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Sunday Supplement: Roberto Martinez overly positive on Everton's season

Roberto Martinez manager of Everton looks on
Image: Roberto Martinez watched his Everton side beat Bournemouth at Goodison Park

Roberto Martinez is guilty of being overly positive about Everton's season, according to Sunday Supplement panellist Jonathan Northcroft, who described recent comments from the Spaniard as "nonsense".

Martinez was the subject of fan protests on Saturday, when a number of Everton supporters remained behind after their 2-1 win over Bournemouth to demand his removal.

The Everton boss had given an interview to the Daily Mail on Saturday morning where he defended his record in the job, but Northcroft was not impressed.

Everton supporters flew a banner from a plane protesting against manager Roberto Martinez during their side's win over Bournemouth
Image: Supporters flew a banner from a plane protesting against Martinez during his side's win over Bournemouth

"I can't avoid using the word nonsense," he said on the Sunday Supplement. "To me it was full of more nonsense, and it sounds very harsh, but there's a huge gap between what Roberto Martinez says and what his team has been delivering on the pitch.

"He spoke in that interview about the intensity that he sees, but if you speak to Evertonians then intensity is the last thing they are seeing in their home performances in particular. I think he would do more credit for himself if he said this season's been a disaster.

Martinez calm
Martinez calm

Everton boss Roberto Martinez calm amid fan protests

"He made some odd claim about how in a way they are more competitive because it's not always about average league position as sometimes it's about being able to beat bigger clubs. I'm not sure if that is what a club should be aspiring to.

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Charlie Nicholas gives his reaction to Everton's 2-1 win over Bournemouth

"It sounds like I'm being very harsh, and he's a man who has great attributes, intelligence being one of them, but he over-spins it."

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A section of Arsenal fans also called for a change of manager at the Emirates on Saturday, with calls to remove Arsene Wenger during their 1-0 win over Norwich.

Everton manager Roberto Martinez during the Barclays Premier League match at Selhurst Park, London.
Image: Martinez was the subject of fan protests after the game against Bournemouth

But Northcroft believes the staged nature of both demonstrations stripped them of credibility.

"I think what you don't do is protest during the game and what you don't do is do something that is rehearsed," he added. "I think there was a plane that was flown over Goodison Park which just looks so cheesy these days and so preconceived.

Arsenal fans protest against Wenger
Image: Arsenal fans protest against Wenger during their game against Norwich

"I think protests almost have to be organic, you don't plan for them. There was a demo outside the ground that seemed to me to be more meaningful and probably the most meaningful fan protest lately has been the Liverpool fans walking out over ticket prices.

"Looking at the Emirates yesterday, the biggest comment made by supporters was the number of empty seats.

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Steve Bates says he expected more dissenters at the Emirates during their protest against Arsene Wenger

"There were probably about 10,000 empty seats and that to me said more about where Arsenal are and the underwhelming nature of their season than a few blokes holding up bits of paper.

"I feel for the sentiment and I understand why those supporters are so unhappy about this season of all seasons being one where Arsenal have faltered, but they don't seem to know what they're calling for."

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