Champions League spot is there for the taking

Only one win in nine? Or only one defeat in nine? Which way do you look at Everton's recent run?

Over Everton's past nine Premier League games, we've managed to draw seven of them, quickly becoming the divisions draw specialists throughout November.

Depending on your out look on life, whether you are a half pint full or half pint empty type of person, you will either argue that Everton have shown themselves to either be a difficult side to beat, or a team who are unable to find a win.

It's one of those strange scenarios where you are left frustrated not really knowing whether or not we should be abjectly disappointed following our start to the season that included four wins in six.

Or be pleased that we've made it through to December with only two defeats?

Looking back on last season we had already lost 8 games by this stage of the season, it was 5 the season before that and 7 in 2009.

In fact it's a record we've never achieved before since the Premier League was formed, in fact you have to go back as far as 1978 to find the last time we had only lost 2 games from our opening 15 and that season we went the first 19 games of the season unbeaten.

The problem is the lack of victories, 5 in 15 games has only given us a return of 23 points from a possible 45 and we've dropped from second to sixth.

That all said, we're still only three points behind third placed Chelsea and being difficult to beat will mean we will continue to pick up points and if we do that we will continue to be in the mix.

"The last few seasons the Premier League has gone a little bit crazy with teams finishing almost anywhere.

"The title has been between two or three teams but the Champions League is there for anyone — Tottenham have done it and Newcastle had a crack at it. Phil Jagielka told the media.

He went on to add: "Whether we are underestimated or not, we have not got a very big squad. We don`t have that many options on the bench.

"We haven`t got the biggest squad, so maybe that is why people are not talking us up.

"But it doesn`t bother us. The squad isn`t going to get much bigger, so it will be all down to how the manager manages us as the season goes on."

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