David Moyes says West Ham are still not as good as the Everton side he took into the Champions League in 2005, but he hopes to build a fine team over a decade in east London.
The Scot will welcome former side Everton to the London Stadium this weekend as he looks to repeat his feat of finishing fourth in 2005.
West Ham are three points off fourth-placed Chelsea - who visit champions in waiting Manchester City on Saturday - with four games to go.
Moyes qualified for the Champions League once during his long stay at Goodison Park, finishing fourth above rivals Liverpool in 2004/05 with a squad that included Mikel Arteta, James Beattie and Tim Cahill.
"I don't think we're as good as that team yet," said Moyes when asked if his current crop matched up to that Everton side.
"But I think we're going in the right direction. You've got to look at the recruitment... you've got to remember it took a wee while and I think my best teams at Everton were right at the end, even though we made the Champions League.
"I'd hope that if we were here in 10 years I would have a team that you would say were a really good side. We've just started. The next part is to keep improving and add players to the squad. I think this team here has got an awful lot going for it because they keep going, their energy is so big and they're giving everything they've got. Lots of good things.
"I keep saying there is progress to be made. We have got so much better to come, so much room to improve. I think a bit of what you saw the other night is what I’m talking about: the improvement and how I want it to look going forward.
"We will not always play as well, we might not always work the way we want it to work, but there is a way I want us to play. I want us to be attacking, I want us to try to score as many goals as we can."
