Tim Howard says Everton can have no excuses for a disappointing Premier League season.
Roberto Martinez's side are likely to finish in the bottom half of the table after failing to build on last season's fifth-place finish.
The Toffees were in danger of being dragged into relegation trouble before successive league victories over Newcastle, QPR and Southampton eased their concerns, although that run of wins was ended by a 1-1 draw at Swansea on Saturday.
U.S. international goalkeeper Howard has dismissed any suggestion that Everton's poor domestic form has been a result of playing in the Europa League.
Martinez's side won four of the 10 league matches that immediately followed their Thursday night Europa League fixtures this season, but Howard said that the competition has not been a distraction.
The 36-year-old told the Daily Mail: "That's something that's been talked about for the last five or 10 years but it's just a blanket statement people make. Champions League teams have to do the same thing.
"They play Wednesday and Saturday and it's tough but no-one blames Champions League football. No football team has a God-given right to be anywhere.
"We've put in honest performances but things just haven't gone our way. We could sit here and make a list of a thousand different things but it's not the Europa League or anything else."