DISAPPOINTED David Moyes is threatening to wield the axe in the wake of Everton’s meek FA Cup surrender.

Last season’s runners-up slipped out of the competition on Saturday when they were beaten 2-1 at home by Birmingham City in their fourth round tie.

Moyes had selected the same starting line-up that outclassed Manchester City the previous week but was rewarded with a hugely below-par first-half showing during which Christian Benitez and Barry Ferguson scored for the visitors.

And with his team’s injury list starting to ease – Mikel Arteta made his long-awaited return to action at the weekend – the Goodison manager believes an increased competition for places means any under-performing players are likely to find themselves cast to the sidelines.

“We didn’t start the game well and because of that we are out of the competition,” said Moyes. “I think you have to give Birmingham a lot of credit. They are playing really well and are above us in the Premier League right now.

“We shouldn’t have been shocked by it, but we didn’t have enough who started the game well enough. It was probably a mix of Birmingham playing well and a bit of complacency on our part after last week.

“I was surprised by the first half because of the way we have played in recent weeks. I was surprised that we went so low in the first half. We are out of the Cup and that’s the lesson. The Cup does that to you, you don’t get a second chance to correct it.

“We had a wee bit of competition for places. Leon Osman had played as well as anybody in the three or four games before City.

“The team played so well then that he found himself not in it.

“It didn’t seem to affect too many on the field, but it will because one or two won’t get selected if they perform the way they did.”