Everton are languishing in 14^th place in the EPL after a brace of recent 2-2 draws, one an acceptable result in the Merseyside derby, the other a disappointing two points dropped at home to the EPL’s bottom club.

And Toffees supremo David Moyes is having to make up for lost South African midfielders after Steven Pienaar completed his protracted move out of Goodison Park.

Everton were fortunate that the West Ham result wasn’t even worse, as they would have been two places above the EPL drop zone but for hairy Belgian midfielder Marouane Fellaini’s dramatic late equaliser.

The Merseyside club have been largely quiet in the transfer market. But they lost the influential Pienaar to Tottenham for a fee of £2.5m.

And striker James Vaughan has rejoined Championship strugglers Crystal Palace on-loan until the end of the season, having scored five times for the Eagles in a previous loan spell.

A putative loan move to Glasgow giants Celtic fell foul of the loan regulations, which don’t allow a player to represent more than two clubs in a season.

But there was better player news last week when striker Victor Anichebe and much-vaunted right-midfielder Seamus Coleman both penned four-and-a-half-year contracts, keeping them at Goodison Park until 2015.

Everton host holders Chelsea in the FA Cup fourth round this Saturday lunchtime – a repeat of the 2009 final. Moyes has an injury-free squad, with the only absentee being Tim Cahill, who will be playing in Australia’s Asian Cup final against Japan in Qatar.