Tim Cahill and Tony Hibbert have expressed their excitement at what Everton could achieve this season.
Cahill and Hibbert in confident mood
Tim Cahill and Tony Hibbert have expressed their excitement at what Everton could achieve this season.
The Toffees managed to finish eighth in the Premier League last term despite enduring a difficult start when injuries restricted David Moyes' options.
Everton were excellent at times during the second half of the season and Cahill is confident of more success in 2010/11.
The Australian playmaker scored a hat-trick in a 4-2 friendly victory over Norwich on Saturday and feels Everton are ready to hit the ground running when the new campaign gets under way.
"The squad is unbelievable, now it's about maintaining it and making sure we can keep everyone fit," he told
Everton TV.
"I always look forward to the new season but this time I think the preparations have probably been the best in my time at the club.
"I hope this time we can have a great start because I think it's important for us to take this form into the league, replicate our form from the end of last season and kick on."
Brilliant
Cahill was not only delighted with his own performance against Norwich but also the way the team played.
"It's brilliant," he said. "We've had quite a hard session going into the game with a hell of a lot of running this week. But to see the hard work pay off on the pitch early is great.
"Obviously getting the goals is a nice bonus for me but we're playing nice, flowing football, keeping the ball well and we look like a really good team at the minute.
"There's maybe a little bit of pressure on us World Cup players because the lads have done so well over pre-season.
"It wasn't easy to come back after a break and come back into the thick of things, because Norwich are a good team. But overall, I'm very happy with how it went."
Top six
There is an optimistic mood in the camp even though Moyes has been fairly quiet in the transfer market, a stark contrast to big-spending rivals Manchester City.
Everton have kept hold of all their key players and, with a settled squad, defender Hibbert believes they can challenge for a place higher up the table.
"We can't think below the top six this season because of the squad we've got," Hibbert told the
Liverpool Echo.
"Let the teams around us spend all they want. They've done that for years.
"The Man Citys and Tottenhams will always have the big money and Spurs did it brilliantly last season but they've got to keep it going.
"The squad we've got is the best in years."
