Finch Farm was bathed in sunshine on Friday afternoon and, despite the wind, felt a place of calm amid Storm Éowyn. That is some feat given the story of Everton over recent years.

For so long, the training complex has been the epicentre of the storms that have overwhelmed the club. Press conferences have taken place amid an atmosphere of anxiety, nervousness and, at times, defiance.

Not right now. And that is the case even as challenges continue to buffet the Blues. New manager, same story - nothing comes easy for Everton.

READ MORE: David Moyes outlines how many transfers Everton need to make and priority positions

Yet there was a serenity around the Halewood complex that felt reassuring. The mood has been positive all week with players and staff buoyed by the win over Tottenham Hotspur.

The three points, combined with the failure of any other side in the bottom eight to win, have altered the complexion of the relegation fight. There is only a small gap between Everton and the bottom four but if the club can come through this weekend with it intact then a home match with Leicester City provides a huge opportunity to put real daylight between the club and the relegation fight.

Three points on the board, Dominic Calvert-Lewin has broken his drought, Jesper Lindstrom has just produced his best performance and Jake O’Brien impressed on his debut. There is momentum.

One of the toughest challenges for Everton’s managers over recent years has been to build on such positivity and turn a good result into a good run.

The hope is the confidence injected by the arrival of Moyes can survive the tests that come his way. They have already started, with the news Dwight McNeil may require knee surgery the major talking point of the pre-Brighton press conference.

As Moyes said, this is “a real blow”, even more so given the potency of his set pieces. There did not appear to be panic though. Not only has Lindstrom stepped up, albeit for one game so far, this is a good time for Everton to have appointed a set piece coach - something they did this week with Charlie Adam joining Moyes’ staff.

A similar situation is unfolding on the transfer front. Everyone can see that improvements are needed and, 24 days in, none have arrived. But Moyes appeared relaxed and content that the hard work has been done ahead of a busy close to the window. The market can be challenging but Everton have done their due diligence, it seems.

Hopefully that work will be rewarded soon. But wherever happens, for now at least, there is a resilience on display that suggests Moyes is providing a reassuring presence. When the stakes are so high, that is invaluable.