Marco Silva says the positive mood and atmosphere around Everton can help them maintain their unbeaten start to the season against Huddersfield Town.
The Blues welcome the Terriers to Goodison Park on Saturday, kick-off 3pm, looking to build on the two wins and pair of draws they have taken from their opening four games of the campaign.
The likes of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Kurt Zouma and Jordan Pickford have spoken about the positive environment in which the squad work under the boss and his coaching staff at USM Finch Farm.
That will be put to the test against Huddersfield, who have one point from their three games to date after a tough set of opening league fixtures.
Silva, speaking to the media at his press conference at the Club’s training complex on Friday, is taking nothing for granted and wants to remain unbeaten before the international break next week.
“When we take good results, the mood and the confidence improves every time,” he said. “Of course, we are working since the first day in this way, with this confidence. You know I like to work in a good atmosphere around our players, with a big ambition.
“I demand a lot from the players but always with a good atmosphere around them. This is important for us. We have to support everything with good results.
“It will be a tough game against Huddersfield, for sure. It is not important what results they have taken already, especially as they have played two big sides (Chelsea and Manchester City) as well. It will be tough and we will have to play at our best.
“It will be very good before the break to get the result we want. We want to win this match and on Saturday we have to prove that.”
Silva will be without a number of first-team players for Saturday’s game, with Richarlison suspended after his red card at Bournemouth last week, although Ademola Lookman is available again after a minor groin injury.
And the Portuguese has plenty of belief in his squad to cover those enforced absentees.
“Bernard is not fit for tomorrow,” Silva revealed. “He has a small muscle problem but he will be back working with the team next week. During the break we will try to get him in a position where he is fit.
“Some players we signed did not have a full pre-season and he is one of them. It is hard to follow the intensity of the training sessions and in games as well.
“Idrissa Gana Gueye (knee), too, is possibly unavailable, but Ademola Lookman is now fit. He trained with the team this morning. I have talked to him about his quality and now he has to work to take his position in our squad.
“Michael Keane is progressing well. He was with us yesterday and he is in every day now. Now we have to wait. The break will be good for him and we hope he can return as soon as possible.
“Zouma and Mason Holgate are the only fit centre-backs but I am happy with them. They did well in the last game [against Rotherham].
“Obviously if we have all of our players available we have strong options but we will start the match with an XI and I have confidence in all of them.”
Wednesday’s Carabao Cup win over Rotherham saw Tom Davies become the Blues’ youngest ever starting skipper as he took over the armband.
In doing so, he became the fourth member of Silva’s squad entrusted with the responsibility of leading the team, after Phil Jagielka did so at Wolves, Leighton Baines against Bournemouth and Seamus Coleman at home to Southampton.
Silva is pleased to have such a depth of leaders within his group and reiterated the three senior players who have been earmarked for the captaincy.
“The first game was Jags – he is our captain – but when he wasn’t available in the second game, of course I had to make a change. We have three captains – Jags, Leighton and Seamus.
“In the Southampton game, Seamus reached 200 Premier League starts so I wanted to give that special day to him by naming him captain.
“In the last game in the Carabao Cup, there was no Jags, no Leighton, no Seamus so I gave it to Tom. It was an important moment for him, I didn’t have any doubts about the decision and I wanted to give the responsibility to him.”
