As part of our guest contributor slots we have an article from Mark Ellis who runs the a blog about Evertons Golden Era, which is a specialist blog dedicated to the mighty Everton.  Have a read of his article below and make sure you give him a follow on twitter @MarkTheBlue

Everton: Champions league must wait as promise grows by @Markthablue

Everton slumped to an undeserved 1-0 defeat to Chelsea on Saturday where we once again we showed how much promise is in this team,if only we had a striker who knew where the goal was

Being forced to admit this is a season of transition frustrates me,nothing transitional about the way we played before Christmas,but with the standard of play remaining consistently high,the results have dropped off,damaging results at Liverpool,Spurs and Chelsea have cost us big time in the race for Champions league football

The players simply have to make sure we don’t let this season drift away,important for Martinez and his long term strategy that we end this season confidently,ideally with a cup win,a scenario i have no doubt shall give us a huge boost as we look to challenge the top 4 next season

We have a fully fit squad and with 7 home games and 4 aways left,we have a great chance to end this season positively,it would simply be criminal to fade into 7th after a season that has promised much

The reality of this season,admittedly we are in transition is no less painful than last season,watching fourth slip away as the inevitable problems of having a thin squad come home to roost is gut wrenching,we were in a great position at Christmas, I fully realise a sense of perspective is needed but not adding a striker or 2 in the January transfer window has ultimately cost us a chance to make a huge leap forward

This was in evidence yet again at Chelsea,playing confidently with an element of swagger without creating many chances, Everton’s control of the game over a team fighting for the title was  impressive,with McCarthy and Barry enjoying there best games for a while.

There was a sharpness to Everton’s play,the crisp passing,the movement was a delight to watch at times,this is where Everton’s football has advanced so much under Martinez,we are controlling large periods of games against top quality opposition,we just need to learn to punish these teams,the foundations of a very good side are laid

We were punished for our lack of cutting edge with a goal conceded in the 93rd minute,John Terry pouncing to win it for Chelsea from a free kick that should never have been given,the crushing feeling had returned,our ambitions of champions league football were finally over

Its clear a striker was needed in January,Jelavic was ineffective for a long time and rightly sold but to not have a replacement fit and ready to make an impact was naive at best,Roberto isnt immune from criticism,if he thought we had enough then this has proven short sighted.

You will have to excuse the Kenwright agenda,14 years of lies from this man fills me with cynicism that the money wasn’t available.I am happy to be proved wrong in the summer,but the chance was there in January and for whatever reason,we didn’t take it

its the lack of a proven goalscorer that has cost us points at Chelsea and Spurs

The team has made huge steps forward this season,this may not be reflected in the points tally but to say no progress has been made is madness,the football were playing and the control of games were exacting on our opponents has been there all season,virtually no-one save Liverpool away and City away have outplayed us

We have a massive opportunity now with 3 home games out of 4 against West Ham,Cardiff and Swansea with the crucial Arsenal fa cup quarter final sandwiched in the middle,to make a hugely positive impact on our season,we can win most of our games,we need a fit and angry Lukaku to be at his snarling best,we need Deulofeu to show us his quality and the return to form of Barkley

We must be allowed to progress,I’m not going on another Kenwright rant,everyone knows my feelings on him and his board but this summer they have to finally deliver,we have loans going back,we need to replace them and strengthen the squad to push on next year,the manager deserves that after making a fantastic impact since being appointed,more importantly,the fans deserve it too

The club is changing and made significant progress,the appointment of Big Dunc as first team coach is another brilliant move from Martinez,I have absolutely loved Martinez looking to the future with one eye on the past,he knows what has made this club great and believes them values will be key to us moving forward,the mosaic of Alan Ball in the showers,the pictures of past Everton glories around finch farm have really galvanised the fan base

We can win most of our remaining games and end this season with a cup win and a 5th placed finish,that at the start of the season would have been classed as a good season,Roberto did say he wanted champions league,we didnt leave the window stronger in January and the usual dose of injuries has depressingly put paid to our 4th placed ambitions this season

A lack of investment in the summer is not an option,the board has to deliver,the money is there and with more tv money coming through,we have to make an impact on the transfer market this summer,we simply have to

Champions league has gone now but we must focus on winning the FA Cup and finishing 5th,the season has held far too much promise for us to drift away tamely,a return of the swagger is needed, we still have a chance to make it a memorable season. 3 points v West Ham are a must before we head down to the Emirates

The Evertonians will be at there best at Arsenal i know,genuinely think the supporters can push us on for victory at the Emirates,providing Arsenal let more than 5 of us in,a win i believe will open the door for our 6th FA cup win,Arsenal have a habit of losing key games in a cluster,we shown in the league we have the quality to control the game against Arsenal,our players have to add a ruthlessness to that quality to send Arsenal out of the cup

Been gutting watching our champions league hopes fade away but maybe fate has decided we need the springboard of an FA Cup win first before we entertain Europe’s finest,I have held the belief that this season is the 1983/84 Re-incarnated,we are learning to walk under our ambitious manager,i have no doubt we will soon be running to a memorable future

We just need the board to share that belief,we have needed investment for years,and next summer we will need it more than ever

Sin Miedo

Mark Ellis

You can read Mark’s blog here: http://marktheblue.wordpress.com/2014/02/24/champions-league-must-wait-as-promise-grows/