Everton Season Preview: Improvement and trophies the next step for Roberto Martinez's men

Roberto Martinez's tenure as Everton manager has been a success so far

Everton impressed for large parts of last season, but can they replicate that this year? Luke Moore takes a look...

Last Season

Fifth. The way new manager Roberto Martinez convinced his new team to adopt a completely new style of play so quickly was a credit to his skills as a boss, and Everton impressed for large parts of last season. They flirted with the idea of a top four berth for part of the season, but were eventually beaten to it by Arsenal fairly comfortably. Defensively, the Toffees were impressive (only Chelsea and Manchester City conceded less), and they also held their own going forward.

Ins and Outs

Martinez has moved quickly to secure Gareth Barry on a permanent deal after a season-long loan last term, and that will be a great tonic for Everton fans. Barry was superb last season and provided a strong midfield fulcrum alongside James McCarthy. Another loanee that has been made a long-term fixture is Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku. Signed for a club record 28m from Chelsea, supporters will be hoping he can stay fit and hit the sort of form that he showed in large spells last season.

Muhamed Besic also comes in from Ferencvaros. A German-born Bosnian midfielder of just 21, Besic featured in all of Bosnia and Herzegovina's World Cup games in the summer and comes with a strong reputation as a good young player with bags of potential.

Manager

Many, including this writer, wondered whether Roberto Martinez could be a success at Everton. His healthy reputation as an exciting young operator at Wigan did of course end in relegation as well as an FA Cup win and so it seemed fair (at the time) to watch on with a certain amount of scepticism at what he could achieve. Fortunately his skills have been shown to be sound and the speed in which his players picked up the more progressive style he likes to play was and is a testament to his management strength. He'll be looking to kick on this season and endear himself even further with the Goodison Park faithful.

Expectations

Improvement. Everton need to kick on and provide something tangible to mark real success in the Martinez era. The Spaniard has shown he can win trophies and so now must replicate that at Goodison Park. Of course, it may not be this season (this has all the hallmarks of a long-term project), but a cup win or a sustained campaign in the Europa League should be a target. Breaking into the mythical top four must also be on the radar, but this season looks like it'll possibly be one of the most competitive ever at the top and so that may be beyond them this year. Martinez will also be looking for repeat performances from the likes of Leighton Baines, Seamus Coleman and James McCarthy, all of whom impressed regularly last year.

Best Bet

The prediction that both Tottenham and Manchester United will both be better this season means the Top 5 Finish market is a lot more interesting than it usually is, and I think Everton are in a great position to replicate what they achieved last year. Anything over 4.03/1 on them to make fifth or better is worth taking, so keep an eye on the market as it becomes more liquid over the next week or so and get on them at the best price you can get ahead of the opening games.

Value Bet

Difficult one. At first instinct it's tempting to back Everton for one of the domestic cups. They're currently 16.5n/a to lift the FA Cup and should firm up to about 11.010/1 to triumph in the League Cup. I wonder whether Martinez will have the resources to compete on all fronts though, and what tends to happen is the domestic cups fall down the priority list. I'm more interested in the Toffees price to win the Europa League; they should get a pretty plum draw and have every chance of trading lower than the 22.021/1 or bigger they'll start the campaign off at.