Season › 2014-15 › News 'Soft touch' Martinez oversees drop in morale , 6 February, 7comments | Jump to most recent Citing sources on the playing staff and other "qualified observers", Matt Lawton at MailOnline suggests that Everton's alarming slump this season can be traced back to Roberto Martinez's methods. The article, questionably timed on the eve of the derby, alludes to the recent departure of head doctor Danny Donachie and that of sport science expert and conditioning coach Steve Tashjian before him as examples of Finch Farm losing trusted and influential figures while also pointing to a general decline in team spirit. Insiders claim that Samuel Eto'o was a particularly destabilising influence but Lawton reports there were grumblings from certain quarters as recently as last week at the heavy training schedule on the team's recent camp in Qatar. Hatchet job or exposé? You decide: » Read the full article at MailOnline Reader Comments (7) Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer John Daley 1 Posted 07/02/2015 at 09:01:46 "There is a danger they are turning into his Wigan team, said another qualified observer." He gets everywhere, that Phil Walling. A joke of an article though. "Qualified observers"? Whilst some of the accusations may be moored in truth, it's a bit of a stretch to try and pass any of it off as being 'on good authority'. Secret sources, dressing room insiders, canteen eavesdroppers and a few of those bald bastards who used to follow Peter Bishop about in Fringe? It basically reads as if the 'journalist' has spent a few hours skimming through a certain Everton forum before trying to tie it all together into a 'strikes a nerve' narrative. Shame his various snitches continually contradict each other, like. Comes across like a case of throw enough shit and hope enough sticks to form a six-foot turd creature. Nigel Gregson 2 Posted 07/02/2015 at 11:58:56 The Daily Redshite as someone claimed on the comments section. Funny how articles of this nature appear a day before the derby, preceded by false report of McCarthy's hamstring injury getting worse. Paul Tran 3 Posted 07/02/2015 at 11:53:45 Classic Mail Online bollocks which looks like they've been out for a few beers with some contributors to this site. Nothing like a 'controversial' article that is so bad it even admits it contradicts itself. I would love to know what's gone on behind the scenes this season and I'd like any journalist (and Kenwright) to really push Martinez on the differences between this and last season. But hey, stringing a set of rumours together is easier than actually writing an informative article, isn't it? Mike Allison 4 Posted 07/02/2015 at 16:24:29 I don't think you three read the same thing as me. Maybe your Evertonian paranoia is in full flow in derby week. Phil Walling 5 Posted 08/02/2015 at 14:02:20 And I think he's managed it, don't you, John Daley? 25% win ratio was exactly what he achieved with the Pie Eaters so consistency has been maintained here, this season! Roberto Birquet 6 Posted 08/02/2015 at 23:24:36 Maybe there were some vague quotes: "Qualified observers", but if anyone thinks that a hatchet job, you need to get out more. Andy Crooks 7 Posted 09/02/2015 at 00:05:59 I bow to no one in my dismay at our season but that piece in the Mail just annoyed me. I was heartened by Rod Liddle in the press today when he praised Lennon. I think that an imaginative coach could find something special in him. Lennon strikes me as a man who responds to an arm round the shoulder. Roberto seems to me to be the very man. Add Your Comments In order to post a comment, you need to be logged in as a registered user of the site. » Log in now Or Sign up as a ToffeeWeb Member — it's free, takes just a few minutes and will allow you to post your comments on articles and Talking Points submissions across the site. About these ads © ToffeeWeb