Everton manager Sam Allardyce has cancelled the players' Christmas party, saying he wants celebrations put on hold until their position in the table improves further.
Allardyce has guided Everton to a win and a draw in his two Premier League games in charge, moving them away from the Premier League danger zone.
But he told a news conference he felt a players' night out this month would send the wrong message to supporters.
That means the party, scheduled to have taken place after next Monday's match at home to Swansea, is off.
The manager said: "Yes I've stopped the Christmas party because it is not needed at the moment because of the position we were in when I first arrived here.
"I told the players I will pay them back when they come out of Christmas and into January and we will socialise and they can go and socialise at the right time.
"It's off until there is a period of time when we are in a very good position that you can say: 'Lads, have a relaxing time which you deserve but whatever you do I don't want a phone call telling me you've been in trouble because you will be in even more trouble with me than you are wherever you are out there.'"
Allardyce warned that it was "very important that the players, in today's environment with social media, were not seen to be out enjoying themselves too much."
The Everton manager is looking for his second win in three games when he returns to his former club Newcastle on Wednesday.