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After a summer of speculation as to arrivals and departures, Newcastle returned to competitive action with a starting XI clad in a new home strip but comprising of familiar faces.

And with a packed SJP once again boasting the branding that was hidden for the Olympics, Alan Pardew's side managed to maintain the feelgood factor that has steadily spread since Manchester United were beaten here in the first home game of 2012.  

Quite how they would come to achieve that feat though was open to question at various passages of the contest, particularly in a first half when they failed to trouble the visitors with goal attempts worthy of the name and survived two near-misses when Krul's woodwork was well and truly rattled.

And after taking the lead from almost their only clear-cut chance from open play, the apparent fatigue that Newcastle began to show led to an inevitable equaliser and raised doubts as to our ability to see out the remaining time and claim a point - with last season's draw saviour Shola Ameobi forced to withdraw from the bench after straining a thigh in the warm-up.        

Bar room logic had it that the unfinished transfer business at White Hart Lane made this a good time to play Tottenham, with three of the four scorers in our 0-5 whopping in London last February no longer at the club and midfield duo Scott Parker (knacked) and Luka Modric(sulking) both missing. 

Against that though was the nagging doubt that our best home results against this mob tended to come once the dark nights were here, and that on their previous two season-opening visits messrs Sheringham and Atouba had netted to render our 'Fortress St.James'' tag swiftly irrelevant.   
 
And despite morale-boosting photo evidence that our doubtful quartet of Ba, Cisse, Tiote and Cabaye had all featured in training sessions since the Cardiff defeat, news of Fabricio Coloccini's absence through injury wasn't well-received, given doubts over the ability of Steven Taylor to complete 90 minutes in what would be his first competitive appearance since December.

Whatever uncertainties there were over the formation and approach of Spurs under their new boss, their ability to swarm forward with pace and purpose when gaining possession remained, with messrs Defoe, Lennon and Bale all presenting a threat at various times - although the latter two had a (welcome) tendency to drift in and out of the game.

And that fitness also manifested itself in the speed with which the visitors closed down the opponent in possession, denying them the space and time to do anything other than launch a hopeful forward pass or play the ball sideways. (PFA Young Player of The Year Kyle Walker particularly impressed, but Spurs now look to have realised what an asset he is and secured him on a five year deal in May.) 

Rather than keeping anything in reserve, Pardew chose to start with his strongest available line-up, with James Perch appearing in central defence and Ben Arfa out on the right initially, soon drifting towards the centre, where he found rich pickings in the form of free kicks as Spurs retreated.

Arriving at the interval scoreless, neither manager made a change ahead of the second half, but United re-modelled their formation to bring Gutierrez infield and push Ba wider out on the left in the position that he often found himself in last season following the arrival of Papiss Cisse.

Ba then added another eye-catching effort to his show reel, before the United boss made an enforced change just before the hour mark, swapping the touchline technical area for the directors box at the referee's request. That was a conequence of shoving linesman Stuart Burt when he failed to spot the ball clearly going out of play during a Spurs attack.

That left John Carver and Steve Stone in charge at pitch level, with reserve coach and regular home game "spotter" Willie Donachie shuttling between them and Pardew. The latter occupied a seat equipped with a TV adjacent to Derek Llambias (no sign of Mike Ashley today) but then struggled to get the walkie-talkie he was handed to function. 

The instruction to replace the fading Cabaye with new boy Anita (runs like a cheetah etc.) was successfully conveyed, but a Spurs equaliser soon prompted yet more to-ing and fro-ing, with the manager by now standing behind the seating deck and thus avoiding having to cuddle the MD when Ben Arfa won and scored a penalty soon after. 

And from that point the game was won, as Spurs proved incapable of rousing themselves a second time and United reinvigorated themselves sufficiently to see things through, Obertan appearing off the bench to supply some trademark aimless forward runs (just what was required - for once) before tracking back to cause mild confusion in his defence.

Once again, this looks like a case of who dares wins for the manager, who gambled successfully on his selection and was rewarded by the sight of Ben Arfa artfully winning a throw in out on the far touch line in the closing moments, having given everything to the cause. And Steven Taylor also looked to come through his comeback unscathed, memorably flattening himself on the turf to nod one ball back to his 'keeper in the second half. Over the 90 minutes we showed the more desire.

While nothing ever gets decided on the opening day and the occasion outweighed the performance (we'll play better and not win), this still feels like a significant result - if for no other reason than we retained last season's momentum and interludes of good fortune.......and it'll take more than the departure of dirty 'Arry to alter my profound dislike of this lot. Right, now where's me passport?

Biffa