Martinez

[Destruction]

I dont think he will get sacked, I just think it should be considered though. You're right though, I said the same last season, Kenwright isnt one for sacking. I can honestly only see him getting sacked before the end of the season if we went into a total freefall and were in the bottom 3 with a few games left. Like I mentioned Smith, before Moyes got the job, we had won 1 League game between mid December and Smith getting the sack after losing 3-0 at Boro in the FA Cup quarter final in March. That cup run was all that kept him in the job for so long, so the second we went out, he was gone.

Interestingly, we are on a similar run right now in the League. Newcastle on Boxing Day is our only League win since November.

Would you have the Moyesiah back Smudge?

 

[Smudge]

No chance, never go back. Even Kendall, who was our greatest ever manager, was never close to his first spell. Moyes is a great manager at getting the best out of average players, like Martin O'Neill. He'd have a heart attack at the likes of Lukaku and Deulofeu, and he already did his best to coach any spontaneity out of Barkley when he was here. This is a man who had a go at Yakubu because he didnt track back...while scoring 21 goals in a season...

I could see you being right what you said earlier though that if Martinez were to go and Moyes was available, I could see Bill going to him on his hands and knees to come back.

 

[Whitechapel]

"John Stones is in the perfect environment to fulfil his potential and become one of the greatest players England has ever seen." - Martinez

The man is clueless. To quote one of the greatest films of all time, "I think this boy's cheese has done slid off his cracker."

 

[Smudge]

"John Stones is in the perfect environment to fulfil his potential and become one of the greatest players England has ever seen." - Martinez

The man is clueless. To quote one of the greatest films of all time, "I think this boy's cheese has done slid off his cracker."

Similar to the Barry quote earlier. Okay, I get it, good players, positivity. Dont take the piss though. And certainly dont give them all some ammunition for when that drop in form inevitably comes. I think both the Barry and Stones quotes pale into insignificance and actually sound quite reasonable when put next to this one. He said this about Tim Howard after he cost us both goals in a defeat at Arsenal, days after Joel Robles had an absolute blinder as we knocked Norwich out of the League Cup. "You need that little bit of know-how and direction, and that's why Tim Howard has always been so important, through good moments of form and bad moments of form. His role on the pitch is more important than his individual performance." Borderline insanity.

 

[Bootroom]

11 Wins in last 51 games. 3 wins last 14 league games are up against current bottom 3. awful team for a while now. its not all to do with manager, players has to take some blame. maybe they aren't as good as media made them out to be?

 

[Smudge]

11 Wins in last 51 games. 3 wins last 14 league games are up against current bottom 3. awful team for a while now. its not all to do with manager, players has to take some blame. maybe they aren't as good as media made them out to be?

I dont think its that. Despite all our problems, there are quite a few players who have had excellent personal seasons. Deulofeu, Lukaku, Barkley, Barry, Funes Mori etc. Apart from the obvious issue of the defence, our greatest problem is balance and making changes. The likes of Naismith (now sold as a result) and Mirallas have been big players for us in the past but have barely figured. We'll play games where Deulofeu is isolated out of the match because we have nobody on the left so it makes it so easy for the opposition to double up on him and kill our supply to Lukaku dead.

I think other than the obvious, our biggest problem (and it was a problem under Moyes too, so its one that's been there for a long time) is that we just dont work hard enough. Other sides, not just the poor sides, but the good ones as well, all work harder than we do. They close down, they dont give us time on the ball, they mark up etc. When we dont have the ball, we always look vulnerable, because one or two players aside, we dont work hard enough to try and get it back, we pretty much wait to get it back. I think thats why we look half the side we can be when either McCarthy or Besic dont play. Nobody else in that team goes and tries to take the ball off the opposition. We stand off and hope they lose it.

 

[Abertawe]

It doesn't help that you consistently play over-hyped show ponies such as Barkley & Stones as well.

 

[Art Morte]

It doesn't help that you consistently play over-hyped show ponies such as Barkley & Stones as well.

I don't think Barkley is overrated and it's not like Everton could attract world-class CAMs in his place, either. Barkley mostly plays well, imo. Stones is overrated, though, at least was last summer. I wonder would Chelsea still be to fork out 40m for him, because he's been a bottom-15 CB in the league this season.

 

[johnnytodd]

should of cashed in when we had the chance............they are all playing shit , but it will improve

 

[Destruction]

Similar to the Barry quote earlier. Okay, I get it, good players, positivity. Dont take the piss though. And certainly dont give them all some ammunition for when that drop in form inevitably comes. I think both the Barry and Stones quotes pale into insignificance and actually sound quite reasonable when put next to this one. He said this about Tim Howard after he cost us both goals in a defeat at Arsenal, days after Joel Robles had an absolute blinder as we knocked Norwich out of the League Cup. "You need that little bit of know-how and direction, and that's why Tim Howard has always been so important, through good moments of form and bad moments of form. His role on the pitch is more important than his individual performance." Borderline insanity.

Is Howard out of contract this summer?

Heard he's off to the States at the end of the season either way so RM must have decided it's time to part ways.

 

[Smudge]

Is Howard out of contract this summer?

Heard he's off to the States at the end of the season either way so RM must have decided it's time to part ways.

2018 I believe, think he signed a new contract last summer. By all accounts, Colorado and Chicago are both desperate to get him and want him to be one of their marquee signings. Latest rumour I've seen on the subject though says they will sign him this month but he won't go until May, much like Gerrard last season. So not soon enough sadly.

 

[silkyman]

Can see our fans wanting him gone if we don't improve soon. He clearly can't coach teams how to defend, and hasn't appointed anyone to do it for him. If he refuses to learn he won't last much longer. Seems to think Tim Howard being at fault for a goal in nearly every game is acceptable too

Has Howard been that shit? I've always had him down as one of those permanently solid 'keepers. He was very good in the first leg, and I think did well in the 0-0 against City earlier in the season, too.

 

[Smudge]

He's appalling, has been for at least 18 months now. That City game and Spurs away are the only games he's actually done well in this season. He has made diving out of the way of shots an art form.

 

[Arkan]

Has Howard been that shit? I've always had him down as one of those permanently solid 'keepers. He was very good in the first leg, and I think did well in the 0-0 against City earlier in the season, too.

Howard didn't play in the first leg.

What I'd like to see is Robles given a consistent run of league games and then we can decide how good he is. He played well last season when given the chance, due to Howard's injury, and then was dropped despite keeping a few clean sheets and playing well.

As for Martinez, I wouldn't sack him mid season but depending on how this season pans out and another bottom half finish then serious questions need to be asked. The talent is there but to finish bottom half two seasons in a row would be unacceptable and something which hasn't happened since 2002.

I'm not sure who would replace him though and Kenwright probably wouldn't sack him.

 

[gjb]

Howard didn't play in the first leg.

What I'd like to see is Robles given a consistent run of league games and then we can decide how good he is. He played well last season when given the chance, due to Howard's injury, and then was dropped despite keeping a few clean sheets and playing well.

As for Martinez, I wouldn't sack him mid season but depending on how this season pans out and another bottom half finish then serious questions need to be asked. The talent is there but to finish bottom half two seasons in a row would be unacceptable and something which hasn't happened since 2002.

I'm not sure who would replace him though and Kenwright probably wouldn't sack him.

I think it all depends now on Kenwright finding a buyer. We need to go forward.

 

[Smudge]

This is absolutely spot on. Pretty much all of today's press conference borders on lunacy. Apparently we're not underachieving either...

 

[Super_horns]

Yet he seemed happy enough with the ref when Man City got denied 2 potential spot kicks the other week..

 

[Smudge]

Exactly. Fair enough complain about the decisions when they go against you, but only if you're going to own up to it when you've got lucky with them, or you just look like a dick.

Fact is, take a look at those 4 games it references. We were leading in all four of them, and any good side should have gone on to win all four of them. Bournemouth and Chelsea 2-0 up and 3-2 up in stoppage time, Stoke we were 3-2 up with 10 minutes left and lost, City we were ahead in the game, and still ahead on aggregate before that contentious goal. Yes, bad decisions went against us in all 4. But had we done our job properly, we would never have been in that position in any of those games.

 

[Pagnell]

The result yesterday against Carlisle does little more than paper over the cracks. He's a very limited manager and Everton will need to bring someone else in if they have aspirations beyond an occasional decent cup run and midtable finishes.

 

[Abertawe]

The result yesterday against Cardiff does little more than paper over the cracks. He's a very limited manager and Everton will need to bring someone else in if they have aspirations beyond an occasional decent cup run and midtable finishes.

Tbf Wagner hasn't been there long, paper over the cracks is all he can do with the little time he's had.

 

[Arkan]

The result yesterday against Carlisle does little more than paper over the cracks. He's a very limited manager and Everton will need to bring someone else in if they have aspirations beyond an occasional decent cup run and midtable finishes.

Who would you see replacing him though? It's all hypothetical as Kenwright won't sack him but I've seen people suggesting AVB or Bielsa but I'm not sure they'd want to come to Everton.

 

[Smudge]

To be honest, I think we might be surprised just who would be happy to manage anywhere in the Premier League once the new TV deal comes in.

 

[Jarv]

only 2 points off 7th. depending on how the cups land that might be enough for Europa League football ( It's where all the cool kids are these days, Not that Champions league nonsense)

 

[Destruction]

only 2 points off 7th. depending on how the cups land that might be enough for Europa League football ( It's where all the cool kids are these days, Not that Champions league nonsense)

Looking at the table it's pretty interesting as far as Everton go. They have lost the fewest games outside of the top 6 sides, and are the fourth highest scorers in the division (only 1 goal off being joint second).

They are very close to being a top side, but as any of us on the pull on a Saturday night dance floor know at 2am, close isn't good enough.

 

[Smudge]

Robles plays and look what happens? Now Howard is apparently injured so let's just wait and see what happens when he's fit again, because he came straight back in last season.

 

[Ebeneezer Goode]

"I think you do not have a better English player. Technically, he is as good as you get. The way he executes, how he reads the game, for me he is one of the most sensational you are going to see in Premier League history."

That's Roberto Martinez talking about... Tom Cleverley.

 

[Super_horns]

Does love to hype up his players and use big words which are totally out of context with what football is really..

Like "really brave and mature"

 

[JimJams]

It's meaningless though when it's so over the top.
When Cleverley hears that does he think "Yeah, I'm up there with Scholes I am" or does he think "Robs been in the fucking whisky cabinet again hasn't he?".

 

[johnnytodd]

phenominal

 

[Ebeneezer Goode]

close but no cigar