They won an opening game - something they normally leave to others - and Andy Johnson scored the first of many goals for the club.
Fans fretted when Johnson failed to flourish pre-season. But no need simply because Johnson represents a breed of player who shines when the challenge is at its fiercest, which explains the drought in what amount to training games.
The most frustrating kind of striker is one who has his manager purring before the real business begins - and then doesn't show until October.
Johnson's record in competitive matches is second to very few, as his 21 goals in the Premiership for Crystal Palace demonstrates.
He is absolutely vital to Everton, giving them them the pace they've lacked since Gary Lineker s one wonder-season.
Now Everton can hit teams on the break, both home and away, though it has to be said that the England striker's goal against Watford owed more to brains than brawn.
* WHEN Sunderland's favourite son, the imperious Len Shackleton, wrote his autobiography he famously included a chapter intended to set the record straight.
Under the heading What The Average Football Director Knows About The Game he produced three blank pages.
Which brings us neatly to Niall Quinn. As chairman he has seen Sunderland sink to four straight league defeats, thus confirming what Shack indicated all those years ago.
But, what the great man never envisaged was a situation where a club chairman doubled as manager and having to sack himself from at least one of those roles.
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