Boos reverberated around Goodison Park as the referee brought their last Premier League outing, a disappointing 2-1 defeat to relegation-battling Swansea City, to a close. One thing was abundantly clear to the home supporters who stayed until the final whistle: the blue half of Merseyside is losing faith in Roberto Martinez and his underachieving Toffees. Since the Swans turned Goodison into a cauldron of discontent, the Blues have blown the opportunity to compete for their first silverware in over two decades at Wembley Stadium by surrendering a two-goal aggregate lead in the second leg of their League Cup semi-final at Manchester City. Although Everton saved some face over the weekend by seeing off League Two minnows Carlisle United in the FA Cup, a run of just three league wins since September coupled with the worst home defensive record in the division paints a damning picture. The Martinez era showed such early promise as the Spaniard guided the Toffees to a fifth-placed finish and a record Premier League points haul in his maiden season. But an enjoyable, if ultimately disappointing, Europa League adventure the following term, has been the sole highlight of an otherwise frustrating 18 months. And yet, there are glimmers of hope. Its widely accepted that the squad Martinez has assembled is Evertons most talented since the trophy-laden 80s, and this is just one of several reasons why calls for the former Wigan Athletic managers head are premature.
