Good afternoon.

My players, staff and I have been looking forward to today’s match since the final whistle at Tottenham Hotspur on Monday.

After a poor performance in that game, there is a strong determination to respond, to try to turn the frustration and disappointment of defeat into a display to make you proud against Wolves this afternoon.

Our form at Goodison has been very good since I became manager of this club. I wrote a lot about the Manchester City game in my most recent notes and that was because there was so much to like about our performance.

We took the best team in the country to the wire, competed in lots of elements of the game, had a game plan that we stuck to throughout, and felt justifiably hard done by to have nothing to show for our effort.

It was a completely different occasion against Boreham Wood. They are a good, well-organised team and it was never going to be a matter of brushing them aside.

Our urgency and tempo were short of the level required before half-time, nonetheless. We corrected that shortcoming and, in the end, won fairly comfortably.

As a manager, those types of games are valuable learning opportunities. I had a chance to look at a few players in a competitive environment for the first time and saw how others dealt with an unfamiliar challenge.

Ultimately, it was a third win from four home matches. But we can’t fall into the trap of thinking, “We’re at Goodison again, the result will take care of itself”.

We are nowhere near that position and the message to the players is very clear: nothing is going to come easy for us over the next few months, we’re not entitled to anything just because we’re Everton.

I’ve said time and again what a fantastic club this is, with a great tradition and a big and passionate fanbase.

But none of that earns you the points to climb the table. Only the players on the pitch can look after that side of it once that first whistle blows.

We will have the full backing of the crowd again today. We really need the fans to get behind us but we have to be the catalyst for that against a Wolves side that likes to have the ball and will cause us problems in parts of the game.

Our objective is to make life very difficult for them, too. To apply all the things – the creativity and courage on the ball and pressing in numbers – that were so effective in our better performances.

I know you won’t expect me to gloss over the Tottenham match.

In simple terms, we were miles off the standard expected from an Everton side for most of the night.

It is important to say, though, that I have no problem with the players’ commitment and endeavour. This group has given me everything in terms of application and willingness to learn in my short time here.

There were a lot issues of a football nature, though. We made far too many mistakes to hope to compete.

Tottenham didn’t have to work hard enough for their goals and that is something we need to address all over the pitch; defending is a collective responsibility, from back to front.

Equally, we started the game okay and had a measure of control, but never put their goal under serious pressure. 

The game again shone a light on the discrepancy between our home and away form. It is something we will work on until it is fixed.

For now, though, it is vital we start picking up points very quickly, so all our focus is on today’s game and continuing what we’ve been doing at Goodison.

We welcome Bruno Lage and the staff and players of Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Bruno accepted a huge challenge, coming to the Premier League and replacing a very successful and popular manager, and I have been enormously impressed with the job he’s done.

Wolves are very solid – only the top three have conceded fewer goals – and have some technically exceptional footballers. 

Finally, this is our official fixture for both the No Room For Racism and Her Game Too campaigns.

We all love football and the sport is nothing if it’s not welcoming and inclusive and doesn’t embrace every strand of society.

I learned about Everton’s All Together Now campaign, celebrating equality and diversity, soon after joining the Club.

I am proud to associate myself with such a strong and positive message and ardently support both causes being championed.

We look forward to your passionate support again today.

Frank