David Moyes insists Everton are fourth in the Premier League on merit, but that they now have to transfer that form into the club's biggest game in 13 years.
The Everton boss is fully aware the club's fans are celebrating being in a Champions League spot already, and ahead of local rivals Liverpool.
That position in the Barclays Premier League has come at just the right time to boost confidence for the second leg of their Carling Cup semi-final against Chelsea.
It is Everton's biggest game since they won the FA Cup final against Manchester United in 1995, and a trip to Wembley will go a long way to justifying their arrival among the elite.
Everton have won six of their last eight league games and have been beaten only five times in their last 22 matches, albeit four of those were against Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool.
Now comes judgement day and the moment Moyes believes can launch Everton into a new era.
The Scot said: "It is terrific that we have got ourselves into fourth place in the league in the week that we play a cup semi-final.
"But only if we are still in this position with only four weeks of the season to go can we start saying 'this is really on'.
"But this does show the consistent run we have been on to get ourselves into this position.
"Our form has been good, it has been a really good run. We need to maintain this, particularly in a very difficult month with some of our lads away with the African Nations Cup.
"We have been doing well, and we now need another good result in the cup."
He added: "But we are fourth on merit, because we have won the games and been consistent for a long time. The players have done well, so there is no doubt we are where we are on merit.
"But there is no point getting excited about it in January. It is in May that we want to be there.
"We know, though, that the fans are really buzzing about it, very happy. I can assure you the players feel the same. They know how well we have been playing.
"But what we don't want to do now is to freeze against Chelsea. We must be composed and patient on the ball. We have played with flair and quality and now we need to show that at the very top level against a team like Chelsea.
"We need to show the form that has got us to where we are, and we can produce it again on the big occasion against an exceptional side."
But Moyes is well aware of the financial muscle Everton will now face at this rarefied level. Chelsea have spent £15million adding Nicolas Anelka to their squad between the two legs of the semi-final.
Moyes said: "It is frustrating that Chelsea are able to go out and buy someone like Anelka, who is not cup-tied, between the two legs.
"What would have happened if we had been two or three up and Chelsea had been able to go out and buy three players from the very top level and use them in the second leg?
"That is frustrating, but what can you do? He is not cup-tied and that is the rule.
"It makes it more difficult because he is a very good player and a very good goalscorer. We are just not able to do things like that.
"Both clubs are missing players to the African Nations Cup. But even that has worked against us because the three we have lost are more important to us, they are key figures.
"We will suffer because of the size of our squad and who is available. Chelsea have a vast amount of money, they can bring players in like Anelka to plug the gap and that is something we cannot do."
Moyes will give late fitness tests to Andrew Johnson, Leon Osman, Manuel Fernandes and Tony Hibbert, and believes his emerging squad is on the brink of a new Everton era.
He said: "It has taken us a time to get Everton back into this position. It has not happened in recent years.
"This is not new to the club, it is not as if Everton have not won things and been in finals, they have.
"We should not be surprised to see Everton's name at this stage of a competition, but we now want to make sure there is more of it.
"If we can get to the final I hope it will signal a new era for the club. It probably means more to us than it does to them with what they have won, it can be our night. But it will take everything we have.
"It will be a great atmosphere, but it will only be a great night if we get through. We will do our bit and I have no doubt the fans will do theirs, they know what this means."
That position in the Barclays Premier League has come at just the right time to boost confidence for the second leg of their Carling Cup semi-final against Chelsea.
It is Everton's biggest game since they won the FA Cup final against Manchester United in 1995, and a trip to Wembley will go a long way to justifying their arrival among the elite.
Everton have won six of their last eight league games and have been beaten only five times in their last 22 matches, albeit four of those were against Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool.
Now comes judgement day and the moment Moyes believes can launch Everton into a new era.
The Scot said: "It is terrific that we have got ourselves into fourth place in the league in the week that we play a cup semi-final.
"But only if we are still in this position with only four weeks of the season to go can we start saying 'this is really on'.
"But this does show the consistent run we have been on to get ourselves into this position.
"Our form has been good, it has been a really good run. We need to maintain this, particularly in a very difficult month with some of our lads away with the African Nations Cup.
"We have been doing well, and we now need another good result in the cup."
He added: "But we are fourth on merit, because we have won the games and been consistent for a long time. The players have done well, so there is no doubt we are where we are on merit.
"But there is no point getting excited about it in January. It is in May that we want to be there.
"We know, though, that the fans are really buzzing about it, very happy. I can assure you the players feel the same. They know how well we have been playing.
"But what we don't want to do now is to freeze against Chelsea. We must be composed and patient on the ball. We have played with flair and quality and now we need to show that at the very top level against a team like Chelsea.
"We need to show the form that has got us to where we are, and we can produce it again on the big occasion against an exceptional side."
But Moyes is well aware of the financial muscle Everton will now face at this rarefied level. Chelsea have spent £15million adding Nicolas Anelka to their squad between the two legs of the semi-final.
Moyes said: "It is frustrating that Chelsea are able to go out and buy someone like Anelka, who is not cup-tied, between the two legs.
"What would have happened if we had been two or three up and Chelsea had been able to go out and buy three players from the very top level and use them in the second leg?
"That is frustrating, but what can you do? He is not cup-tied and that is the rule.
"It makes it more difficult because he is a very good player and a very good goalscorer. We are just not able to do things like that.
"Both clubs are missing players to the African Nations Cup. But even that has worked against us because the three we have lost are more important to us, they are key figures.
"We will suffer because of the size of our squad and who is available. Chelsea have a vast amount of money, they can bring players in like Anelka to plug the gap and that is something we cannot do."
Moyes will give late fitness tests to Andrew Johnson, Leon Osman, Manuel Fernandes and Tony Hibbert, and believes his emerging squad is on the brink of a new Everton era.
He said: "It has taken us a time to get Everton back into this position. It has not happened in recent years.
"This is not new to the club, it is not as if Everton have not won things and been in finals, they have.
"We should not be surprised to see Everton's name at this stage of a competition, but we now want to make sure there is more of it.
"If we can get to the final I hope it will signal a new era for the club. It probably means more to us than it does to them with what they have won, it can be our night. But it will take everything we have.
"It will be a great atmosphere, but it will only be a great night if we get through. We will do our bit and I have no doubt the fans will do theirs, they know what this means."
Copyright (c) Press Association
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