Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville in full agreement over manager amid problem

Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher and Manchester United icon Gary Neville have defended David Moyes despite Everton's struggles at the club's new stadium, with the Blues winless in seven home matches

Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher believe David Moyes has Everton punching above its weight(Image: Getty Images)

Had you asked most Everton fans at the beginning of the season whether they'd accept sitting ninth in the table, three points adrift of seventh place and 12 points clear of the drop zone at this juncture, the majority would likely have bitten your hand off.

Yet there's an undeniable sense of discontent amongst the supporters currently, given the Premier League team's underwhelming performances at its own ground.

Following a blistering opening to life at Hill Dickinson Stadium – five victories and two draws from their initial nine fixtures at the spectacular waterfront venue – Everton is now enduring a torrid spell in front of its home faithful.

Despite Monday's 1-0 defeat to resurgent Manchester United being far from a dismal showing, David Moyes' players have now failed to win any of their previous seven matches at home, including the FA Cup third-round penalty shootout elimination against Sunderland, losing five of those encounters.

This has prompted queries as to why a team thriving away from home is struggling so significantly on its own patch. However, Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville maintain that Blues manager Moyes shouldn't be subjected to criticism.

During Monday Night Football, Liverpool icon Carragher remarked: "There's a little bit of frustration from Evertonians because they're not winning at home, and you always want to do well, I get that, so there's that frustration with the new stadium.

David Moyes is Everton's manager(Image: Getty Images)

"That was the big excitement over the last few years. Try to stay in the Premier League and we'll get to the new stadium.

"Also at times, and I notice this through friends and family or through social media, when Everton lose a game a lot of focus goes on the manager, as it does at most clubs, and Moyes gets a bit of criticism.

"But how David Moyes has got that squad of players in ninth position, I will never know. They've been on Monday Night Football six times and they very rarely impress me. They do okay, they get the job done.

"What Moyes has done since he's come in about 12 months ago, maybe more, he's done phenomenal. This is a team and a club that's been fighting relegation the last few years.

"I know it's disappointing because they've been so close to making the next step to European places, and that frustrates the supporters, but please don't be pointing the finger at David Moyes. That squad is not the ninth-best squad of players in the Premier League."

It's a sentiment shared by Manchester United legend and fellow Monday Night Football pundit Neville. Speaking on his podcast following the match, he remarked: "I think what he's getting out of these players here and the position they are in the league and the points total they have is absolutely fantastic because out on that pitch, it's not a spectacular team - it's not.

"They've got a very good set of pros who put a real shift in, and that, to be fair, is a great quality. You can't criticize any of them lads out on that pitch tonight.

"Now I always say if you're an Everton fan leaving this stadium, they'll be really disappointed, but what they'll never do is question the actual commitment of the players out on that pitch."