Today, it was really important to get 3 points from Aston Villa. The season was beginning to get away from us and a lost today would really have been too much to bear. And with difficult fixtures to Spurs and Chelsea on the horizon things could easily have become bleak.

Getting a win and the all important 3 points is undoubtedly a pivotal moment in the season. Congrats to Roberto and the boys.

The derby game was a disaster. We were poor and deserved to be beaten. Now, it feels like we have the stamina and stomach for a fight that Tuesday night's performance didn't show.

There's no getting away from it, the derby defeat was a nightmare and hurt something wicked but if it has galvanised the team and brought out some grit then maybe we will look back at it and not hurt quite so much.

Although in saying that all this week I have doubted I'll ever get over the pain of that awful night.

Yesterday was the manager's best day since his arrival. To come from behind against a team who are set up to play away from home was no mean achievement.

Add in to this the mental trauma of seeing a close friend and colleague horrendously injured days earlier, only to see your star striker stretchered off after 20 minutes. Drop in to the mix a rabid home crowd and opposition full of confidence then it was perfect storm of shit, with a good hiding the only likely outcome.

Yet how many Evertonians would swap the last 2 years' league positions for more derby game wins? How many would rather finish below them this year, but triumph last Tuesday?

Our seasons need to stop being defined by two fixtures. It is small-minded to do so and indicative of a lack of ambition to truly scale the heights of our potential.

Chins up my Blue Brothers and Sisters. Redemption is within our grasp.

With Villa parking the bus it was always going to be a really difficult game anyway, never mind with a goal deficit to make up and half a team out injured.

I thought Martinez's substitutions were inspired. Barkley was clearly off the pace and having little impact and the introduction of Pienaar gave us that bit of quality we were lacking. Even Naismith played really well when he came on.

I think the game against Spurs could be easier, Deulofeu will be back, maybe Traore will be fit and our other walking wounded will have had another week to get sharp. Spurs will also come at us more and leave more space in behind.

In the longer term – and I can't remember who it was on here that suggested it – but perhaps we'd do better with a quality Arteta type to play alongside Barry or McCarthy for the days when teams come to defend. We could, of course, drop Barkley in there and go 2 up front when Traore is fit, perhaps?

I see Mourinho has given his biggest hint yet that Lukaku is finished at Chelsea so I hope we can come to some pre-contract agreement now so the lad can get his head sorted for the last part of the season.

Naismith was the game-changer. Good on him! An honest player who just gets on with it.

This is a big test for the lad! I don't think he'll ever be a world beater but he will definitely add something to the squad and hopefully have the pinnacle of his career here.