Conor Coady says the “hard graft and bravery” Everton showed in a full-blooded 1-1 draw at Leeds United on Tuesday night provides a platform to build from as the Blues aim to ignite their Premier League campaign.
Coady admitted there was a degree of frustration Everton could not convert a winning position into maximum points but is convinced the team are heading in a positive direction.
Anthony Gordon’s 17th-minute strike put Everton in front in a breathless clash played in a feverish atmosphere at Elland Road.
Luis Sinisterra hit back for Leeds 10 minutes after half-time and both sides had chances to snatch a winner – Amadou Onana and Nathan Patterson came close for Everton while Demarai Gray had a goal disallowed for a marginal offside.
Coady said: “It is always tough at Elland Road. You are facing the crowd too. The atmosphere is always fantastic and we knew had to match that.
“It was hard graft, and the boys gave absolutely everything.
“We are a little bit disappointed to come away with a point, having had the lead. You want to keep that from a defensive point of view but it was fair result in the end and something to build on.
“It was always going to be tough in the second half. You have to stay tall and brave. We are getting better, learning new things. It is hard to go from where we were last season to winning games straight away.
“It is not about systems, it is about keeping the basics of our play. We want to be compact and we want to be organised.
“We are picking up points and we are learning.”
Next up for Everton is a Merseyside derby showdown at Goodison Park on Saturday (12.30pm BST).
"It is a huge game for us,” added Coady.
“We need to recover and make sure we are firing. We know we have Goodison behind us and it is important that we use that."
