PA PhotosFulham must stop Everton's Leighton Baines

This is where the season gets serious – and football folk know it. The early season sparring is over, we've laboured through the stop-go international breaks, your squad for better or worse is bedded in and should now be at full fitness. Time to make do with what you have and work out where destiny will take you this time around.

We can sweep away all the rumours, half-truths and hopes of summer to deal now in hard-nosed reality. Is my team as good as the manager promised us back in August? Have we dealt well in the market? Can we reflect pragmatically on our position in the league? Are we set for a cruel winter or will we cruise into Christmas bursting with optimism?

It will be much easier to assess the above criteria in relation to Fulham after our four games in November. Everton, Arsenal and Spurs are, on reputation alone, all bigger clubs than us. Yet we are right in the mix with them all, jostling to prove ourselves good enough to occupy the ground just below the top three. We are effectively looking by December to top our own mid-table mini-league. If we do it - unchartered terrain for our football club to date in the top division - that would really cause the football world to sit up and take note.

We all accept we don't have the resources yet to challenge the title-chasing clubs, but I believe the above is within our grasp. And if Martin can guide us through this run of tough fixtures, and we manage to come through November ahead of the rivals mentioned, that would represent terrific progress for our modest 'little' club.

First up is Everton. Now we used to be quite relaxed about this fixture, as we habitually won it at home and always lost it away. But for two seasons the Toffees have changed the script and not lost any of our last five games with them. What's more they arrive in 5^th place having lost just one of their last 18 league games – so a clear indication that Moyes is doing a terrific job. Lady Luck was certainly with them a year ago when Bobby missed the proverbial open goal at the death that would have seen us 2-1 up in the 89^th minute. Worse was to follow when the Blues notched two soft goals on the break in added time.

Let's hope fortune is smiling our way Saturday, for what will be a tough game and very different fixture to last week. Good old Stevie G didn't pick his words too cleverly in the week, likening Everton to Stoke. I sensed what he meant though. There is real intensity to Everton's play. They can be muscular when necessary – more so than us. They get a great return from set plays – another lesson for Fulham here – and have a number of 'big characters' in the ranks. Think Neville, Howard, Baynes, Fellaini, Distin. You're likely to see a lot more finger-pointing and verbals from the away side than us boys in White.

Having said that, I hope very much Fulham are on their game from the start and we let our football do the talking. Having bigged up the Everton boys, let me say I think we play more attractive football, and hopefully have a skill factor about us that will frustrate and neutralise Everton's in your face tactical plan. I think Baines is the best left-back in English football and Jelavic would be in my 'dream team', so we have to be much more focused in defence, and really watertight at the back when dealing with the aerial ball. Reading hit us on the deck, I think Everton will look to exploit us with high balls into the box.

However the game pans out, this is a watershed fixture for Jol, who has already stated how much he admires Everton. Win and we go above them, and with a fully fit side to select from, we should go into the game as favourites. I reiterate again, from what we witnessed at Reading, it would be a mistake to start Richardson, and perhaps Rodallega too. Back to winning ways at the Cottage - our fortress remember, and we'll be in fine fettle for the Arsenal and Spurs to come. Everton may not be at full strength, their last three have all been drawn (even at bottom side QPR) and they should have lost the Liverpool derby on a bad weekend for referees.

Thanks to your comments regarding the 'inferiority complex' issue that seems to haunt our club. Saturday's game is a great opportunity to strike another dagger into that particularly unwelcome beast. COYW!!!

Twitter@fulhamphil

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