Roberto Martinez believes Everton's comeback win against Dynamo Kiev could be a turning point in their season and has the potential to bring a revival in their Premier League fortunes.
The Merseysiders take a 2-1 lead to Ukraine in their Europa League last-16 tie courtesy of goals from Steven Naismith and Romelu Lukaku scored after Oleg Gusev had given Kiev an early lead.
But Everton have won only one of their last 12 league games to make this their worst start to a season for 88 years and raise fears of relegation.
Supporters at Goodison Park were turning on the players in the first half, but Martinez feels Everton's response could be significant in the remainder of the campaign.
"I think it has to be a turning point for us," he said in a news conference. "The crowd is intelligent and they know that we are a very honest group of players that are trying to play our best football. Today you saw the same team with a real anxiety in the first 20-25 minutes.
"We found it difficult to express ourselves but when we get our tempo right and that expression in that play we are a very, very good team. That's a moment that we need each other. Now we need to focus on the league and get that feeling that we had in the second half.
"We need to be together and help each other to express themselves. Once we get that winning momentum we will see the rewards from that. This is a fantastic football team with lots of potential.
Martinez praised his side for an "outstanding" response after a troubled start as they defeated the Ukrainian league leaders.
"It was a huge contrast," he explained. "We grew into that first half performance. In many ways it was the way we have played in the Premier League. We didn't have a forward intent in the first 20 minutes.
"We gave away a goal so cheaply but I couldn't be prouder of the reaction. We finished the half strong and all of a sudden we had more freedom.
"The second half was an outstanding performance. You always have to be aware but we stopped them from having a threat. You cannot underestimate winning a game in Europe. To win a game against a team with a winning mentality was very pleasing."