Everton have picked up just three wins in 15 Premier League outings this term and find themselves languishing towards the foot of the table. Just two points separate them from the drop zone at present, with a five-match winless run dragging them into the relegation dogfight. There is, of course, still plenty of time to turn things around, and the club have made a habit of recovering well over the second half of the season. However, it is vital that results improve dramatically in the near future if they are to start climbing the standings, with the busy festive period capable of making or breaking a campaign. Jagielka accepts that the time for excuses is over, with the England international of the opinion that Everton are a much better side than recent performances suggest. "We are in a difficult position now and yes, that tends to bring out the best in this side, but the truth is we're getting sick and tired of us having to do that," he said. "We're a good team and we should be doing better than this, no matter what excuses we may have. "We know that we have played badly, but really we have got to lift ourselves quickly because we have a game against Chelsea coming up (on Saturday)." Jagielka added: "We're devastated but we'll bounce back. We have to show character in adversity now."
