Roberto Martinez's Everton tenure has consisted of two completely polarised campaigns.

The first saw him earn rave reviews for installing a philosophy that bred a new lease of life into an ageing squad and a club that had begun to stagnate under his predecessor, David Moyes. In the second, his tiki-taka inspired mantra became a dogma, succumbing the Toffees to their first bottom half finish in nine years.

Everton's fatal flaw, at least at the start of the 2014/15 campaign, was a lack of tactical progression from the year before. During Martinez's first season, the rapidity in which a clan of Premier League veterans, who had predominantly played direct modes of football under Moyes, transitioned to a more aesthetic style caught the rest of the division off guard. Instead of ramming the ball down your throat and then pushing it into your metaphorical oesophagus, Everton were suddenly passing you to death with it. A different, more stylish and arguably more effective way of skinning the cat.

Yet, by the time of Martinez's inevitably problematic second season, the Premier League had worked out the Everton cheat codes; let the Toffees exhaust themselves with sideways passes, wait for the full-backs squeeze up the pitch, overturn possession in the middle of the park and then hit them on the counter-attack.

Of course, not every Everton concede followed this generic pattern, and there were other, more individual influences; at the heart of defence, the Toffees found themselves caught in transition between the ageing Sylvain Distin and the inexperienced John Stones; in midfield, a slowing Gareth Barry couldn't offer the same protection as the year previous; up front, Romelu Lukaku seemed less driven to impress after making his Goodison loan move permanent; and in goal, Tim Howard's inconsistencies became considerably more prevalent.

Yet, the philosophy itself did the Mersey outfit little favours. In addition to leaving Everton eternally exposed at the back, their once-crisp passing became sideways and predictable, whilst Lukaku's service was largely one-dimensional and not particularly accommodating of a 6 foot 3, old-fashioned centre-forward.

Although there's an obvious reluctance to criticise what many would prescribe as a positive style of football, one has to ponder whether the philosophy - and as a consequence, Martinez - is the right fit for a squad originally inspired upon more attritional ideals. Sure, it worked during his first season in charge; but last term leaves burgeoning question marks over how consistent the Toffees can be under the Spaniard's leadership.

After all, the majority of the first team still remains from the Moyes days. Baines, Coleman, Jagielka, Howard, Naismith, Mirallas, Osman and Pienaar were all important players under the Scot, and although they've proved capable of adapting to a more technical style, they were far more consistent playing basic, direct and hardworking football. Even some of the Martinez signings, particularly Lukaku and James McCarthy - the first and third most expensive acquisitions in Everton history - seem better - or at the very least, equally - suited to a more physical style.

We saw a reversion towards pragmatic play near the end of last season as the Toffees searched for better results. But Martinez's ultimate dream is clear; a Barcelona-inspired side, with attacking full-backs and technicians running through the starting Xi, capable of playing short, snappy, possession-based football. It's the approach he's relentlessly championed throughout his management career, that he built Swansea City upon, that masterminded Wigan's way to the 2013 FA Cup, that earned him the mandate to take the Goodison helm.

Martinez was never a short-term appointment and Bill Kenwright is a particularly patient chairman, but how long the transition will now take - and whether it will actually leave Everton better off - has become considerably less clear over the course of the 2014/15 campaign. And in the results-driven world of Premier League football, there is only one certainty; the means never justify the ends.

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