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

[eternal_defiance]

Leighton Baines can't make his mind up about what hairstyle he wants because of Martinez.

 

[Boss_Blue]

When we are fighting relegation because our team is poor

No lad.

So you think we can sign top players in the bottom of half of the league then ? Why's that?

We didn't get relegated with Mark Pembridge playing for us - I don't think we are in any immediate danger of relegation just yet.

 

[eternal_defiance]

Seamus Coleman is going to be the next James Bond, giving up on his football career, and going into the movies, because of Roberto Martinez.

 

[Kendall's Dream]

But you are ignoring the league play of the last 2 seasons. I get that there is something good in each season, but the league is the bread and butter. If you don't win a cup, the players don't care. And last year's poor league form was blamed on Europe ("we cant handle playing in Europe AND the league, what are you thinking??"). Whats the ridiculous excuse for this year? Not aimed at you but people really can't have it both ways. Hell, dave even says that he wants the cup, but then abhors the idea of Europa for him. So thats next years excuse already sorted should Everton somehow win the FA Cup.

Definitely see where you are coming from but if we want to be Champions League regulars then we're definitely going to have to cope with Europa, and the only way to do that is to get into it. Don't want to change this into a Europa League debate but Everton have to be in Europe.

Also agree on the league stuff but just want to end it here. Martinez won't get sacked now or in the next few weeks, if he is to get sacked then it will be at the end of the season. So between now and then, we have Wembley and a possible final. Let's have a proper debate at the end of the season, when there is a real possibility of a sacking, if that's up for debate.

 

[billycopper]

Whatever you think of him, today can't have helped.

Personally I don't think he's up to it. While I'd love the FA Cup, the league has to be our bread and butter, simply because the higher up the league you finish, the better the player you can attract.

No good finishing 16th and thinking the best players will come.

I'd love a trophy, but will it help keep Lukaku for example? I want a trophy AND a good league position, not either/or.

Our home form is the problem. We try and blitz everyone who comes to Goodison but we expect too much of Lukaku. If the opposition can neutralise him they know that their chance will come at the other end. Under Moyes we struggled to break down stubborn visitors but we didn't leave ourselves so open.

We've lost 9 league games this season and 8 of those have come at home. If we'd been more cautious and drawn those games instead we'd be on 46 points and within sight of the Champion's League places.

We might have to start playing like the away side at Goodison to start getting results. If teams like West Brom and Palace come to the Old Lady expecting an onslaught and it doesn't come we could draw them out and create space in behind. The worst that could happen is that we'd draw games instead of losing them.

Roberto is right that we're close to something and it'll just take a tweak to start seeing improved results.

I'm not sure that potential targets are that concerned about our final league standing. Shaqiri, Cabaye and Payet went to mid-table sides last summer. Reaching two cup semi-finals, beating the league champions twice (almost three times!), having a billionaire owner and a manager who players can learn from and the opportunity to play alongside Lukaku, Barkley and Stones will be enticement enough.

Even if Leicester win the league I can't see them being able to attract superstars. There might be a few more mercenaries ready to move to the East Midlands. What happens if they lose Mahrez and/or Vardy? Would top internationals be happy to play alongside Simpson, Huth and Albrighton?

Liverpool have had an indifferent season but Klopp will still lure quality to the dark side.

Moyes always used to say that young players came to Everton because they got a chance but under Roberto it's actually true.

 

[orly]

We didn't get relegated with Mark Pembridge playing for us - I don't think we are in any immediate danger of relegation just yet.

We've got Scott Gemmill version two playing for us right now in Snivelley Tom

 

[riddick]

Definitely see where you are coming from but if we want to be Champions League regulars then we're definitely going to have to cope with Europa, and the only way to do that is to get into it. Don't want to change this into a Europa League debate but Everton have to be in Europe.

Also agree on the league stuff but just want to end it here. Martinez won't get sacked now or in the next few weeks, if he is to get sacked then it will be at the end of the season. So between now and then, we have Wembley and a possible final. Let's have a proper debate at the end of the season, when there is a real possibility of a sacking, if that's up for debate.

I love Europa honestly. But others treat it with absolute disdain. People who say 'there is no difference between 5th and 15th in the league', only to point to..ya know, ACTUAL European football, brush it off like its below them. But 'having good cup runs' to nowhere is an achievement in their eyes.

Again, not to you, you're rather sensible.

 

[Eric Djemba-Djemba]

Even his mum thinks he should be sacked.

 

[Kiwi]

He's overseen 9 home defeats this season, the worst home form in 22 years and we've conceded more goals than any team in Europes top 5 divisions.

The only thing saving us from a relegation battle is the miraculously good away form, but the fact that is so different again raises major questions of his managerial ability & consistency.

The number of home defeats - the sheer manner of the defeats, coupled with a complete inability to organise a defence properly, is hugely alarming. The board need to act soon.

Disagree about the away form being miraculous, our results have been fully deserved, we play very well away. Home form is nowhere near good enough, we don't have the defensive consistency.
It's not that we can't defend, I've seen us defend and defend well. There's no consistency however, we'll defend well for 80 minutes then crumble vs West Ham, Bournemouth, Chelsea e.t.c.

that is what frustrates me the most, it isn't that we can't do it, we can. We, the players and the manager don't put it together in a cohesive manner consistently enough.

I don't know that we can achieve that consistency under this manager, and that is my issue with him.
today, in the context of the season was an aberration insofar as we were never in the game
and were well and truly outplayed. We were second best on that park and it was an atrocious performance, a genuine lack of desire and fight, and no quality from the players.

We've gone through most of this season being the best team on the park and yet we're sat in the bottom half. Results have not matched performances and while I think performances are important, at the end of the day results are what matter.

Simply put, we need to win games, or he needs to go.
Not
good
enough

 

[Boss_Blue]

We've got Scott Gemmill version two playing for us right now in Snivelley Tom

I like this game.

Mirallas is Alexanderson and Oviedo is a shrunken Valente.

 

[edge]

Be lucky to get a point there.

@davek

Be lucky to get a dozen pionts from that lot, especially if we get the final and this lot switch off.

 

[AndyC]

Martinez:
Games 134. Won 59. 44%.

Moyes:
Games 518. Won 218. 42%.

Martinez has the well better squad but it's his squad, Moyes would have never had this squad, even with the money we have/have had. He has invested in youth and is being rewarded. I'm not saying keep Martinez forever (or 11 years like Moyes), but I want to see him stay for a little bit longer.

Why bring up Moyes?
That's history... We're debating the present and the future, time periods that can be affected whereas history is cast in stone.
You're happy to give him more time, I and a majority of others would rather there be a change and again, in my opinion, the sooner the better because despite all his laudable attacking intentions and possession philosophy, our win/loss record is going exactly the way Wigan fans suggested it would...
Loads of nice to watch footie, too many losses due to a gross inability to defend... And that will only end up in abject mediocrity at best or relegation at worst.
We certainly won't go down, but there's no way we should be accepting a second season finishing 12th or potentially lower.

 

[RomEFCRom]

Surely, we've all seen enough... Looking at 2 bottom half finishes in a row... How can anyone make an argument for keeping him, I don't know. The only argument could be that we might appoint someone worse. We've tried, he's failed, a cup would be nice but it would be papering over the cracks and he'd definitely stay in that event. Frustrating scenario

 

[evertony]

Would we be so far off if we didn't have lukaku up front?

Also who will realistically sign for a club who achieve nothing in their league? Pure fantasy to think that we will still sign great players by finishing bottom half every year. Unless you want to just pay more money? Not the best strategy if we are dropping down he league.



So you think we can sign top players in the bottom of half of the league then ? Why's that?

WONGAAAAA.

Oh, and Leicester haven't signed 'great' players and have done pretty well off the back of that.

 

[orly]

I like this game.

Mirallas is Alexanderson and Oviedo is a shrunken Valente.

I'm Joe Royle and you can be Ibrahima Bakayoko