Jordan Pickford not ready to panic about Everton's situation

The Toffees are currently 18th in the table ahead of Sunday's home clash with Watford.

They have won only two of 10 league games so far this season and Thursday's 3-0 Europa League defeat at Lyon was their fifth loss in a row in all competitions.

Pickford, who joined the Merseyside outfit from relegated Sunderland in June, has stressed the situation is not similar to that which he experienced with the Black Cats last term.

"It's not been ideal but we are not far away from winning games," Pickford said.

"We're not a club that is going to be in the bottom three for long I'd say. It's just that the luck hasn't come our way yet.

"It's a totally different scenario for myself from last season.

"I think one win will get us to 13th or something in the league (Everton are four points behind 13th-placed Huddersfield and three behind 14th-placed Stoke).

"Then that one win can become back-to-back wins, and that is where the confidence grows, and it starts Sunday."

The 23-year-old says there is no sense of panic in the dressing room.

"No - it's too early," he said.

"We have had a bad lot of games. I love playing games week in week out, but it has been a change with the Europa League. That may have affected us.

"But we can't be making excuses. We have to just move forward, dig in and get the win."

Asked if he had seen the right characters in the camp required for Everton to get out of their current predicament, Pickford said: "Yes, definitely.

"You have (fellow summer signing Wayne) Rooney, you have a lot of people who have been successful.

"The senior pros have all been successful in their careers, and that is where they help us. And then that is when the young lads become big characters, when they wear their hearts on their sleeves in the games.

"We won't be struggling - it will only make us go forward and get the wins that we need."

Everton's poor start this season - which saw boss Ronald Koeman sacked last week, with David Unsworth taking temporary charge - has come despite them spending considerably in the transfer market over the summer.

While a raft of players were signed, they failed to recruit a proper replacement for top-scorer Romelu Lukaku, who joined Manchester United.

Only two teams have scored fewer league goals than Everton this season, and Pickford added: "It's been hard for Dom (forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin).

"He has been terrific up top, worked his socks off and scored a few goals. I think he has been brilliant for us.

"But I think it's been quite hard to replace Lukaku."