Tim Howard: Everton will pull together like a band of brothers

But Howard is adamant the current campaign can have a similar outcome.

Everton kick-off against Blackburn this afternoon and Howard declared: "I would only say, three seasons ago Everton did crack it, so certainly it's not beyond the realms of possibility again.

"Therefore we do believe.

"If it hadn't happened for a while then you might think it was impossible. But it has - out of nowhere. The band of brothers came together and did it, and we've been close since.

"Sixth place two seasons ago, fifth last season with a small squad and injuries down the stretch when we were poor, if you put all the things together, if we stay healthy we can kick on towards the end of the season and it's possible.

"To be a top four side you have to win consistently. United are going to lose, say, four games. Chelsea may lose four times. That's not a lot of games, the biggest thing about staying in the top four is keeping pace every week. Not just up until February, but in April and May, too."

The lack of new faces at Everton this summer has been an enduring theme, but Everton's American international goalkeeper believes it is the familiar faces who can help the Blues get off to a solid start.

The defence is the one department of the Blues squad which doesn't need obvious reinforcement and Howard believes the onus is on them to offer a platform for the forthcoming season.

"If you look at our defence, we have Joe Yobo, who is an international captain, there are Jags and Joleon who are just starting to enjoy some call-ups into the England squad, Phil Neville who has been round the block and Hibbo who is blue through and through. That's without even mentioning the left-backs. These are guys who don't have egos and don't feel that there's a lot of room for error.

"When you talk about all hands on deck, blocking shots, making tackles, scrapping, you just know that no-one's going to take liberties with those guys.

"There's no-one in that backline who will say 'it wasn't my man'. Everyone tries to do their own job and it's one of the things we talk about.

"Do your job and try and help someone else do theirs. And if we all get that mentality that we'll cover each other and there won't be any slack."

Howard admits that the current shortage of strikers and midfield players at the club places extra pressure on the back four to keep a clean sheet, but he also says that the players relish that kind of added responsibility.

"There might be a little extra pressure to keep a clean sheet, but I don't think it will be very different. We always go out there and try and do our best. Try and keep the team in the game at critical moments," he added.

"There might be more of an onus on it. But Yak is full of goals, our defenders pop up at key times at set pieces, so it's not as if it's all doom and gloom."

Howard has proved himself to be a formidable last line of defence since his move to Goodison two years ago, in the tradition of the club's very best goalkeepers.

He admits that since he made the switch from Old Trafford the club has got under his skin.

"I want to be considered an Evertonian," he declared. "I love the club. I don't mean that in a light way. I do love the club, I love the people.

"Joe-Max Moore and I have had a few conversations about the club. It's in his blood and I didn't quite understand it at the time although I took things on board.

"But now I understand what he was talking about.

"It's a place where I want to be. We know football's a business, and it's a cruel business on both sides, but if all things were equal this is the best place I want to be.

"I want to play my heart out every weekend. I enjoy it, my family enjoys life at Everton and I don't have any complaints. The club's got to me.

"I also had the privilege of playing with Davey Weir and most importantly Alan Stubbs. I played alongside him for two seasons and I consider him a good friend. Anyone who knows Alan knows what it means to play for Everton.

"He helped me grow into the Everton way. I knew a little bit about the club's goalkeeping tradition. Maybe not so much about Gordon West but of course I knew about Neville Southall and Nigel Martyn came in and did such a good job for the club.

"Those are big shoes to fill and if I'm honest I'm not really trying to fill them, I'm just trying to play to the best of my ability and hope that propels the club in the right direction.

"It's nice to be a small part of that tradition.

"I see those as lofty goals and something I want to continue."

Howard has come desperately close to overhauling Southall's club record for clean sheets in each of his two seasons in the Goodison goal.

A clean sheet against Blackburn today would go some way to ensuring Everton make a solid start to the season, but the USA international admits there is a part of him which is pleased he hasn't yet beaten Big Nev's landmark.

"I don't really go after the personal accolades," he added. "Defenders and goalkeepers just want to keep as many clean sheets as they can. It's nice when people talk about it, but I kind of find I'm not so bothered I didn't break it because it gives me something to aim at again. I can use it as motivation.

"You don't really go into a season looking to do that, but there's a big tradition around here and it was the same when I was at United with Peter Schmeichel. It was fun in terms of being a part of those legacies. Obviously I am my own goalkeeper and I try and do things I know I'm good at."