Steve Bruce has ordered Sunderland to cut out the individual errors if they want to establish themselves in the Barclays Premier League.
The Black Cats have found themselves marooned in 10th place in the table in recent weeks amid a run of games which has brought them just five points from a possible 27.
Just five weeks or so ago, they were being touted as possible European contenders after a 1-0 home victory over Arsenal.
But a return of only one point from the five games they have played since has seen them slip seven points adrift of seventh-placed Birmingham and left them only five better off than Bolton inside the relegation zone.
Poor team performances at Wigan and Fulham have not helped, but individual mistakes have contributed in no small part to a home draw with Portsmouth and defeats by Aston Villa and Manchester City, and Bruce knows that cannot be allowed to continue.
He said: "It's five weeks ago since we beat Arsenal and everybody was absolutely delirious.
"You looked at the fixtures before then with Liverpools and Tottenhams and Manchester Uniteds in there and you think, 'This is going to be tough'.
"You get through that and get over Arsenal and look on paper and think - but the Premier League is unforgiving and if you just make individual errors, you come two, three, four, five per cent off your maximum, you get punished by any team, and we have learnt a harsh lesson.
"We have put ourselves under a bit of pressure - everybody is under pressure in the Premier League, that's what it is - and we have got to get back to the way we were three, four, five weeks ago, and there were signs last week.
"If we do that against Everton and get a win under our belts, that may kick-start us on again."
