While there was plenty to talk about this past season at Goodison Park, perhaps the most surprising thing about Everton wasn’t their disappointing record as much as the fact that more people didn’t lash out at Roberto Martinez and his club. Martinez somehow managed to avoid serious criticism despite the fact that his club finished in the bottom half of the table, which is even that much more disappointing considering their progression from eight to seventh, seventh to sixth and then fifth place finishes over the last five seasons.
Finishing 11th was a major step backward for a club that many felt was close to contending at the beginning of last season. Even so, there were still at least a handful of positives that the team could take looking forward to next year.
Martinez Has Earned The Benefit Of The Doubt For Now
There is no doubt that Martinez has earned the benefit of the doubt – at least for now – as most other fan bases would be calling for their manager’s head if their team had underperformed the way that Everton did this past season. The fans have given Martinez the benefit of the doubt that he can right this ship and get Everton back in to the top half of the table at the very least next year. There’s a general perception that last year was just an aberration and that the trend of this team under Martinez is still pointing in the right direction.
At any rate, it will make the next couple of months that much more interesting as we wait to see how the team addresses its weakness with the midfield and striker positions in particular areas of need.
It Will Be Vital To Retain Core Players
A disappointing season will only give Everton’s core players more reason to want to leave for one of England’s top flight clubs and it will be important for the team to do whatever they can in order to avoid losing them. Marouane Fellaini is gone and now the focus has apparently shifted over to Leighton Baines, Seamus Coeman and Ross Barkley as three players that have reportedly garnered plenty of interest. In order to have any shot at improvement next season, Everton will have to build while retaining the players they already have in place, so it will be important to convince the core the team is still planning on being a competitor next season.
Howard’s On The Down Slope
Tim Howard certainly deserved his reputation as one of the top goalkeepers in the world over the last few years and while he showed flashes of brilliance even just this past season, his overall play was much less consistent. Howard is 37 years old and his workload from the past two years was that much greater because of his time with the United States in the World Cup. There is no doubt about his contributions to the game over the course of his career but at this point, Howard is clearly trending in the wrong direction. Everton gave up 50 goals last season, which made them one of just two teams in the Top 12 to allow that many. That’s one of the reasons why they may need to make a change.
The Defense Should Bounce Back
One of Everton’s biggest strengths over the last few seasons has been the solid and consistent play of their back four – including the quality play of Baines and Coleman at the fullback position. This past season was much different as their 10 clean sheets were five down from the year before. But even after a year marred by inconsistency, there is reason to expect them to be better. Baines, Coleman, Phil Jagielka and John Stones have plenty of talent and experience between them and after a relatively rough season, there is definitely reason to think they can bounce back next year.
