Bobby's post-match interview with BBC pretty much sums it up, didn't do much wrong, but they converted their only real chance on goal.

In the cold light of day, I have to say, if you stood outside of Everton supporters and looked at the results from the Liverpool and Spurs game, they wouldn't come as a surprise. Millions lavished on their squads against one of the lowest spending teams in the league. Liverpool have a front 3 that pulled the league leaders apart in 20 minutes. Spurs had a striker on the pitch who has Man City, Madrid and Arsenal on his CV and he proved the difference. Whilst soundbites about finding other ways to compete are lovely to hear, they don't ring true. Teams that spend lots on quality players finish higher on average. Everton spend a bit on good value players. Naismith was great yesterday, but hardly of the calibre of Suarez, Rooney, Aguero, Giroud or even Adebayor to name a few.

The season is far from over, but realistically it is going to take an incredible run-in to break into the top 4. I would predict that the teams already in occupancy will stay there, maybe in a different order though. Spurs and Everton to fight it out for 5th?

The Cup still looks attractive. I hope the boss gets a decent kitty in the summer. It cannot be expected that a team with minimal investment will suddenly buck the trends of modern football and consistently out perform the big money clubs to reach the promised land of the Champions League. Even if we were to scrape in this season there is no guarantee of a return the following year.

Man Utd won't make it this year and they will most likely splash the cash this summer. Spurs will invest, they always do. Man City? They have a second team strong enough compete on its own and the wealth of a sheikh to blow. Arsenal have money ready to add to an already impressive squad.

Chelsea? probably the best modern-day coach backed by a billionaire who loves vanity buys. Then our charming neighbors. They seem to have finally got the message that spending on quality reaps rewards. 9 goals in 2 games against close competitors, they look on the up.

What will Bobby get? £10, 20 million?

The only way Bobby will get £20 million is if BK gives him half the Barkley money to spend.

But the P we most worry about is Potless – and not just the sort you win at Wembley !

For all the talk of a brave new world, we shall likely finish a place lower than last season – so how is that Progress?

The focus on loan signings and the replacement of a striker with an unknown crock in the January window says it all about where our club is at present and is likely to remain.

But the forthcoming battle with Moyes to better 7th place may provide a modicum of interest.

I am disappointed that we have left the January transfer window looking weaker up front than we were in November. I know people will say we are missing Lukaku, but that depends which Lukaku you are talking about – the one from early on or the one of the last two months?

Lukaku himself must be frustrated at how he gets 17 goals coming off the bench at West Brom but at Everton his goals have dried up. Is the service really better here? Or did WBA get the ball into the box quicker than we do? Maybe that's the type of service that suited Lukaku.

It's depressingly familiar that we still struggle scoring goals away from home despite a new manager with the new way of positive thinking. Since the start of November, our away games have read:

Palace 0-0
United 1-0 win
Swansea 2-1 win
Stoke 1-1
West Brom 1-1
Liverpool 0-4 lost
Spurs 0-1 lost

Five goals in our last seven away games is mediocre reading.

The end of last season our last 8 away games read.

Southampton 0-0
Man Utd 0-2 lost
Norwich 1-2 lost
Spurs 2-2
Arsenal 0-0
Sunderland 0-1 lost
Liverpool 0-0
Chelsea 1-2 lost

Four goals in our last 8 away games last season.

I think it's getting pretty obvious where Martinez has to find a way of improving us. It's one thing being hard to beat away from home but I would rather throw in a few more defeats if we could grab a couple more wins. We don't win enough away games.

Although there is understandably lots of gloom and doom, I'll point out that there plenty of twists and turns (points) left in season. The old cliché "It's not over till the fat lady sings"... well, she hasn't even arrived at the gig yet, and injuries and suspensions can affect other teams regardless of squad. In addition the situation can change quickly.

Look at us; within a month we'd lost the back 4/5 Barkley, Deulofeu, Lukaku. Take any team above us and they may cope with these losses. For instance and without wishing injury on any player, but can you imagine how the RS would cope if Rat boy & Sturridge were injured/suspended at the same time or Hazard & Oscar for Chelsea.

Therefore there's still lots to play for, and to use the other old cliché, take each game as it comes.

BTW Jim Bennings (#173).

So lets say Martinez only gets us 6th, and matches our position from last season. Would that be regarded as progress? I can see from your posts that you don't think so. Personally I would disagree. I have much preferred watching Everton this season. Admittedly our recent performances have lacked the style and finesse of games like the Goodison derby, the Newcastle game, or Arsenal away. But under our former manager, I don't think we ever played like we did at the Emirates this season.

You mention the focus on loan players as a negative. Well, that's a contentious issue, which the media seem to like getting on our back for. Now, of course I would like to have signed our loanees permanently. But, as we all know, that scenario is simply impossible. So if we don't have the money to sign new players like Lukaku permanently, does it make more sense to loan good players, or buy mediocre players? Are mediocre players going to help us push for Champions League? As I see it, Martinez is pushing the envelope of what this club can do with it's finances.

To focus on the loans solely is also only a small part of the picture. What about his permanent signings? Yes, we have seen next to nothing of Kone, and i'm sure none of us leapt for joy when he was signed. But we didn't all scream hurray when Barry was singed, and look at what an affect he has had on our play. Alcaraz too looks like a decent signing to me, despite injury. I think it is harsh to judge Martinez' permanent signings when we really have seen very little of them. Even the best players can get injured, as OFM knows only too well.

Yes, the teams above have spent for fun so don't expect any joy in trying to overtake them, but we shouldn't be losing ground on the ones below us.

Phil, the drama queen, pretty much nailed the game (not the season) pretty, predictable and pointless.

If we have a 6 foot 8 fella on the bench, who is described as a striker, get him on. If he's not fit enough, why is he on the bench?

That was probably the most unfathomable part of the game for me.

Patrick, I don't know about only being allowed on the bench if you're in the squad. And does that mean full squad who travel or just the first XI plus subs? (Not that the first XI sit on the bench, but at times it feels as if that's where some are!). And there are all sorts of other club staff "on the bench" (ie in in the area reserved for us). So I'm really not sure why a non-sub squad member couldn't sit there.

Anyway, very curious he didn't get on. And exasperating for me. I'd have loved to have seen him as we would still have had supply coming from Delboy and others.

That is the main problem!

Perhaps we should all consider the last guy had 11 years to shape the team and he hit a glass ceiling. A ceiling he looks unable to break even having inherited a championship-winning side and pots of cash.

Here's a question: For about 60 minutes of the last game, and considering how much Spurs have been able to strengthen, were you happy with our performance? I was. Our team fought like warriors, we didn't really give them a sniff and we'd had the vast majority of the chances and would've been ahead were it not for Lloris.

In the end, we lost due to a few second lapse from Jags, but it wasn't like they shit all over us. Even though we've got many players back from injury, we've still got Kone, Oviedo, Alcaraz, Gibson and Lukaku out, with Traore, Deulofeu, McGeady, Barkley and Coleman still very much requiring match fitness.

So, while from your perspective there may be no progress, from mine, I see plenty. I see a squad full of quality players, with far greater depth than we've ever had – and that depth and quality that Roberto has added via the loan market and permanent transfers is the only reason we're not mid-table or worse.

I see deadwood, some of whom neither Moyes nor Roberto rated, gone. I see Fellaini, who never wanted to be here, gone. I see players like Baines deciding to stay with us rather than join Moyes. I see better quality football on show. I see a more positive mentality against the richer clubs. I see youth being given a chance and I see Roberto has been prudent with our transfer spend leaving him a good chance to get his main targets in the summer.

So, even if we end up 7th, or worse, this season and perhaps next, I think it's still progress in many respects because, in the longer term, the team will get used to playing a far more effective and pleasing brand of football which has the scope to break the ceiling that we've hit our heads against in the last 5 years.

Our two most experienced players switched off for their goal. Barry, instead of standing in front of the ball preventing the quick free kick, turned his back and looked the other way. Jags also switched off. Not sure what Roberto can do about that.

Never a foul in the first place, the tackle on Coleman was more of a foul than the one Clattenburg gave.

I feel we are too nice with referees, I would love to see Roberto really go for Clattenburg. We don’t get the decisions because the officials don’t fear us.

At the press conference for the Palace game, show Carragher on Lescott and then ask why the same referee thought that was not a foul, but the one yesterday was. If he’s going to give yesterday’s, what made him think the Lescott one wasn’t?

Really question it, it can only be incompetence or cheating, so which is it? Rant over!

Keep the faith, this is still a season that’s got loads of promise and is already way better than what we have been used to in recent history.

This season is a transitional period from the Moyes era to a new regime. To be challenging at this stage of the season on two fronts is testament to the hard work put in against the impediments of under-investment and horrific injuries. The memories of the season so far are precious and the good times have outweighed the bad, and we should all be looking forward to the remaining games with a strengthened squad. Who knows what lies in wait but, whatever happens, we should stay 100% behind our manager and players COYB