Martinez pays price for Everton frustrations

Roberto Martinez paid the price for Everton’s Premier League nosedive when he was relieved of his duties yesterday with one game of the season still to play.

The club’s board acted swiftly to dismiss Martinez in the wake of Wednesday night’s 3-0 defeat at Sunderland, which kept the Wearsiders up and extended Everton’s recent run to one win in their last 10 games.

The 42-year-old was to have faced protests from fans at the club’s player of the year dinner last night which was postponed, and tomorrow’s final home game against Norwich.