Everton manager Roberto Martinez has warned his players against thinking the season is over with eight matches to go.
Back-to-back league wins eased the growing spectre of a relegation battle and their nine-point cushion over 18th-placed Burnley means they are out of danger from that respect.
With European qualification effectively out of reach the Toffees have little left to aim for, but Martinez is keen for them to finish strongly in order to banish the feelings of failure this campaign.
"I think it would be a big mistake to start thinking about next season," he said.
"There are no distractions; the league position is everything that matters.
"It is quite straightforward -- you need to get 40 points and that is the first target as a team and from that point you try to get as high in the table as you can.
"We are still in a position where we need to fight for those 40 points and nothing will change until we achieve that.
"We know the amount of points is not what we wanted but the truth is you have to face it.
"We had a good reaction in the league with back-to-back wins and now we have 24 points to fight for which will be very significant.
"We can get that momentum from the last campaign when we ended up with a run of seven straight wins and we need exactly the same.
"The way you finish the season affects what you do in the season after and the way you can assess internally what we have done."
Saturday's visitors are sixth-placed Southampton, who are doing this season what Everton did last in exceeding expectations, and Martinez knows they cannot afford to rest on their laurels after winning their last two Premier League matches.
"Two wins has given us real confidence and sense of belief but it is important we get ready to face Southampton," he added.
"It is very important to use home advantage, with five home games and three away, to show what we can do and try to get some enjoyment and momentum which we unfortunately haven't had this season.
"Southampton are the revelation team of the season and it is a great opportunity for us coming back from the international break to focus on difficult opposition.
"I would be very surprised if they don't qualify for Europe and they deserve to finish in the top five."
Martinez will have no hesitation in selecting James McCarthy after the 24-year-old was criticised by former Republic of Ireland midfielder Liam Brady, among others, for his performances and commitment for the national team.
The Everton manager defended his player, insisting the side are certainly weaker without him.
"It is quite a harsh comment. I have been working with James for many years and we all see the impact he is having at Everton," said Martinez, who brought McCarthy with him from Wigan.
"It [criticism] is distracting from the reality. At 24 James has incredible experience and is a massive asset for us and for any football team.
"For us he has been exactly what we expected. He is a reliable footballer and we are not the same team when he is not on the pitch.
"He will continue to develop into a player who is very important but what happens at international level is out of my hands and I can't comment.
"You will not get a more committed and better character than James McCarthy to have in any dressing room."