20 years - Everton's Wait Continues

Article by e-Everton Correspondent Kenneth Jarvis

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Why? Why as fans do we always do it to ourselves? Let ourselves be taken in by the optimism, count our chickens and presume that the unlikely is actually the likely. Everton haven't won at Arsenal in 18 years, Everton always seem to bottle it now in the big occasions and they have the better players. But things are different under Martinez, this is the new Everton. The kind of Everton that can go into a ground like the Emirates and meet them 'eye to eye', not by playing dogs of war football but beautiful school of science football where we can pass our way into FA Cup folklore.

That was Saturday morning.

By the 3 o'clock kick offs, Everton had been bought back down to the real world. Martinez was in the firing line along with Robles, Barry, Pienaar, Osman and Lukaku amongst others.

The reality is that Everton had no right to expect to get a result against a team who on their day can be sublime. There was nothing new in why Everton couldn't win here, lack of creativity and cutting edge was again a nemesis as Martinez has struggled to find combinations and tactics to get the team to score more goals. Liverpool have scored nearly twice as many league goals this season.

It was a weekend of if's for Everton that has left a sour taste in the mouth for the rest of the season. What if McCarthy doesn't slip for the first goal and what if Barry didn't dangle that leg out for Oxlade-Chamberlain to trip over. If Saturday was injury, Sunday was very much the insult. The draw in the first place meant that 7th in the league will not be a European slot as either Hull City or Sheffield United will be in the FA Cup final. Then came the realisation that If Everton beat Arsenal they'd be playing Wigan in a semi-final with either Hull or Sheffield United in a final. What if.

A lot of Everton fans have been hard on Moyes since he rather pathetically attempted to buy Baines and Fellaini but the reality is that if he were in charge this season, Everton would be in more or less the same position. It's a pertinant fact that we are playing better football but the result is the same. By December Martinez had become untouchable, particualry after the defeat of Manchester United. But this defeat has left questions, one of the main ones being totally bought on by himself. Why did he play Joel Robles? We knew he was going to play as he has played in every cup game, but for a FA Cup quarter final many argued, me included, that you should be playing your strongest team. He was not responsible for any of the goals, even if he did try and palm the ball into his own net. He did however instill no confidence in the team. I am of the mindset that a team gets a lot of confidence from it's spine, and for your goalkeepers to look so utterly helpless in the early moments of a match can only be a bad thing. I got a few negative responses on twitter when I mentioned about him the day before the match but I rate him. He is very young and will only get better. People mentioned that he won the cup with Wigan last year. Does that make him a good keeper? Did it mean Wigan were a good team? No. He shouldn't of played.

Stoke beat Arsenal the week before by playing mean. Moyes' Everton side had the flexibility of being able to mix it up. Playing nicer football against the lesser teams but rolling the sleeves up and being more physical against the bigger teams. It felt like Everton needed a bit of this attitude on Saturday. Martinez plays one way through and set-pieces and physical football are too ugly for his 'perfect' vision.

At the end of the day though, Arsenal are a very good team. They had a player in their team they bought for £42m . . . forty two million. That is nearly three times as much as Everton have ever pay for a player. They also have plenty of wonderful footballers. My man of the match would have been Oxlade-Chamberlain who was a constant menace and won the crucial penalty.

As ever it's important not to go overboard with any criticism. Martinez is still going a good job. As for the rest of the season, we now know where we stand and it's a fight for 6th place. Eveton's four remaining games in March are Cardiff and Swansea at home, and Newcastle and Fulham away. It may be best to review then again at the end of March.

For a club of Everton's rich history, 20 years is a long time without a trophy. I think it's that history that leaves such a bitter and sour taste when we see our cup dreams fade yet again. You rarely hear the words 'at least we can concentrate on the league' come out of an Evertonians mouth. The FA Cup remains as magical as ever and no reasoning can't ease the pain of another throphyless year.

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