Everton defender Jake O’Brien insists David Moyes’ struggling side are ‘too good’ to be relegated because they are ‘better than a lot of teams’

Everton defender Jake O’Brien insists they are too good to go down despite facing Spurs without a win in six league matches, in which they’ve only scored once.

O’Brien is confident the Merseysiders, who have David Moyes in charge following the dismissal of Sean Dyche, will kick off in their new stadium next season as a Premier League club.

‘I just can’t see us going down,’ said the Republic of Ireland international. ‘I think we’re better than a lot of teams so it’s just about getting a few points on the board and pushing up.

‘I think we’ve got too good a group of players to go down. You can see it in training. In games, it’s just fine margins, taking your goals and not conceding small goals.

‘You can see there are moments that win and lose games. We’ve been on the bad side of it. Once that clicks for us and we start getting a good run of games, people will stop doubting us.

‘We were in this situation last season and able to look up.’

David Moyes’ side are without a win in their last six top-flight matches, scoring just once

But O’Brien believes the Toffees will stay up because they are ‘better than a lot of teams’

On a personal front, the 23-year-old hopes a change of manager will act as a boost with Dyche failing to give him a Premier League start following a £14million move from Lyon.

Centre-half O’Brien helped the French club qualify for Europe alongside star names Alexandre Lacazette and World Cup winners Corentin Tolisso and Nicolas Tagliafico but has found himself behind Jarrad Branthwaite, James Tarkowski and Michael Keane in the pecking order at Goodison Park.

‘I think I need to start playing more,’ he admitted. ‘It’s been a frustrating six months, but I think the next half of the season is important for me to start getting games. I thought I would have played a lot more than I did.

‘I know there’s been a lack of game time, but I don’t regret coming here. There’s still a lot of time to show what I’m about. Things change fast in football.

‘I’m obviously not happy watching from the side, but I have to know as a young player that’s something you have to do. Not for too long though!’

The centre-half stands 6ft6ins tall but says there is more to his game than being a stopper.

‘A lot of people just see my size and think “he is just a no-nonsense centre half”.

‘It is probably the opposite, I like to play good football and I like to play possession football, to start attacks from the back, but then chipping in and scoring – defending as well, which is the main part of my game.’

The defender joined in the summer in a £14m deal but has struggled for regular game time

He is hoping for a change in fortune under Moyes, who returned after Sean Dyche’s sacking

O’Brien scored four times for Lyon last season – including in the French Cup final against PSG – so may be a useful option for Everton who have failed to net in nine of their last 11 matches.

O’Brien thinks there is enough talent in the current squad to improve the situation though they have also been strongly linked with his former Lyon team-mate, Earnest Nuamah.

‘Once it clicks, we will start scoring and pick up a few points. I think we have it in the squad to score the goals, obviously it would be a great help to have other people as well,’ added O’Brien.

‘We do have it in the squad to score goals, as I said it is fine margin and finding that click, being in the right place at the right time and taking the chance.’