Cuco Martina treatment seems harsh, but he is simply not good enough

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Last week it was reported that Everton had told four first-team players they were not in Marco Silva’s plans for the season. The Liverpool Echo suggested Kevin Mirallas, Ashley Williams, Nikola Vlasic and Cuco Martina had all been told to find new clubs.

Since then, Mirallas and Williams have joined Fiorentina and Stoke City respectively on loan deals. So it appears this was no idle threat. Vlasic, a Steve Walsh and Ronald Koeman signing from last season, appears to have plummeted down the pecking order at Goodison Park.

But for Martina, many Everton fans will have plenty of sympathy.

The Curacao international was a favourite of Koeman’s from his time at Southampton. He stepped up when asked to replace an injured Seamus Coleman. Then, when Leighton Baines got injured, he was asked to play out of position at left-back by Sam Allardyce.

Martina put his head down and got to work. At no point did it seem the versatile defender was never giving his all for Everton, even when tasked with an alien position.

“It isn’t his natural position, so I feel that he’s filling in and doing an exceptional job.”

– Sam Allardyce on Cuco Martina’s form last December

If he was to win an award at Everton last term, it would be clubman of the year.

But the brutal truth has to be faced. Martina is simply not good enough.

He won over many fans for his effort and selflessness in a season where many Everton players seemed to down tools. Martina, however, still struggled. He was often taken to the cleaners by opposing wingers and, even in his preferred right-back slot, he is not a top six player.

Everton have Coleman and Baines ably assisted by Jonjoe Kenny and Lucas Digne this season. Martina, therefore, simply has to go.

But in the tough 2017-18 campaign, many Everton fans will remember that Martina was one of the few players at Goodison Park who genuinely gave it his best shot.