Roberto Martinez has praised the Goodison faithful for their support against Chelsea
He said: “Especially in the second half the team and the fans were an incredible unit together.
“You felt a real understanding from the supporters, that we have new faces and are trying to do things in a different way. But we never lost what an Everton team should have – that passion, that personality and that responsibility to play as a winning team.
“I was really proud of the crowd. They were there when they had to be and overall we felt we were pushed over the line by them and that underlines the biggest strength of the club. we should never lose it.”
Martinez emphasised that it will take time for his side to master his methods, and that Everton are a work in progress. However, he believes that the fans will benefit from watching stylish and winning football when everything falls into place.
“There will be an adaptation period,” he said. “When someone is on the ball, where are the options? The passes? That will take a little bit of time. At first every ball becomes a decision, and then after that every ball becomes a habit and you know where the next pass is going.
“That’s why there could be times when it breaks down and it’s about how we react after that. Throughout the game everyone was prepared to react for each other’s mistakes, to regain their shape, and that attitude allows you to be successful.
“Football is a game of errors. You play with your feet and it doesn’t matter whether you’re playing a new style or not there will be times when the ball bounces away from you and you need to react as a unit. We did that extremely well.
“When the concepts become more normal that’s when you become a better side.”
Martinez is confident his squad has the right blend of experience and ability to reduce the time it takes for his approach to click.
“We are talking about a very experienced group of players. They know how beneficial it will be to have these options. They won’t give up on it,” he said. “One thing is understanding it, the other is trying it, then it’s mastering it. We have good personalities here and that will reduce the time in terms of adapting.
“The fans have been magnificent in their patience and understanding so far. They see that we have made mistakes or have been slow in certain aspects for the right reasons, but they stay with us. Eventually they’ll see the benefits.”