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

[BlueToff]

Granted. It's hard to take all our chances. Some went in some gone to row z. That's life. I do think the team "can score" this season though just can't defend which costs us.

Yes, and same that it is hard to keep a clean sheet. Teams score - that's football.

The defence has cost us, i'm not saying otherwise.

However, this idea that the attack is blameless is wrong.

For example. if you create over 10 chances (and very good chances) in the first half vs Norwich away and you only go in at half time 1-0 up, then you're asking for trouble, especially since - as well all know too well - our defence is not up to par.

Same token for if you fail to convert a penalty when 2-0 up against an in-form West Ham when you have got 10 men and know that we have struggled at home...

 

[Coffee and TV]

It's not all down to goals conceded though.

Had Lukaku converted that penalty the other day we wouldn't be 12th...

Had Coleman not missed from a yard out vs Swansea we would have got a point.

Had Barkley not missed two golden chances vs WBA we would have not lost to them etc etc.

All the chances that were missed in the first half vs Norwich, and that sitter that Del missed in the League Cup semi...

Our goalscoring has been great but it's also part of the issue. Our defence has been shocking, but had we put even half of the chances we had created away then we'd be much better off also as we would have turned the majority of our draws into wins...

The defence is a major issue but the attack - as good as it has been - can also be improved and has cost us as well...

You can't expect us to score every chance that comes our way. We've missed easy chances but we've scored difficult ones, and when we're one of the highest scoring teams in the league that should be enough for us not to be in the bottom half of the table.

 

[Moomin]

Never mind guys; only 2 days to go. Soon be all over.

?

Think he is trying to say he hopes we get knocked out on Saturday as he wants rid of him rather than us winning a trophy.

Rather worrying.

 

[Eric Djemba-Djemba]

Mate this term is not acceptable on this site. Please don't use it future.

Is plotters acceptable?

 

[BlueToff]

You can't expect us to score every chance that comes our way. We've missed easy chances but we've scored difficult ones, and when we're one of the highest scoring teams in the league that should be enough for us not to be in the bottom half of the table.

I'm not expecting that at all. I'm saying we've missed a lot as well and in certain games that has cost us as much if not more than the defence and it's down to chances we should have taken or even if we had just taken one more to put the game to bed...

Just as you say you can't expect us to put away every chance, then it's also the same that you can't expect us not to concede. The average prem team concedes over a goal a game. The annoying thing is is we've had the ability to score so many more than we have done this season and yet have failed to do so - and that has come back to bite us at times just as the defence has.

 

[hktoffee]

Yes, and same that it is hard to keep a clean sheet. Teams score - that's football.

The defence has cost us, i'm not saying otherwise.

However, this idea that the attack is blameless is wrong.

For example. if you create over 10 chances (and very good chances) in the first half vs Norwich away and you only go in at half time 1-0 up, then you're asking for trouble, especially since - as well all know too well - our defence is not up to par.

Same token for if you fail to convert a penalty when 2-0 up against an in-form West Ham when you have got 10 men and know that we have struggled at home...

To be fair, I get what you're saying you have a point. I don't think Lukaku is a good penalty taker myself but who made such decision (deciding the taker)? The manager I guess. I like players to smash it.

 

[BlueToff]

To be fair, I get what you're saying you have a point. I don't think Lukaku is a good penalty taker myself but who made such decision (deciding the taker)? The manager I guess. I like players to smash it.

It was last season that they changed and Lukaku hasn't missed one penalty for us before the other day as far as I can remember...

 

[Little Ralphy]

Mate I have said nothing about luck or fortune???


I'm saying that the attack isn't blameless either...


The defence is a huge issue but to balance that out had we put away the chances in games like Norwich and Palace etc then the games would have been over and the defence had nothing to worry about... it works both ways.

It does work both ways and in fairness though you can't expect Everton to convert every chance they get and the opposition not to. For every missed chance mentioned, there are also loads of missed chances from the opposition in games as well. It’s football and while I think an increase in chance conversion for Everton would be great, I also think we need to stop giving chances to the opposition.

 

[BlueToff]

We'll have to agree to disagree mate.

Only the Leicester and City scored more than us. Only the bottom 4 and Bournemouth conceded more than us.

Chances get missed by every team each week.

Yes and goals get conceded by most teams most weeks...

I'm not slating the attack or excusing the defending. I'm saying at times this season we have created tons of opportunities and should have put them away.

I'm naming examples of that when they clearly affected the result mate.

Norwich, Palace, Swansea (home and away), WBA, West Ham with the penalty the other day.

Our defence is poor, but that means that when we have the opportunity to kill the game we have to do it.

In some games we have - usually by making it 3-0 and it's over and done with. That's a sad indictment of the defence yes, but also indicates that in games where we've had more than enough chances we should be putting one or two more (of the ten) away.

 

[The Esk]

Is plotters acceptable?

Not if it's used to deride fellow blues no.

 

[BlueToff]

It does work both ways and in fairness though you can't expect Everton to convert every chance they get and the opposition not to. For every missed chance mentioned, there are also loads of missed chances from the opposition in games as well. It’s football and while I think an increase in chance conversion for Everton would be great, I also think we need to stop giving chances to the opposition.

I think iv'e already responded to a similar point mate and yes I take it on board.

By the token though you can't always stop a team creating chances. Very rarely do teams stop us creating them...

Our defence is the main issue no denying it. I'm just pointing out in quite a few games this year we've created more than enough chances yet our conversion rate has been poor - despite the amount of goals we score.

 

[BernieWright13]

Think he is trying to say he hopes we get knocked out on Saturday as he wants rid of him rather than us winning a trophy.

Rather worrying.

I'm not worried mate. Its a win win

 

[Little Ralphy]

I think iv'e already responded to a similar point mate and yes I take it on board.

By the token though you can't always stop a team creating chances. Very rarely do teams stop us creating them...

Our defence is the main issue no denying it. I'm just pointing out in quite a few games this year we've created more than enough chances yet our conversion rate has been poor - despite the amount of goals we score.

I actually don't think it's been as bad as you make out.

Just out of curiosity, against Bournemouth Lukaku powers past the defence, cuts inside and the keeper saves it from close range? Do you put that down as a missed chance and he should have scored? Or do you say he created it himself out of nothing and anything else was a bonus?

 

[BlueToff]

I actually don't think it's been as bad as you make out.

Just out of curiosity, against Bournemouth Lukaku powers past the defence, cuts inside and the keeper saves it from close range? Do you put that down as a missed chance and he should have scored? Or do you say he created it himself out of nothing and anything else was a bonus?

No mate I'd say it was a bonus in that instance.

The McCarthy one when he got through I'd say was a missed chance. Just like the Rom penalty which kills the game on Saturday, or that chance he had afterwards.

The Del Lg Cup one is a prime example in the City game where it would have meant they'd have had to score another three. While they may have done it the effect that us not scoring in that position (much like W.Ham) gives them a huge boost.

I think that would be my point actually. When the pressure has really been on in certain games, the attack, as good as it is, has failed to deliver.

Our poor defence then capitulates at the first sign of a comeback from the opposition - who have been boosted by the fact we missed those chances...

 

[BlueToff]

I'm not worried mate. Its a win win

Well it isn't though.

If we lose RM isn't getting sacked, no matter how much you want it to happen.