Good evening.

It's fantastic to be back here at Goodison Park with you after the international break and our aim is to pick up where we left off in terms of the momentum we’ve been building in our past few games.

Since the last time I wrote these notes, we earned an important home win over Brentford, who were unbeaten in their previous 12 games, and twice came from behind to take a point away to a quality Chelsea side who were also on a good run.

I've said from the day I arrived here that there has to be substance to our performances and we have to be relentless and it feels like we're starting to see signs of that.

As I always point out, every manager in the world would take the occasional lucky win, but, equally, there is no long-term success in relying on those kind of results.

There has to be a structure and a method behind what we do at both ends of the pitch – and underpinning that, always, must be maximum effort from every player in the squad.

Looking at the Chelsea game, in particular, I felt we were good defensively in the first half but I didn't think we operated with the ball well enough.

We spoke about that at half-time and I told the players we've got to find that clarity when the ball turns over in transition.

It's not just about working hard when we haven't got the ball. What about working hard when we have got the ball and also working smart, not just hard? We must be available for each other and go and play. 

I thought that improved in pockets in the second half and the relentless mentality that I value highly helped us get something from the game.

I've been delighted with the application of the players in the past two months. Their willingness and ability to take on new ideas has been impressive and I can assure you this is a group that is desperate to do well for you as fans and Everton as a club.

We're building a mentality from within and it's no surprise to me that when we get all of the basics right and put in the hard yards, the quality starts to show, because this is a very talented group of players.

A lot gets spoken about when it comes to international breaks and their timing, but it's there in the calendar for us all to see.

It is our job to use them as wisely as possible. The work ethic of the players has improved, as we can see in the statistics we receive from training sessions and games, but there has been a chance to build on their base levels in the absence of matches in the past fortnight.

As well as that, it's been as important for the players to take a short break for a few days, so they are refreshed and mentally sharp for what is going to be an intense couple of months, with plenty more hard work.

We welcome Cristian Stellini and the players and staff of Tottenham Hotspur tonight.

Cristian is an experienced coach, who had success in Italy before heading over to England with Antonio Conte. 

Spurs come to Goodison Park in fourth place in the Premier League table and securing Champions League again for next season is a clear objective for them.

We know they have quality players all over the pitch and it's going to be yet another tough game.

With that said, our home form in the past couple of months has been strong and we must retain – as a collective – the feeling that anybody who comes here is in for a tough time.

My message is to be courageous and use the Goodison atmosphere to our advantage.

This will be my first experience in the home dugout under the lights here and it's something I'm really looking forward to. It's impossible not to be energised by the feeling you create.

It starts with us, as always, but let's all play our part and keep moving in the right direction.

Enjoy the game.

Sean