Roberto Martinez Discussion - Including Live Poll (Poll Reset 1st May)

[USABlue]

Fair enough, I don't follow how the US get on so you guys will know more than me.

Didn't you lose to Guatemala the other day? I don't even know where that is.

Yup lost in Guatemala for the first time in 20 something years I think. Beat them handily in the US though a few days later that saved our qualifying and possibly Klinsmann's job

 

[Ashtonian]

Won't be klinsmann like but what has klinsmann actually achieved as manager? All i rememebr is his USA run.

 

[orchard]

Everything else abar the lid.

Klinsmann would be bad yeah?

German - good
Big name - good
Won stuff - good

Someone tell me the bad before I get too excited.

 

[brieverton]

I can understand keeping Martinez in place until the competitive end to the season. In the event we lose the semi final, then I would hope/expect the board to confirm his departure in the immediate few days afterwards. It would be very detrimental to see us still without a confirmed successor into the end of May and beyond. So much has to be done this summer in addition to the normal pre season preparations not to mention the distraction of Euro 2016. Personally, I think the extent of our malaise is so alarming I would prefer him to be replaced with a caretaker immediately.

 

[oldblue]

What ?....both Harry and Howard were as ruthless as they come. Neither played anyone who didn't perform......

Howard Kendall was way short of ruthless. Can't argue with Catterick. You can be strong willed and nice. No evidence whatsoever to suggest not being nice means you make better decisions

 

[USABlue]

Wrestling reference for our friend ijjy there

 

[ijjysmith]

How is he viewed in the States ?

Not great it seems!

 

[Number_25]

Didn't Joe Royle try and do some dodgy dealings with some Norwegian agent and was forced to resign over it?

 

[royalblue66]

Not great it seems!

Oh dear.

 

[ijjysmith]

Didn't Joe Royle try and do some dodgy dealings with some Norwegian agent and was forced to resign over it?

I think he wanted to sign Tore Andre Flo (who would have been boss for us at that time by the way) but wasn't allowed to. So he did one.

 

[oldblue]

Hmmm massively motivated in the cup i think is a massive overstating of things, we managed 2 shots on target against Chelsea mate (I'm not counting the throughball that Courtios reached before Lukaku as one unlike the BBC), we played ultra defensively against a Chelsea team that has been crap this season and who had just had their confidence shattered 3 days earleir by getting dumped out the CL, and honestly the difference in the game was a width of a post with Costa and a moment of individual brilliance from Lukaku

Besides this - what game in the cup have we been really motivated in exactly?

Counting the fact nearly every team we have played including Boro, Norwich, Bournemouth and a couple of other lower league teams have made a whole host of changes and rested 5-7 starting first team players when they played us.

We have scraped past Barnsley (extra time)
Rested players against a lower division side in Reading and where absolutely appaling and needed to bring on 3 first teamewrs to rescue the game
Needed pens to get past a Norwich reserve side (who deserved that game)
Beat a boro reserves side who made about 9 changes
Effectively was winning at half time against city (first leg) but got battered second half and knocked out (away leg)
Beat Dag & Red and Carlisle handily - hardly stuff to inspire though
Beat a Borunemouth reserves side 2-0 with our strongest 11

Exactly how the team has had to show any amount of 'massive motivation' to produce these results i would love to hear?

Showed more than enough determination. Two semi finals has needed luck as well but we've come through several tight games so seems to indicate motivation to me

 

[USABlue]

@Garrick thoughts on JK to Everton?

 

[Carlito]

I think tonight's result with be narrow either way, so I doubt it'll influence too much. Same goes for Saturday.

I believe the question will be asked after the derby. There aren't a lot of teams in England that would completely drop their arses in the face of Gegenfoul, but I'm quite certain Everton are one of them. I'm fearing the worst.

That gives the board about 48 hours to decide whether or not to trust him to manage Everton's biggest game in four years.

 

[oldblue]

That's what I used to think but this run we are on is worrying. There's no crystal ball to say we are going to turn up for the semi so all we can go on is this recent run.
Also if the players were motivated enough to win the semi then I would look at this as them playing for themselves in the cup rather than playing for the manager in every game. Surely not a good sign.

I'm not gonna argue. I think it's a common mistake players make to think that taking it down a notch will mean they perform better when it matters. It is worrying but we'll see

 

[D410]

Klinsmann - Small time