Everton boss Rafa Benitez urged calm after their 4-0 friendly thrashing at Manchester United.
Benitez was without Richarlison, who won gold with Brazil at the Olympic football tournament on Saturday, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, nursing a minor knock.
“Today, we didn't have our strikers, the others did their jobs but it is totally different when we have specific players, especially good players, up front," Benitez told evertontv.
“They are not here, so that changed the dynamic of the team a little bit.
“We have to improve in some areas but the main thing is to be sure we have the team together, then we can manage the way we want to play, with the players who can normally make the difference.
“We want to play like we did in the [earlier pre-season] games.
“Trying to create chances, trying to move forward quickly.
“I think as a team we have to improve.
“Not just a couple of players. As a team we have to be sure that the understanding between players, the mentality, the character is there – and then if we have that, we can be more competitive.
"Today we conceded goals that, in the end, don't give us any hope of a good result... it was more about trying to play the way we want but the other team was much better and we couldn't cope with that.
“It is not easy but for us some of the ideas we were implementing during pre-season are what we have to do now."
Benitez gave 18-year-old Lewis Dobbin, scorer of three pre-season hat-tricks for the Under-23 team, the final 14 minutes.
He added: "I think he [Dobbin] did well.
"It was an opportunity for the young players to show what they can do.
"Obviously, it's not a game you can have an opinion on, or criticise the boys, because the team was not doing what we have to against a good team.
"But at least he tried and the other young lads were trying. I'm happy with that."
