Phil Jagielka has said Everton will avoid getting sucked into a relegation battle despite their poor recent Premier League form.
Roberto Martinez's side are six points above the bottom three after winning only one of their last 10 league matches.
Sunday's 2-2 draw at home to bottom club Leicester means they have collected only seven points from the last 30 available, with testing league trips to Arsenal and Stoke on the horizon.
Captain Jagielka was relegated from the Premier League in 2007 with Sheffield United, who had been seven points clear of trouble with 12 games to go.
But he is confident that Everton, a point closer to the bottom three with the same number of matches remaining, will not get sucked into trouble.
The 32-year-old told the Liverpool Echo: "As much as we are aware of the predicament we are in, we don't see ourselves as being in the relegation battle at the moment.
"It wouldn't take a lot to put us in there -- a few bad results for us, a few good results for the teams around us and we will drop into that battle.
"But as it stands at the moment, if we keep performing OK, get back to keeping clean sheets and keep grinding out results, then we hope the league will take care of itself.
"Then we can look forward to the European games -- but the first thing that has to be prioritised is the Premier League, because we are not in a good position at all."
Everton have won just two league matches in three months, recording a club record fifth successive home draw in all competitions after Leicester came within two minutes of victory at Goodison Park.
Jagielka said: "This has lasted too long, so it is difficult to call it a blip. But some of the football we are playing and some of the chances we have created... we know we are a good team.
"It is frustrating for the fans and it is frustrating for the players."