Marco Silva believes his Everton players can make amends for last weekend’s defeat against Norwich by claiming a result at high-flying Leicester on Sunday.
The 2-0 loss to the Canaries heaped more pressure on Silva ahead of a run of games against the Premier League’s top sides, starting with high-flying Leicester.
Silva said: “Last week was really important for us because, with that possible three points, we could now be two points under the fifth position. But it’s reality. We failed. We didn’t win that game.
“Now we have to react. Now will come really tough games for us. We have to go to do our best to win the points we lost the last game. This is the main thing for us and the only thing in our mind.
“It will be a tough one. Last season there we had a very good performance and we won the game clear. They are in very good shape with top confidence because when you achieve results in a row your confidence comes to the highest level.
“Credit to them because they are not just achieving results they are with a good dynamic, with some players in a fantastic moment. As a collective they are strong.
“But, when you are Everton, you have to respect them but to go to play to your badge and to be confident you can achieve the result.
“Momentum is important. It’s clear they are in a better moment than us but a football match is a football match and we have to go there to challenge and to fight.”
Silva faced a hostile reaction from Toffees fans last weekend, and he added: “I will not lie, it was tough.
“Me as a manager, you are working first of all for your club, for sure to improve your players but to give some good feelings for your fans and because everything that is behind a football club is the fans.
“Their support is really important and, when they are not happy and they show that, of course it is not the best moment for a manager, for the players as well.
“We have to be strong, to understand the reactions and you have just one way. To work hard and to give them the performance and the result they want to see.”
Silva has injury problems to deal with and will be without Seamus Coleman, while Morgan Schneiderlin, Theo Walcott, Fabian Delph and Bernard are all major doubts.
But he praised the attitude of his players, saying: “Even with all these things, they come here since the first day of the week and they are working really hard.
“Of course our confidence is not on top because just the results can give that to us but they are working really hard to get better and to get the result in the next game.”
