Timely win against the Cottagers eases the mood going into break

EVERTON signed off with another win before an international break and no one is in any doubt over the value those three points will hold over the coming fortnight.

- By JOE THOMAS

With the trip to Manchester United having been moved to a Monday night, there will be plenty of time to stew over the lessons of the past few weeks.

Had they not beaten Fulham then the atmosphere around the club - whether or not it was justified - would have been one of frustration and restlessness.

Instead, David Moyes and his players provided a welcome jolt of confidence that will make the self-reflection of this quiet period much easier.

The Blues boss recognised that himself on Saturday as he processed a first victory in more than a month.

That last one, against Crystal Palace, also came on the eve of an international break - meaning that with Wolves at the end of August, Everton have handed supporters a nod of reassurance ahead of every halt in the domestic campaign.

“I think we've signed off on all the international breaks with wins,” Moyes said after the 2-0 success. “Today was a really good win for us.”

The mood behind the scenes and the ease with which he took questions from reporters said more than the words he uttered - the Blues have been better than recent results have suggested but for all the talk of positive signs and the need for patience, it felt that they needed more tangible evidence of that progress to ease the creeping anxiety caused by the defeats to Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City, and the draw at Sunderland.