TIM HOWARD is confident misfiring Everton will be ready when they begin a “big week” in Portugal on Thursday.
Although enjoying a seven-game unbeaten run, David Moyes’s side have failed to convince during their last two outings having been held to home draws by Stoke City and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
It leaves the Goodison outfit in the bottom half of the Premier League table, in stark contrast to their Europa League form of two wins out of two in Group I.
Benfica lost their last European game in Athens but defeated BATE in their opener at the impressive Estadio da Luz in Lisbon where Moyes’s men travel on Thursday.
Everton then travel to Bolton Wanderers on Sunday before ending a period of three games in five days with a
Carling Cup trip to Tottenham Hotspur 48 hours later.
And despite the hectic schedule, Howard reckons Everton are well prepared for the challenge.
“It’s a big week for us but I think we are ready for it,” said the goalkeeper. “We enjoy travelling in Europe and hopefully that will kick us off for what is a big couple of weeks.
“We’re frustrated at the moment. I wouldn’t say there’s anything wrong, but going into these two games (against Stoke and Wolves) we were certainly looking to get six points and you would expect that from us.
“We created so many opportunities and the disappointing thing is that we didn’t take so many of them. We deserved to win both.
“It’s strange because the games before these two we scored a bagful of goals, fours and threes. But we’re creating chances, which is a positive. If you’re not creating the chances you get worried.”
