Everton boss David Moyes refuses to allow a flat January market as an excuse for their disappointing form.
Moyes is expecting a second-half of the season rally from his players.
He insisted: "You know it would be easy to say yes, the transfer window has had an effect on our performances since, just as it would be very easy to say it has got anything to do with my contract - it would be easy to make those excuses.
"But at the end of the day it's not had an affect. It's about the players we have got, and the players we have got have been working great for the past year. The truth is, from January to January we have outperformed most clubs."