Everton manager Ronald Koeman has said that the club must have "realistic" ambitions for the season.
The Toffees recorded 13 points from their first five games but just one win in their last eight outings has led to criticism of the Merseyside outfit.
However, with the club still in seventh place in the table, Koeman has insisted that he is satisfied with their current status in the Premier League.
The 53-year-old told reporters: "First you need to work hard, that's the best way to turn things around. It's a big game on Sunday against a big club, but still we are in a good position in the table.
"If someone had asked me at the start of the season, you are seventh and one point behind sixth in December I would have been happy with that.
"You need to be realistic, one win in eight is not good enough but you need to work hard but we are still unbeaten at home and that is a big positive."
Everton will move into sixth position in the standings should they beat Manchester United on Sunday afternoon.
Darren Plant
