Roberto Martinez Needs Win Against Dynamo Kiev to Keep Pressure off

The 2014/15 domestic season has not been kind to Everton. In Europe, the Toffees have experienced more joy, and yet impatience around Goodison Park remains.

Unimpressive domestic displays mean that manager Roberto Martinez is in desperate need of a win against Dynamo Kiev.

Channel a way past them and he'll successfully keep the pressure off.

At least momentarily.

This season, Europe's second-best knockout competition has been their sanctuary. With their first leg against Kiev at home, they ought to look for yet another big win to deflect attention away from what's been a very poor Premier League showing.

So here we analyse exactly why a victory on Thursday and again in the second leg will help Martinez stave off the pressure that's been mounting for quite some time.

Toppling unbeaten Kiev will nurture confidence

So far, the Ukrainian league leaders have remained unbeaten at home in Europe and sit proudly atop their domestic table, several points clear of nearest competitors Shakhtar Donetsk.

Having lost twice in eight Europa League matches, however, Serhiy Rebrov's men have shown weaknesses along the way. Nevertheless, having made it to the last 16, they remain a team worth taking seriously and look set to provide the Blues with their biggest test yet.

Sergei Chuzavkov/Associated Press/Associated Press

Everton, on the other hand, remain a side in the midst of upheaval and criticism. With just four wins in 22 games in all competitions, the signs have been there for quite some time that they are a shadow of their former selves. But Martinez is eager to see his side fight, as relayed by the Daily Mail's Dominic King.

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I know the severity of the situation and about not having margin for error. I have been brought up with it. I don't think that is a problem. For us as a football club, the position we are in is unacceptable. At the end of the season, we need to look at why it has happened. But for the time being, we need to show a real desire to win. 

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So, it's still difficult to count them out considering the quality players they possess.

Feeding Romelu Lukaku with the best service means they can definitely get a win on the board in the opening leg, and with the 21-year-old chasing the top scorer's gong, he'll be full of hard work. After all, of the remaining teams, the Toffees have scored the most amount of goals with 17, behind Villarreal, per Ian Doyle of the Liverpool Echo.

Possessing threats from out wide as well as centrally, Steven Naismith, Ross Barkley, Kevin Mirallas and Seamus Coleman will all be working hard to deliver top-notch, pacy assists for the towering Belgium international.

Do that, and they will cause Kiev trouble both at home and away. After all, if they can get a decent win and performance under their belts in the opening tie, it ought to nurture confidence for their domestic exploits as well as for the return clash.

Extended run will buy Martinez time

Make no mistake, Martinez is increasingly running on borrowed time.

Despite the following assertion by ESPN's Nick Miller, the Spaniard is very much in danger of getting axed at some point between now and the summer:

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In truth, Everton chairman Bill Kenwright's better nature and past reputation will probably save Roberto Martinez from the ax in the near future, but based on this season alone, the Spaniard is probably lucky to still be in a job. This was supposed to be the campaign when Everton built on their progress from last season, but league results have gone from bad to worse and Martinez appears to have done little to halt the regression.

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However, Miller seems to conveniently forget the incredibly effective force that is fan power.

If they don't see improvements quickly, the murmurs emanating softly from the terraces at Goodison calling for the former Wigan Athletic boss to get the sack might soon grow into a deafening roar.

Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

Yet qualification for the quarter-final of a major club competition would certainly serve to ease the strain and give the 41-year-old coach a little bit of breathing space.

In short, it would almost give him something else to focus his possible worries on.

Undoubtedly, he'd rather have selection headaches and anxieties about silverware heading into a big club final than he would heading into the final few league matches, sweating over a disastrous relegation.

Advancement would prove boss' real pedigree

Having toiled for a number of seasons with Wigan, Martinez was very much the master of limited resources.

The pinnacle of his time with the Latics, of course, remains their fantastic FA Cup final triumph; a win that signalled one of the biggest giant-killings the competition had ever seen. 

Matt Dunham/Associated Press

It also singled out their manager as a tactical mastermind and a footballing maestro capable of doing great things. As we now know, his arrival on Merseyside nearly two years ago started with a whirlwind season that saw them secure European football for the first time since 2009.

There and then, we could all see just how full of potential this side were.

Their woeful Premier League form aside, they remain a potent team this term.

Indeed, the "School of Science" have proven that with some great performances across the continent this season.

Aside from papering over the cracks, as mentioned, getting to the last eight would also help to resuscitate the idea that they have real pedigree. Obviously guiding his team into the Champions League will be the former Swansea City boss' primary priority, but to even prove their European class would be a success in itself.

Because it would be naive to think that Roberto isn't doing his best to not only prove that his players are good enough but that he is good enough, too.

Because although he is a truly genuine character, there can be no question he wants to be considered a successful one, too. 

Conclusion

Lording it over BSC Young Boys in their last-32 clash, Everton continued their Jekyll-and-Hyde season.

Topping a difficult group back in December that included VFL Wolfsburg as well as LOSC Lille, some were quick to dismiss their impressive displays as a flash in the pan. But they have outlasted each of their British counterparts and remain one of the few English clubs left in European competition.

In truth, huge credit must go to the way in which they have weathered the storm to pull a multitude of big-game displays out of the bag.

Remaining in the company of AS Roma, Ajax, Napoli and reigning champions Sevilla, they find themselves in the middle of a real battle.

Exactly how they react from here could determine the tone of the rest of the season.