Everton failed to arrest a worrying slump as they were held to a 1-1 draw with Watford.

In a dire encounter between two sides lacking in both form and quality, the Blues took the lead in first-half injury time thanks to James McCarthy’s tidy low finish.

But Watford hit back almost instantly, with defender Jose Holebas producing a towering back-post header to level matters on the stroke of half-time.

Roberto Martinez’s side spurned a string of decent chances after the break, to see them slide further towards the lower reaches of the Premier League table despite

Here were the main talking points from a frustrating afternoon at Vicarage Road…

Martinez pressure mounts as fans back Baines

 

Before kick-off, Everton fans left Roberto Martinez in no doubt of their feelings on the bizarre treatment of Leighton Baines.

The 31-year-old was forced to ‘apologise‘ for voicing his concerns about a general lack of chemistry in the Blues squad in the aftermath of the 1-0 defeat at Manchester United last weekend, despite Matinez’s assertion that the interview had been taken out of context.

‘Baines is one of us’ read a prominent banner in the away end at Vicarage Road. ‘Martinez out,’ said another.

Evertonians have spoken, and the message is clear; when it comes to a choice between manager or player, the Kirkby-born left-back comes out on top every time.

Martinez, currently presiding over an extended run of significant under-performing on the pitch, would be wise to heed their message.

Key star dips in form could not be worse timed

 

Everton’s abject run of form in the league has coincided with the loss of form of star players Romelu Lukaku and Ross Barkley.

Lukaku, the club’s top scorer this season, is now without a goal in over a month of Premier League action, and again fluffed his lines here. Two decent late chances to earn three crucial points were wasted by the big Belgian in what was another sloppy all-round performance.

Barkley, meanwhile, is perhaps even more of a worry for Martinez. He was again hideously below-par, running into blind alleys and at times drifting through the game like a passenger, and looks a shadow of his pre-Christmas self.

To make matters worse, the Wavertree-born midfielder suffered a knock to his knee and was replaced by Tom Cleverley just after the hour.

Clearly, the gifted pair are absolutely vital to Everton’s hopes of an end-of-season recovery and must be firing in time for the FA Cup semi-final showdown with either West Ham or Manchester United on April 23rd if Matinez is to maintain any hope of saving what has been a woeful season to date.

Familiar failings return to haunt Everton

 

The away side’s display, characterised by lethargic pressing and erratic passing, left an awful lot to be desired, but it was the two-minute period at the end of the first-half that will most annoy those associated with the club.

Everton’s season has been defined by sloppy defending from set pieces and an inability to hold onto leads, and this was again apparent here, with Jose Holebas’ equaliser coming barely two minutes after James McCarthy had broken the deadlock.

The former Roma defender’s deflected strike was the 12th header conceded by the Blues in the Premier League this season- more than any other side.

Holebas’ goal was the Blues’ season in a nutshell, as initial promise yet again rapidly turned to disappointment, with the defence’s soft underbelly exposed for the nth time. A familiar flaw, but one that steadfastly refuses to go away.

Mirallas stakes claim with busy late cameo

 

For long periods of the game, Everton’s play lacked the urgency required to surmount their hard-working opponents.

However, one bright spark late on was a productive cameo from forgotten man Kevin Mirallas, who replaced an out of sorts Gerard Deulofeu after 78 minutes.

The mercurial Belgian winger has struggled for minutes this season but looked most likely to crack a stubborn Watford defence. One free-kick was well-saved by Watford ‘keeper Gomes, while several dangerous crosses fizzed across the home side’s six-yard box.

Lukaku, on this occasion, was unable to convert, but perhaps a key to the striker’s revival lies in the partnership with his international teammate.