@davek
You loyally support the manager . Can you please explain exactly what he does that sets him apart from other managers and makes you support him.
For me ;
His organisation of this pre season was shambolic.
He shows no tactical flexibility .
We do not appear to do any work on set pieces or if we do it patently does not work.
The players do not appear to believe in his ethos of passing for the sake of it ( particularly at the back when a being caught in possession leads directly to a threat on goal )and most worryingly
The players have not developed their individual games under him ( particularly Lukaku , Barkley and Mc Carthy )
I'm not davek, but I can have a go at answering some of these points.
Pre season was awful. He does show a lot of tactical flexibility with different formations. Set pieces are a major problem, and we need to buy a commanding centre half and goalkeeper this summer.
I think the players are ok with the system, but inevitably with defeats comes a scepticism.
I can't have the last point. Lots of players have come on under Martinez. Stones, Garbutt, Oviedo, Naismith and last season Barkley (though he has regressed) have all progressed.
Unfortunately what we have now is a situation where confidence is shot to pieces and players are playing worse because of it. This is a major worry, especially for young players and I have to say I do worry about Barkley within this culture.
What has he got going for him? Well when Moyes left I wasted some of the following
1) A manager committed to youth
2) A manager willing to try and play attacking football
3) A manager who would be more positive about how he spoke of the club (not moan about lack of funds)
4) Someone who would try and impose a set of values from top down.
5) A young manager who had time to build a legacy
I think Martinez still tries to do all of those things. This season has been awful and he's made lots of mistakes. In introducing new players, younger players and a different outlook eventually it was always going to lead to a conflict with senior pro's. Judging him negatively because the senior pro's have lost faith in him, is to me judging someone for an inevitable happening.
What he needs to be judged on, is how he moves on after this, and how he gets us through this. If we sack Martinez, we will get the same problem again. Maybe 6 month's maybe a year, maybe two years down the line. There comes a point when the honeymoon period wears off.
Martinez needs to move players on this summer and mould Everton in his own image this summer, and be judged on next season.
As has been said, we have an excellent nucleus of young players. I think they all need this season to end, a break to re-evaluate how to do better next year.