Martinez: Everton players fear Goodison Crowd

[Whistlin' Dixie]

It's been said on this forum and in plenty of other places that at times, the Goodison crowd can be/is poisonous, aggressive towards our own and downright negative... and much of this is true, cannot be denied.

There does appear to be one fundamental difference between the current 'negative' crowd and its predecessors in that this negative crowd continues to turn up every home game... whereas in years gone by, the cushions would rain down from the MS and then large numbers would vote with their feet by simply not attending and paying to watch below par Everton performances. Lots on this forum can remember the days of sub 23,000 gates and even as low as 13,000 !!!

The crowd loyalty, certainly in terms of attendance figures, is largely driven by the need to have a season ticket these days, and for (I think) six of the past seven seasons, the numbers of ST purchasers has increased year on year.

Do we think that this trend is in danger of going into reverse this coming summer as a result of wavering belief in this manager and his seeming inability to coach a team to defend effectively and more importantly to the final whistle?

Do we think that this trend is in danger of going into reverse this coming summer as a result of the squads seeming inability to close out games that they are well in control of... Bournemouth away, Norwich away, even Chelsea away being just three examples?

Some fans will always be vitriolic and negative, it's partly the nature of the beast - and largely a UK trait - that we tend to be quick to criticise and slow to praise... many of us don't even need to set foot outside our own homes to demonstrate these tendencies never mind go to work or a game of footie.

There is no simple solution, there really isn't, but I'd venture to suggest that if the manager took a long hard look at just this season, he surely can see some worrying trends that have to be addressed and corrected.

Our defence, good players all of them simply don't have confidence in Tim Howard... good servant he has been, but is past his best.
Joel Robles may not be the long-term answer between the sticks, but it's time to play him and see if things improve as they have appeared to do so far in the CO-Cup this season.

Stonesy, elegant as he is must accept that there is a time and place for elegance and occasionally, a time when Row Z is the better option.

Ross, for all his mercurial talent dallies too often on the ball and coughs up possession... he tries so hard, maybe too hard to be the Evertonian we all want him to be, but his mental game appears to let him down... he needs a mentor !!!

And for me, the biggest, most glaring fault of the manager/team is we rarely play at a sustained high level of pace and everyone with any modicum of footballing experience knows that the one thing all opponents fear is facing pace.

Good posting, sir!

 

[Mikey_Fitzgerald]

Where do you sit Mikey? Would happily sit there if it means not having to sit next to some beaut slating Lukaku because he's lazy and then goes and applauds Barkley for dawdling on the ball and loosing it!! Bipolar I would call our support at the minute

MS3 mate

#MainStandMassive

 

[Khalekan]

He clearly hasn't said the atmosphere is the only reason, but the way I read it it's a rallying call to make it tougher for teams coming here. Why not try that? It's clearly not that they don't care so what's wrong with looking at making Goodison a fortress. Few things would help but the one we can guarantee is making the stadium fierce for the opposition

The people best placed to make Goodison a tougher place for teams to visit are the players.

Bobby would be better advised banging the drum at them and finding ways of stopping them from gift wrapping goals to the opposition every flipping game.

I went the game yesterday filled with optimism and sure we were going to use it as a launchpad for an eleven day football feast which would kickstart our season.

Instead I witnessed our players backing off a team just outside the relegation zone and which rarely scores.....present them with a criminally easy first goal......our players dropping like flies through pre existing injuries which IMO raises questions about the competency of our medical staff.....and a boatload of chances and half chances go begging when we finally woke up in the second half.

And all this with a perishing wind swirling all around me.

I don't know about teams not finding it tough to play at Goodison.....but it is tough for the matchgoing fans to sit watching such incompetence.

 

[AndyC]

The people best placed to make Goodison a tougher place for teams to visit are the players.

Bobby would be better advised banging the drum at them and finding ways of stopping them from gift wrapping goals to the opposition every flipping game.

I went the game yesterday filled with optimism and sure we were going to use it as a launchpad for an eleven day football feast which would kickstart our season.

Instead I witnessed our players backing off a team just outside the relegation zone and which rarely scores.....present them with a criminally easy first goal......our players dropping like flies through pre existing injuries which IMO raises questions about the competency of our medical staff.....and a boatload of chances and half chances go begging when we finally woke up in the second half.

And all this with a perishing wind swirling all around me.

I don't know about teams not finding it tough to play at Goodison.....but it is tough for the matchgoing fans to sit watching such incompetence.

Cannot argue one single word of that @Khalekan - excellent post !!

 

[oldblue]

With 99% of the people mate it's involuntary

I sit with people of all shapes, sizes, ages and genders and there's almost always a common theme. Player does something bad, everyone groans. 30 seconds later, he does something good, everyone claps. There's no booing in my section during the 90 minutes, just people reacting to what they see on the pitch

Groaning is something you don't want to do, but you do it because you want to see Everton do well and when they don't, you feel bad. Hence, you let out a frustrated groan. When Everton do well, you cheer, clap and laugh etc. I've chortled at some of the fine team play we've shown this season. To be honest, when something goes bad, I normally don't groan but merely go quiet. We all react to things differently

It really is that simple, and the campaign by some against the paying Goodison crowd is as pointless as it is facile

Are people really campaigning against the fans? Most people do just react to what's going on, but more than enough are waiting for mistakes so they can make their point, clearly getting on certain players backs as soon as they receive the ball. These people have always been there, always been annoying and the first to forget they did it if players prove them wrong.
All I want and you'd hope most fans want is for them to be drowned out

 

[Whistlin' Dixie]

The people best placed to make Goodison a tougher place for teams to visit are the players.

Bobby would be better advised banging the drum at them and finding ways of stopping them from gift wrapping goals to the opposition every flipping game.

I went the game yesterday filled with optimism and sure we were going to use it as a launchpad for an eleven day football feast which would kickstart our season.

Instead I witnessed our players backing off a team just outside the relegation zone and which rarely scores.....present them with a criminally easy first goal......our players dropping like flies through pre existing injuries which IMO raises questions about the competency of our medical staff.....and a boatload of chances and half chances go begging when we finally woke up in the second half.

And all this with a perishing wind swirling all around me.

I don't know about teams not finding it tough to play at Goodison.....but it is tough for the matchgoing fans to sit watching such incompetence.

Well said.

Reasons to be cheerful - Part 3, I don't think

 

[Mikey_Fitzgerald]

Are people really campaigning against the fans? Most people do just react to what's going on, but more than enough are waiting for mistakes so they can make their point, clearly getting on certain players backs as soon as they receive the ball. These people have always been there, always been annoying and the first to forget they did it if players prove them wrong.
All I want and you'd hope most fans want is for them to be drowned out

I certainly don't recognise any of those sorts of people in my section mate

There's no agenda around me, just people watching the match and reacting accordingly

 

[oldblue]

I've interpreted the actual words; you've taken the overall message and tried to glean a positive from it that isn't there.

At best, he didn't say what he meant to say. If that's the case, he should come out and explain himself - but what you're interpreting as a rallying call simply isn't evident in what he said.

He could have said "we need to make Goodison Park a cauldron; that means having the fans on side and the players controlling games. We need to make teams afraid of coming to Goodison Park because of what we offer on and off the pitch." That would be a rallying call. But he didn't - he simply blamed the entire loss and our bad form on the fans to shield himself and the players.

And that's completely out of order and the words of a man completely out of his depth and running out of excuses.

Okay so you didn't see where this went wrong at 'he blamed the entire loss'

 

[Who's_up_for_cumpkins?]

The stick most of the players who went on to win two leagues got when they were struggling with confidence would indicate this isn't completely accurate

was only 10 last time we won the league, so fair enough. What i can say with confidence is i reckon this is the most talented group i've seen since '87 (attacking wise), what they do miss though is 'snide', 'game management', pragmatism, whatever you want to call it.

That team lack a leader or someone who basically rags everyone about the pitch, get's people organised, put's their body on the line for the rest to follow. Basically 'Right lads, shows over, shut the game down' or 'the tippy tappy stuff ain't working - let's try brute force'.

Some players, already have this and maybe less talent, but i think a lot of the above can be coached - look at a Classic Mouriniho team, expensive, talented, but knew how to put a backs to the wall performance in. Unfortunately none of the above i think interests our manager, hence we are getting turned over time and again by teams who ability wise are inferior to us.

 

[Tubey]

Okay so you didn't see where this went wrong at 'he blamed the entire loss'

Not at all - his quotes were in relation to the defensive lapses against Swansea. He blamed the fans for those lapses. Ergo, he blamed the fans for conceding goals and, therefore, the loss.

Again, the words are there for all to see.

 

[oldblue]

I certainly don't recognise any of those sorts of people in my section mate

Seriously? Well maybe we need amplifiers in your section

 

[tim gabbott]

What ever happened to the gwladys street sucking the goals in ... All the boos must of pushed Coleman shot of the bar. I don't mind the booing just wish inbetween the boos there was some singing. Listened on the radio yesterday and the atmosphere was flat from the start

 

[oldblue]

was only 10 last time we won the league, so fair enough. What i can say with confidence is i reckon this is the most talented group i've seen since '87 (attacking wise), what they do miss though is 'snide', 'game management', pragmatism, whatever you want to call it.

That team lack a leader or someone who basically rags everyone about the pitch, get's people organised, put's their body on the line for the rest to follow. Basically 'Right lads, shows over, shut the game down' or 'the tippy tappy stuff ain't working - let's try brute force'.

Some players, already have this and maybe less talent, but i think a lot of the above can be coached - look at a Classic Mouriniho team, expensive, talented, but knew how to put a backs to the wall performance in. Unfortunately none of the above i think interests our manager, hence we are getting turned over time and again by teams who ability wise are inferior to us.

I'd agree with nearly all that except the same things were said about the manager in the early 80s and it all turned round with a couple of real leaders on the pitch and some of the players turning into leaders, plus a whole lot of luck and a crowd who were seriously worth a goal or two a game,

 

[oldblue]

Not at all - his quotes were in relation to the defensive lapses against Swansea. He blamed the fans for those lapses. Ergo, he blamed the fans for conceding goals and, therefore, the loss.

Again, the words are there for all to see.

They're really not or you'd quote them

 

[dandydan]

He dropped his agent a while back

I see what you did there.