Nigel Martyn: Knuckle down and battle through it
THERE is only one thing to do when you are faced with the kind of situation Everton are currently in - roll your sleeves up and battle through.
It might sound simplistic but, really, there is no other solution; having suffered such a wretched sequence of results in the past few weeks, the squad has got to stick together like never before.
When a team is making smooth progress and you are winning games here, there and everywhere, the training ground is a happy place to be. Everyone gets on with their jobs and morale is the last thing you worry about.
But when you have a situation like the one we are in at the minute, it's only natural that there are long faces, so, with that in mind, I really wouldn't be surprised if David Moyes has a trip to the Lake District in mind like the one we went on three years ago.
Being knocked out of both the Carling and UEFA Cups, coupled with the defeat against Liverpool and Sunday's infuriating draw with Newcastle, is hopefully as low as it will get for the Blues this season and maybe this international break has come at the right time.
Of course, things won't get any easier when play resumes - how could they with games against Arsenal and Manchester United? But it would great to see us chisel out a 0-0 draw from somewhere soon.
At the minute, we don't look like being able to keep a clean sheet and a goalless stalemate would, in many ways, have been better than the result against Newcastle as the defence would have had something to work with.
The goals we conceded on Sunday came at horrible times and the first one completely changed the dynamics of the game - from feeling totally positive and in control, the jitters set in and it was worrying to see the Blues hanging on at the end.
Comfort, however, should be taken from the fact that there is still plenty of time to turn the situation around - there are still 31 games to be played, after all and you would think there is enough talent in the squad to put a lengthy unbeaten run together.
That said, it is up to the senior players to lead the way; Mikel Arteta, for example, wore the captain's armband on Sunday and while he is not a Tony Adams, he is an intelligent guy and can inspire by the way he plays. Others have to follow suit.
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