Marco Silva has two trains of thought when addressing Fulham’s recent blip in form.
One is acknowledging just how positive a season it has been up until this point, while also appreciating the fact that you can always improve.
“Of course it’s not been a good run for us,” he said in his pre-Everton press conference. “Of course it’s something that we are talking about, we are analysing and we are working hard to get on the right track again.
“In my opinion, it shows two things that are clear. [Firstly that] three months ago, four months ago, five months ago, even last month, what we have been doing so far this season is exceptional.
“And [secondly] you have a lot of things to keep working on to keep improving. That is clear because these type of runs can happen at this level. Like the runs that we had before with so many good games and many good results.
“We did so, so well and we were really pleased with it. Sometimes you can have bad spells and bad runs, [but] of course it’s something that we don’t want to happen.
“We have to work harder to stop it happening again, and show the things that we did so, so well before and after the World Cup break. And show the other thing, that we have big, big room to improve in all aspects to be at this level and to be more consistent.”
Saturday will be a first return to Goodison Park for Silva, where he spent the better part of a season-and-a-half, in which time he led the Toffees to an eighth-place finish.
“It will be a good feeling,” he admitted. “Unfortunately, I will not be on the touchline, it’s always much better if you are on the touchline.
“When you manage a club like Everton it’s always a huge honour to be there and to work in a big club, and that was my feeling all that period that I was there.
“It will be good, at the same time, to see some familiar faces for me, some people that I really enjoyed working with, some people that welcomed really well myself and my staff in that football club.
“And that’s it. It will be a football match that Everton wants to win, we want to win as well, in a good environment. You know always at Goodison that the fans are really behind the team, they are going to create the right atmosphere for the home team.
“And we have to show the personality and everything that we need to, to match them and to fight for the three points.”
It’s at Goodison where Everton have had the most joy since Sean Dyche’s appointment, taking 10 points from a possible 15.
“He’s doing very well,” Silva said of his counterpart. “The team felt straightaway that he made a big impact since he arrived at the football club.
“The club was in a difficult moment in the table, with the results, and of course the impact is there.
“They’re more confident right now, with the connection with the fanbase that always plays a big role in that football club as well. Sean Dyche is doing a very good job.”
