Everton can look back on a rather difficult and testing season in which they never managed to hit the heights of Roberto Martinez’ first year in charge. The Spaniard won lots of plaudits for the way he made the Toffees play in his first season but that was always going to be difficult to sustain, with an added strain of Europa League games to contend with. Romelu Lakaku’s permanent signing was a massive bonus but the squad was not really beefed up as much as it needed to be otherwise, with lack of options in both attack and defence a concern. The team looked quite leaky at the start as they let a two-goal lead at home against Arsenal slip right at the end, before Chelsea dismantled them for a 6:3 win at the Goodison as well. Everton still seemed capable of playing some excellent football but were too frail at the back and undoing their positive work in the final third too much by that. Wins were hard to come by and they accumulated just the one in the first seven games. There was improvement after that and the team managed to stabilise themselves in mid-table. However, there was little consistency about their game and the team looked a bit too predictable for the opposition in most games, with the slow attacking build-up negated by solid defensive blocks. Martinez maintained his upbeat rhetoric but a run of six losses in nine games in the league in December really put the pressure on him. Woeful showings away at Southmapton and Hull during that run really raised doubts about the suitability of the manager and his long-term prospects for the job. Players seemed to be losing faith and the fans were definitely turning against the team as well. There was a bit more character shown in the weeks after that as Everton held Manchester City to a draw and secured a few clean sheets to bolster confidence. However, the performances were still far from the level set in the previous season and there just seemed to be lack of energy and vim in the team. Everton were at least doing well in Europe and, having made serene progress in the group stages of the Europa League, eventually reached the last-16. The tie against Dynamo Kyiv was always going to be a big challenge, however, and an emphatic 5:2 loss in the away league spelt the end of their European dream. The end of their international adventures seemed to be a blessing in disguise as the Toffees enjoyed their best run in the league in the weeks after that. Wins over QPR and Newcastle sussed any relegation concerns in the bud and further wins over Southampton and Manchester United lifted the mood around the place considerably. More good football in the final few weeks earned a place in the top ten and that is at least a partial consolation. But this season showed that Everton are not ready to sustain a challenge on more than one front and need some refreshment and changes next season in order to be a force to be reckoned with.
