Carlo Ancelotti has issued a reminder to his squad about what the expectations are of playing for Everton.
The Blues boss has used his programme notes ahead of today's game with Manchester United to address the first back-to-back league defeats of his Goodison reign.
Earlier in the week, Dominic Calvert-Lewin said the team had "fallen below our standards" in the losses at Southampton and Newcastle and that it has "got to be better".
Ancelotti, while wanting to remind his players of the excellent performances they produced up until that point, has delivered a refresher about the basic requirements when the players pull on the royal blue shirt.
"We are representing Everton and for this club your minimum expectation is to compete for 90 minutes in every match," Ancelotti wrote in his notes.
"Everton should always have fight and character and personality.
"Our contact with the opponent must be fast and with the ball there has to be purpose and courage and creativity.
"I know we have all these qualities, we showed them already this season and I don’t forget that.
"We scored 18 goals in five matches at Goodison and it is important to remember these good things as we prepare for a really tough opponent today."
Ancelotti opens his notes, by writing: "To beat Manchester United we have to recover our top quality and be completely focused.
"At Goodison Park this season we have shown a lot of good things.
"We always had the intention to pass quickly and vertically and from this approach created a lot of chances.
"When you move the ball with speed through the pitch – and have good movement from the front players – it is hard for opponents to stop.
"From showing this skill and control our confidence was growing and that belief helped the spirit and attitude developing in our squad."
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