Everton owner Farhad Moshiri has given his backing to manager Marco Silva and insists the Portuguese is building for the "long-term".
Everton have won just three of their last 12 Premier League matches and were knocked out of the FA Cup by Sky Bet Championship side Millwall last month.
Sporting Life's recent Sack Race assessment showed that Silva is second favourite in the betting to be the next Premier League manager to leave his job.
But, despite the poor run of form, the Everton majority shareholder insisted: "In this business, you have to hold your nerve."
Everton, who sit in ninth place, face Manchester City on Wednesday before travelling to face Silva's former club Watford at Vicarage Road on Saturday.
"It is a project. The Everton fans quite rightly demand young football," Moshiri told talkSPORT.
"We want young players to develop - they need to play. Marco Silva is a talented coach but he's planning long-term.
"He will coach and develop those young players and every year those same young players will become stronger.
"In this business, you have to hold your nerve."
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