Everton not pressing panic button just yet despite sixth defeat on the trot

Everton 0 Wigan 1

Everton’s defeat at home to Wigan on Saturday was their sixth in-a-row and 10th in 11 matches. The barren spell has also seen them exit the Champions League and almost certainly the UEFA Cup.

Wyness said: “We are aware it is not the best of starts but David will come through it. He is exactly the right type of character and personality.

“We will talk about this (again) at Easter. We won’t be in this position.”

Everton meet Dinamo Bucharest on Thursday when they will attempt to peg back a 5-1 first-leg deficit.

For a team that cannot buy a goal at the moment, it seems like mission impossible.

Skipper David Weir believes it is time to adopt a siege mentality.

“We’ve had good times so we’ve got to realise when the bad times come we have to stick together,” Weir said. “We have got to come out fighting. We have to realise that the only way we can change things is to win games.”

Moyes hopes they get a stroke of good fortune against the Romanians.

“Some people have mentioned we have not had much luck but maybe that will happen on Thursday,” Moyes said. “There is not much dropping the right way for us.

“Obviously I am very concerned. It is not the position we want to be in. We have lost three games 1-0 to teams we should be maybe getting results against. Everybody can see we are in desperate need of scoring a goal.”

Everton midfielder Kevin Kilbane saw his header rattle the bar before Marcus Bent had his effort controversially ruled out by referee Rob Styles.

Moyes said: “I asked the linesman and he said it was disallowed for a foul but I don’t think it was.

“But we shouldn’t be relying on those kind of decisions to win games. We were worth a point but we should be winning games.”

Wigan’s Damien Francis got the all-important goal a minute into the second half - the points took Wigan onto the shoulders of Man United and level with Arsenal.

Manager Paul Jewell, while delighted with their start, is intent on keeping a cool head. “If we are level with Arsenal after 38 games we will be delighted,” he said. “This is a tough league and we are playing against top teams.

“Everton are struggling but are a great club and we had to match them. We are honest and hard working. We have talented players and great desire but we are not getting carried away.”

OPTA stats: Everton fired 14 shots at goal, but just two were on target.

Everton won a league high 12 corners against Wigan on Saturday.