adminRoberto Martínez continues to harbor regrets about not better handling expectations at Everton following their impressive 72-point campaign.
In the 2013/14 Premier League season, Everton finished fifth with 72 points, earning a spot in the Europa League. However, the following year proved challenging: they exited the Europa League in the Round of 16 and slumped to 11th in the league.
Martínez, who was sacked from Goodison Park nearly a decade ago, has recently reflected that his dismissal felt unfair considering the progress he achieved with the club. He still carries disappointment from the 2014/15 season.
In a recent appearance on the Stick to Football podcast, Martínez explained his key regret: “What I regret when I look back is I didn’t manage the expectations. So from the first season going to 72 points, the next season in Europe—at that time not many people remember, but in 2015, British clubs, Premier League clubs, were finding it very difficult to play in Europe because the physicality of the Premier League was taking a lot, and Everton was the latest team in European competition.”
He noted that the subsequent season saw Everton reach the semi-finals of both the League Cup and FA Cup, highlighting how fine margins often decided outcomes.
Former Everton player Gerard Deulofeu has suggested that the squad under Martínez lacked sufficient attacking experience to convert those close cup ties into victories.
While such narrow differences can prove decisive, Everton went through four different managers in the four years following Martínez’s departure.
This comes amid Everton’s current push for a strong European finish this season, though many supporters remain worried about the squad’s ability to sustain competitiveness next year—concerns heightened by struggles from teams like Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest in balancing multiple competitions.
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