My feelings before the first home league match of a season have never changed in 25 years managing.
This is the time when your emotions grow and stress comes back to your life.
For supporters, I think, it is the same.
It can be hard to explain to people who are not consumed by football but these are the things we really enjoy.
We want to fight for our club in every minute of every match, to live the game and share the happiness when Everton win.
I have said many times, playing at Goodison cannot be the same without supporters. Never.
But, honestly, you feel a special atmosphere even if you are alone in this stadium.
I know the Club’s history and about many of the special matches here.
There will be more when you are with us in future but now it is our responsibility to be full of passion and focus and competitive in all the games.
We showed what we can do at Tottenham Hotspur last week.
I think we needed this performance at the beginning of the season to encourage the players to believe in their abilities.
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Three points is normally most important but, for me, it was equally necessary to have a collective performance with quality.
I said congratulations to the new players: James, Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure.
They were all strong and played with character, giving us everything we want.
It was a really fantastic effort after only one week here.
But it was not only them, all of the players did really well.
As belief grows and the players become clearer on our idea of how to play, everything else comes after.
You get a team with attitude and spirit and personality.
With these things, results improve.
This is our process for this moment and it is moving forwards how we want.
I was satisfied, too, with how we achieved our target to progress in the Carabao Cup this week.
When you give young players opportunities, you want to see them being focused and confident and working hard.
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They took all of those qualities to the pitch and – with 32 shots – we could have scored more than three goals.
We have used 21 players in the two matches and they showed me I can have confidence in all of them.
We welcome Slaven Bilic and the staff and players of West Bromwich Albion.
Very few managers can say they are doing the perfect job.
But, for Slaven, one season with West Brom and one promotion.
Fantastic.
People who remember him from Everton talk about a good guy.
He has big experience and I am sure he will do well this season – after today, I hope.
Our start has been good but it will mean nothing if we don’t continue.
With our squad we can compete in all the competitions.
We are clear that we want to fight in the top positions in the Premier League.
In the cups we want go to the end.
The way to fall off course is to lose sight of your next task.
We have concentrated for the past two days only on West Brom and the challenges they will bring.
Unfortunately, we will be without Mason Holgate for a short period.
In my time here I already discovered how Mason has the full respect of the dressing room.
He is a young player with lots of skills and potential.
It is disappointing for him to miss some games but injuries are part of football.
I am certain Mason is the type of personality who will use his time very well and come back to us with even more character, prepared to learn and improve and help his teammates.
Last week we confirmed that Leighton Baines will be our Professional Development Coach.
I am very pleased, too, that David Unsworth agreed to become Director of Academy.
David is a winner in this club and has done excellent work developing the young players – as footballers and men.
We wanted a position for Leighton that was right for our club but, more importantly, right for him.
Like Duncan, he loves Everton, he knows how this club gets under the skin of the Evertonians.
These are the people who can teach new players and young ones coming from the Academy what it means to play for Everton and create the sense of belonging we want inside the Club.
The biggest thing, of course, is the football intelligence.
I saw straight away Duncan has this and it was the same with Leighton.
When he decided to stop playing it was one of our priorities for him to stay with us to use his experience and knowledge to improve the Club and increase the quality of our young players.
His appointment is another step towards everything we are trying to achieve.
