Marco Silva insists playing with pace and intensity will be key for his team as they aim to hit back from Saturday’s defeat at Southampton and embark on a positive run of form.
Silva admitted his frustration the Blues could not follow up their victory over Bournemouth on 13 January with a success against the Saints, emphasising his team must achieve a greater level of consistency.
Next up for Everton is an FA Cup fourth-round clash with Millwall at The Den on Saturday (kick-off 5.30pm).
The Toffees kicked off their Cup campaign by beating Lincoln City at a sold-out Goodison Park on 5 January. Boss Silva said the Evertonians’ loyal support underlined “just how important this competition is for our fans and us as a Club".
The Portuguese is confident the Blues can book their spot in the last 16 this weekend but says his team must combine quality with intensity.
“Of course, what we want [is to play with more speed and aggression],” he said.
“It is our model as a team and against Southampton did not create enough chances to score.
“It is not important in football if you have 50 or 60 per cent possession if you don’t create chances.
“When you play against these types of teams [like Southampton], they are giving everything to be out of the danger zone, they’re aggressive and you have to be at least in the same level.
“And after, you can compete with your quality on the pitch.
“When you keep the ball, what we have to think - and it is our model - is to create chances and finalise the action.”
During an impressive run of form between September and November, Everton racked up five wins and two draws in the space of eight Premier League matches.
Silva believes his players boast the talent and resolve to put together another strong series of results - and hopes a victory over Millwall can breathe fresh life into the Blues' campaign.
“It is our challenge,” he said. “It was our aim against Southampton to achieve a result, to keep winning and be more consistent as a team.
“It’s really important for us.
“It’s not something new for us, as we already achieved that in one important moment this season [between September and November] and we have the conditions to do that again."
