Marco Silva has said Everton must play with personality and without fear to improve their abysmal away record against the “big six” of the Premier League, starting with Manchester United on Sunday.

Everton have won only five league games in the last 10 years at the homes of the leading pack in the Premier League, losing 34 and drawing 22 of 61 matches in total. Their most recent success away at a “big six” club was against United in December 2013 – the club’s only victory at Old Trafford in the last 26 years – while Everton have not won at Manchester City for eight years, Tottenham for 10 years, Liverpool for 19, Arsenal for 22 and Chelsea for 24.

Manchester United v Everton: match preview Read more

Silva stared long and hard at a list of those results that was presented to him on Friday, and asked if he could keep it afterwards, before insisting a combination of quality and character was required to improve Everton’s record from Sunday onwards.

The Everton manager said: “You cannot find one team in the Premier League who can win at a place like Old Trafford regularly. The word ‘regularly’ makes it sound easy to win. To be able to win one game at Old Trafford or at one of the other strong sides in the country you have to be strong as a squad. You have to have the personality and the character to not fear and to be yourselves.

“First we have to respect our opponent because they are a strong side even if they are not in the best moment. United are a strong side with a lot of individual quality. You know these players and the money they spent in the last years. They are spending big, big money on big players but we have to be ourselves. We have to play and not be scared about anything. We have to have quality with the ball as well as it is part of our model and it doesn’t make sense if we go there and don’t play our way.”

Fifa puts Club World Cup revamp on hold after European resistance Read more

Silva’s own, shorter record away at the big six is also grim – one draw and nine defeats as manager of Hull City, Watford and Everton – but with his current team having won three consecutive league games he insists Old Trafford should be an experience to savour. He added: “If you don’t have the personality or character to compete and to challenge Manchester United at Old Trafford, or at home, you have less chance to win the match. I prepare the team during the week so they don’t have doubts. We always prepare for winning the match.

The Fiver: sign up and get our daily football email.

“It is not just about the top six. Even if we win 10 games [in a row] I would repeat the same thing – I want to improve every day. That is my way as a coach. It is not just about the strongest sides, I think we have to prove it every match. The next match will be against Manchester United and it is a fantastic opportunity for us. We are doing what we love, against a strong side and in a good stadium to play football. We have to be ourselves and enjoy it.”