Match Thread Everton v West Ham. 5th March at 1500.

What do you think should be Saturday's objective?

  • Three points for the royal blues

    Votes: 186 49.9%

  • Lay down a performance that shows we are progressing

    Votes: 39 10.5%

  • Sign Willy Caballero

    Votes: 8 2.1%

  • HURT PAYET

    Votes: 140 37.5%
  • Total voters
    373
  • Poll closed .
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I'm gutted with the result.
But I was really proud and impressed with the way we played tonight. To be with ten after half an hour and to then actually dominate the game until the 2-1 is a great performance. The fighting spirit and the playing around of the ball was so nice to see.
That's why the disappointment now is so immense. because we were better than them with one player less.

I thought Lukaku was impressive (his hold up pplay off the ball seconds before Lennon's goal!), but he should have either kicked the penalty (instead off passing it to the keeper) or he should have left it to someone else who was perhaps less tired?
 
eurosrees said:
This tombola/raffle/short straw system he's got for choosing substitutions has to go, it's clearly not working out.
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Its not only the subs. Taking of Lennon was wrong. It was Barkley who had to be taken of. He was dead on his feet. He doesnt defend . Why not bringing in Del? But 2 goals up you need to keep it tight. Our team (at that all season) is stretched all over the field for the last 20 min. Big stamina problems as well.
 

deipnosophist said:
Thing is, I am not in the least bit fuming. When Lukaku missed the penalty, I just knew we were going to blow it. There is a massively soft underbelly to our team. We flatter to deceive. I have said for months that Roberto Martinez is a snake oil salesman. In my professional career, as owner of businesses, I have had many, many employees. Believe me when I say that I quickly recognise people who are not up to a given task.
It's nothing personal Mr Martinez...
... but the buck stops with you...
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spot on, time for Bill or this other fella to step in and phone the fella over in Manchester thats warming the seat for Guardiola he could come in and do a better job. Pellegrini is my choice.
 
chazzle_dazzle said:
Was keen to see your thoughts on this mate cos I know your feelings on Martinez. That was a pathetic sub, we spoke recently bout game management - today shows he has learned nothing.

Should have shored the team up, missing a pen they were always gonna pressure us. Martinez and defending destroyed that result
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I have no idea mate.

I said to my dad at the time, what a weird sub. There was no need for it. I was covering the game and almost put it in copy but stopped myself due to the bias haha!

The penalty miss was bad, and Rom had a sitter after that as well that he missed, but defensively it hadn't looked to have shaken us up.

But that change baffled me, as our weakness had been crosses into the area (it has been for ages so it's not like I blame RM for that in this game - it's just how it is) but the point is that Lennon was getting back to defend those crosses as well as getting up the pitch.

I get the logic in fresh legs, but there was no need for it at that point as Lennon didn't look tired. If anyone should have gone off it should have been Rom or Barks.

It's horrible because for 75 minutes that was genuinely our best display of the season. He got the shape bang on at the start by matching their formation and when Kev got sent off he got the shape and tactics spot on.

Rom missed the penalty when God will only know why he didn't hammer it home with power, but even though that shook us we still were in control, although we were losing it a bit and thought yeh we could do with some fresh legs. But he completely messed up by taking Lennon off.

I still don't want him sacked but it's a disgrace from him and the experienced players on the pitch in that last 15 minutes to let that happen. W.Ham were kept at bay and then we concede and collapse.

Dreadful and it puts him under a lot more pressure, even though in the grand scheme of things there isn't much difference now between a point and a defeat - it's just the manner of it.

So, all in all:

Negatives - the entire last 15 minutes. One goal conceded and we fell apart. Something we looked to have gotten away from. Down to RM for a mental change in tact and down to the players (i'm looking at the three around the ball for Sakho's goal and the four around the ball for Payet's - in fairness the first one you've got to say was a great cross and good header).

Lukaku's miss for the penalty. Too casual and he has to take responsibility of just smashing that down the middle.

Positives - found a way of playing at home which, with 11 men, looked very dangerous and with 10 men (before that change) looked very solid and capable of counter-attacking brilliantly.

Besic was great and him and McCarthy looked good together. They never got through our midfield with them two in there and in home games I think that's the way to go (with them as a pairing). Lennon is immense at the moment as well.

As I said, for 75 minutes (bar the penalty miss) our best display in ages. Genuinely fantastic and they were all doing fine.

Stupid sub by RM and the pressure now is well and truly on. I still don't think he's gonna go before the season is out but he needs to start to get a grip of this situation. He looked to have learned and he's shoved that down all our faces who stuck with him.

Now, i'm not like hurt as such or anything, and to be fair it's not the actual defeat that bothers me as such it's the total manner that the team capitulated and the lack of any tactical nous (after showing he is more than capable of it for the first 75 minutes) that RM showed.
 

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