Belief in the Everton project could well be tested this week but this is a time for patience.
The performance and result against Manchester United was frustrating and disappointing and the reality is the Blues now face two tough games in a matter of days. Away matches at Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United are rarely easy. They become even more challenging when the trips are days apart and one side is in the Champions League and the other is starting to tick after tens of millions of pound of new investment.
It is possible for Everton to lose both games and still be in a good place. This is not giving the side a free pass but an acceptance of where the club currently is and where each opponent is in its respective journey. Spurs and Newcastle are both further ahead and Everton will enter each game as the underdog. That does not mean the Blues cannot find another boost on the road, but it does mean that, short of disastrous performances, no-one should panic if things don't quite go to plan.
