Glenn Roeder admits he is frustrated this week with so many players
away on international duty - but is at least thankful that they
will all be back on Monday for a full week's work on banishing
the Everton blues.
Some international weeks only allow for a Friday session before a game if midweek internationals have been played, but this time that is not the case.
With Shaka Hislop, Christian Dailly, Don Hutchison, Trevor Sinclair, Michael Carrick, Tomas Repka, Svetoslav Todorov, Shaun Byrne, and Rigobert Song away, only five of Saturday's starting line up remain in England.
"I can't work with all of them this week, but thankfully they will be back on Monday so we can get a full week's training in before we go to Blackburn," says Glenn.
"It gives us a little bit more time to sort out what went wrong, especially in the second half."
But Glenn is remaining upbeat, and knows he has to lift the spirits of those players that are around.
"Obviously they are still down but it is up to me to put a smile back on their faces and get them working in a positive manner," he says, "so that by the time we go to Blackburn we can get the away result that we now need."
He rues the fact that the side couldn't keep parity until the break and adds:
"Quite honestly in the first half we could quite easily have scored on a number of occasions; goals do change games and who knows what would have happened.
"But in the end we have been soundly beaten and the goals we conceded in the second half were just dreadful.
"It was the performance in the second half, and conceding the goal literally on the stroke of half time that doesn't help - it wouldn't help anyone.
"We could quite easily have come in at 0-0 and sorted out any few problems we had, and hopefully what happened wouldn't have happened.
"You do get results like that, and need to ensure they are only occasional, so it is up to me to get amongst the players and work with them.
"That is something I will have to do; you have to remain positive."
Glenn admits his sympathy is with the fans, and adds:
"They were very happy after the way we played against Newcastle and the result we got.
"Of course, I feel for the fans; it is a long way to travel and it costs an awful lot of money - and they deserved a lot better than that.
"There is not a worse loser in the world than myself and I have taken the defeat badly but I have got to pick myself up and pick the players up."
Some international weeks only allow for a Friday session before a game if midweek internationals have been played, but this time that is not the case.
With Shaka Hislop, Christian Dailly, Don Hutchison, Trevor Sinclair, Michael Carrick, Tomas Repka, Svetoslav Todorov, Shaun Byrne, and Rigobert Song away, only five of Saturday's starting line up remain in England.
"I can't work with all of them this week, but thankfully they will be back on Monday so we can get a full week's training in before we go to Blackburn," says Glenn.
"It gives us a little bit more time to sort out what went wrong, especially in the second half."
But Glenn is remaining upbeat, and knows he has to lift the spirits of those players that are around.
"Obviously they are still down but it is up to me to put a smile back on their faces and get them working in a positive manner," he says, "so that by the time we go to Blackburn we can get the away result that we now need."
He rues the fact that the side couldn't keep parity until the break and adds:
"Quite honestly in the first half we could quite easily have scored on a number of occasions; goals do change games and who knows what would have happened.
"But in the end we have been soundly beaten and the goals we conceded in the second half were just dreadful.
"It was the performance in the second half, and conceding the goal literally on the stroke of half time that doesn't help - it wouldn't help anyone.
"We could quite easily have come in at 0-0 and sorted out any few problems we had, and hopefully what happened wouldn't have happened.
"You do get results like that, and need to ensure they are only occasional, so it is up to me to get amongst the players and work with them.
"That is something I will have to do; you have to remain positive."
Glenn admits his sympathy is with the fans, and adds:
"They were very happy after the way we played against Newcastle and the result we got.
"Of course, I feel for the fans; it is a long way to travel and it costs an awful lot of money - and they deserved a lot better than that.
"There is not a worse loser in the world than myself and I have taken the defeat badly but I have got to pick myself up and pick the players up."