Everton Star Missing In Training

Everton’s Sylvain Distin has been told to take some days off the the first team training it is understood. He has apparently not been attending training at the club’s Finch Farm training centre in recent days.

It was understood that the French international was among the players single out for criticism by coach Roberto Martinez after the side’s 3-0 loss to Swansea in the Capital one cup and the veteran defender has not taken it likely. The club have subsequently told Distin to take time off the team training schedules and matches.

Roberto Martinez however, has replaced the 36-year-old centre back with English youngster John Stones in recent games with Distin’s last game being the 3-1 loss to Swansea City in the Capital one cup.

This is not the best of time for Roberto Martinez. Everton currently lie 17th on the Epl log, two points above teams in the relegation zone with just 6point from seven game after winning just one and drawing three of their first seven premier league games.

Everton finished fifth on the log last season after an impressive campaign saw them beat top teams like Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United. And after a decent summer deals that saw them brought in players like Gareth Barry, Mohamed Besic, Samuel Eto’o and club record buy Romelu Lukaku every one expected they would have gotten off to a flying start.

The Toffees however, have only won just one game against West Bromwich Albion drawn three and lost three though the league fixtures have not been kind to them as they have had to face top oppositions like Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United in their first seven fixtures.

I believe Everton can turn the corner and go on to have a wonderful season but they can only do that as a united team. Coach Roberto Martinez is a meticulous man-manager and now is not the right time to loose his dressing room. Going over the board to criticize his players is surely not the right way to get the best out of them.

Sylvain Distin at 36 is one of the oldest and long serving players at the club. He should be the one setting good example for the younger players. He has been around enough time in the game not to have taken the coach criticism personal. He needs to lead by example as a whole lot of younger players look up to him.

The team have enough quality to turn the poor start around least now that they have lesser opposition to face. The coaching team and players should come together and show support for one another and the right result will start tumbling in.

Everton fixtures in the league before December are Aston Villa(H), Burnley(A), Swansea City(H), Sunderland(A), West Ham(H) and Tottenham Hotspur(A). These are winnable games and Roberto Martinez should be able to pick up points from these game as the Everton team have not been all that poor in terms of performance as the league table may make us believe.