Landon Donovan was pleased with his performance for Everton in their 1-1 draw at Aston Villa.
Donovan believes he is not yet at his best but is confident Everton can become a force once they overcome a lengthy injury list.
He said: "With my form, I'm getting there. I don't think I've been at my absolute best yet and I think I have more to offer
"But the mentality is good and I think we are just a little bit away from being special again.
"Everton always seem to do well in the second half but you don't want to count on doing that. It's a little dangerous.
"But if we can get the four or five injured guys back then the manager will have decisions to make and it will strengthen the squad a lot.""Not a whole lot has changed in the two years since I was here. Of course, every time you lose players like Arteta and Pienaar, there is going to be a difference in quality.