Everton boss Dave Moyes insists their disappointing form has nothing to do with his contract talks.
He told evertonfc.com: "I was asked last week if my contract could be a problem [for the players], I said 'Yes, maybe it is.' Sometimes when a manager is unsettled it can unsettle players. But you don't honestly think that players cross the line and think about the manager and think about their contract.
"The reason why we're not doing well is because we're not playing well enough. And my job is to make them play better.
"The future has always been bright at Everton. The job is to keep progressing and keep growing the Club. Yes, we've had a stuttering start but, as I've said before, the Premier League is a difficult league and we've got no divine right to win games. We have to work hard to do that."