontman Romelu Lukaku, Gerard Deulofeu's eager and varied engagement of the back four and Mirallas' mobility opened up the away side more than once. Only substitute goalkeeper Michel Vorm's vital stoppage-time save stopped the Spaniard capitalising on Danny Rose's awful back pass and making it two-nil.Defensively they suffocated Tottenham's attack with good numbers protecting their penalty area and were quick to rob their sluggish counterparts in midfield. New signing Idrissa Gueye was particularly impressive hereAfterwards Pochettino admitted, "In the second half we fixed some things," per his club's official website.The alterations he made were only a specific acknowledgement of the need for change in this game; however, they should also serve as a reminder Spurs must be prepared for even better attempts by their Premier League rivals to neutralise them. Continuity from last season is all well and good, but without sufficient and timely, often opposition-dependent tweaks, they will quickly become predictable.Janssen's 56th-minute introduction was the major change on this occasion, undoubtedly giving Everton a lot more to think about.The centre-forward harried the Toffees defence and put them on the back foot with his runs into the channels. Though not directly contributing to the decisive moves that led to Lamela's equaliser, his movement was creating the space Spurs had lacked up until then.Given Eric Dier had just made some interventions in his own box, it initially seemed a surprise he was removed in Janssen's favour. But the allowance for an extra forward saw Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen taking on greater responsibility shaping the play centrally, aiding Spurs' greater fluidity, while Wanyama also looked more comfortable assuming the defensive midfield mantle than he had balancing duties with the similarly minded Dier (save for one 87th-minute mix-up with Jan Vertonghen).Pochettino is right in saying, "It's only the start.""Remember all the games at the start of the season in the past," he told Spurs' official website, perhaps remembering last season's opening-day loss to Manchester United. "I think we leave here with a good feeling and excited for the season."Tottenham's second-half work mostly suggested optimism should continue to be the overriding feeling about this team. But they must continue to do the work that will back this up, understanding last season's efforts will only take them so far if they do not continue to work at all aspects of their game.Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
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