Is Martinez capable of turning Everton’s season around?

Everton boss Roberto Martinez has saw his side lose three out of their last four Premier League games

Everton suffered a 3-2 defeat at Newcastle yesterday, which was their second consecutive defeat and their fifth defeat in their last six games in all competitions.

It is certainly a worrying run of form for the Toffees.

Fantastic

Last season Everton boss Roberto Martinez enjoyed a fantastic first campaign in charge as the Toffees finished fifth in the Premier League table picking up a club record 72 points.

Everything looked rosy coming into the new season and Everton were considered as genuine challengers for the top four this season.

Awful

However, their form has gone from inconsistent to awful in recent months. Four Premier League defeats in their last five Premier League games have made the possibility of a place in the top four almost impossible this season.

Roberto Martinez’s side are now 12 points behind fourth-place Southampton, but just six points clear of the relegation zone.

Luck

Every team needs a slice of luck and some of the decisions that have gone against the Merseysider’s in recent games have been awful. Yesterday Newcastle striker Papiss Cisse got away with elbowing Everton full-back Seamus Coleman with the score 1-0 to the visitors.

Cisse then fired home the equaliser which changed the game completely, as the Magpies suddenly looked full of confidence and took control of the game.

Om Boxing Day, Everton suffered a 1-0 home defeat against Stoke. The Potters were lucky to finish the game with 11 men, as Jonathan Walters was shown just a yellow card for a tackle on Leighton Baines who looked clear through on goal.

Even Stoke midfielder Glenn Whelan admitted after the game that he thought that his teammate was lucky to stay on the pitch. The loss that started Everton’s current run of poor form came at champions Manchester City, who defeated the Toffees 1-0 with what can only be described as soft penalty.

They say these decisions even themselves out over the season, it seems that Everton are due some luck when it comes to refereeing decisions.

Injuries

Everton entered the season with arguably their strongest squad in years. However, injuries have hit the Toffees hard this season. A number of their key players from last season have spent time on the sidelines and it has prevented the Toffees from finding the same fluidity as last season.

The likes of James McCarthy, John Stones, Ross Barkley, Kevin Mirallas (twice), Gareth Barry and Seamus Coleman have all spent time on the sidelines.

The Toffees started yesterday’s game without Tim Howard, Phil Jagielka, John Stones, Kevin Mirallas, Ross Barkley and record-signing Romelu Lukaku. The latter three came off the bench with Mirallas scoring the Toffees second goal.

Conceding

Even when Everton have been able to field what is regarded as their first choice backline they have struggled to keep clean sheets this season. The Toffees had the third best defence in the Premier League last season, but somehow they now have the second worst defensive record in the top-flight, as only QPR have conceded more goals.

One of the key factors could be McCarthy’s absence for a long period of the season. His regular defensive midfield partner Gareth Barry from last season has also struggled to find form. The former-Manchester City midfielder is suddenly looking his age.

Barry and McCarthy helped protect the defence and were the foundations that last season’s success was built on. It is vital that the pair can get fully fit and rediscover their form.

Tactics

Everton boss Martinez is regarded as a boss with good tactical acumen and the current run of form is his first major test in charge of the Toffees. Last season he showed that he could adapt his tactics to get the best out of his players and win games.

The Spaniard’s football philosophy will not change and it does not have to. All he needs to do is apply it in the same manner as he did last season. One of the key factors of last season was the way Everton pressed their opponents without the ball.

The same has not happened this season and that aspect has to return to the team. Maybe fitness issues have played a part in the lack of pressing, because the Toffees just do not look the same team that looked so strong in the last campaign.

There were doubts about the appointment of Roberto Martinez as Everton boss and those doubts will be creeping back into the minds of Evertonians everywhere after the team’s recent poor run of form. The Spaniard now has to prove his doubters wrong and quickly.

Desperate

Martinez has not become a poor manager overnight. The former-Wigan boss now needs some luck and a fully-fit squad, because in recent week he has had neither and it has resulted in Everton being in the bottom half of the table.

He will be hoping that Everton’s bad run of results cannot continue much longer and they visit struggling Hull on New Years Day, a game they are odds of 13/10 to win. Everton and Martinez desperately need a victory, or people will once again starting asking questions about the Spaniard’s ability to manage the Merseyside club.

Is Martinez capable of turning Everton’s season around?