It seems to me that we have the Martinez in mob (The Cult) and the Those who want Everton to be successful (The Plotters). For me it is not about the manager its about what I see served up on the pitch and if I don't like it, I feel I am perfectly entitled to voice my criticism's weather it be Martinez or A another at the helm. It just so happens that it is Martinez who is getting slated at the moment
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4737carlin
Player Valuation: £90m
I do however think we will do them, hoping they can get deeper in the Champions League to give them an extra thing to think about. One thing that will help us is the crowd will be right up for this, just like City in the cup and unlike the majority of the season we won't have Howard playing which hasn't helped either the crowd or the side.
The cup is wide open this season for anyone right now.
LAToffee
Player Valuation: £20m
Would love to hear from those who made the journey (perhaps you were there), but while Bournemouth were singing a tune earlier in the game that was to the tune of Sloop John-B (i.e. the same tune as "Roberto had a Dream"), you could distinctly hear at the end of the game (on TV that is) our version of the song ("We play from the back with Ross in Attack"). It was striking precisely because, as you say, we haven't been singing these songs. And for good reason. Indeed, our fans were so loud, the commentators commented on it on a number of occasions ("those voices you hear now are all from the away end" "Evertonians in full voice" etc). Like I said, I'll stand corrected if a number of fans who made the trip can confirm these songs WERE NOT sung, but myself and my daughter clearly heard them over the TV.
madkiwi
Koffee please
Eaten with chopsticks I hope. Something else about Martinez.
THANKS FOR THAT.
Can the Plotters and Cultists not see that the only place right now is the FENCE.
Our attack is ace, except when it isn't. Our defence is a shambles, except when we get clean sheets. In two games we can go up or down five places easily. In our current position we could get into Europe, or get in a relegation scrap. Or stay with mid-table mediocrity. So...
The FENCE. Sit on it.
MassBlue
Player Valuation: £500k
That sounds all very reasonable. But the worry is that, if we got a new manager and finished 7-10th as we usually do, and didn't win a cup, then there are lots of "supporters" who would be on that manager's back in reasonable time. And so goes the cycle of mild dissatisfaction just waiting for a trigger to come bubbling up. I'm not sure the problem is entirely Martinez (though I don't think this side is so far away). It's something more than that. It's a deep habit to find some sobering fact in the midst of any joy. That's my worry.
"Supporter" for many just means "Consumer" now. We pay for X, we want just what we want and if that's not forthcoming then it's time for dissatisfaction. Ennui.
Personally, I find that a bit bleak.
Chelsea game is a quarter final. You don't get anything for winning quarter finals - you have to win the final to get the shiny pot.
I think it may well help that they'll almost certainly come here to attack as well, so if (big if I know) we can hold our own defensively then they could play right into our hands.
That may be the case for some clubs in the PL but I don't think that holds up against Everton and Evertonians in particular. I don't think there is a more tolerable bunch of fans in the premier league considering the absolute dross we've had to put up with over the years since the days of winning trophies.
Everton fans aren't the type to say "I want I want I want", that's saved for the bellends across the park that type of behaviour.
The problem is Martinez and Martinez alone and it's up to him to rectify the issues that not only fans can see, but like today Neville Southall has come out and said he needs to get a defensive coach to help him because it simply isn't good enough this season as a whole.
It's easy to ridicule fans ( not saying you have btw ) or come up with elaborate ways to defend Martinez. Not so easy when someone like Southall sees it and tells it like it is.
Anyways we are on a good run and I'm hopeful that it continues. I'm not 100% confident that Martinez is the right man to carry us forward or that we will have any kind of great end to the season, but a few more wins on the board in the league and an extended cup run would certainly help in that respect.
Ashtonian
Banned on request
See i said this the other week, if we finished 7th this season, but did so competitively by winning a fair few games before the end of the season i would call that a good finish for us. That isn't based on the teams around us, nor the team we have. I'd be satisfied with that because its pretty much the norm for us league wise. I think it might be a little bit short sighted to attack the manager for finishing in a position that we tended to finish around anyway, as long as we are competitive.
the one thing we need is progress, to show some of our players which direction we are going in. If we are going to sell someone this summer then fine, hopefully we will have new owners by then and all the money will go back into the team. But for your lukakus, stones, barkleys etc you need to be able to show them progression and a reason to stay here. Considering they are all young, the project looks more appealing compared to a 27-28 year old who wants one last flirt at the big time. So the league position does matter, mid table will not show that, winning games will do, europe again will be the perfect end to the season, that or the cup.
The Mighty Quint
Player Valuation: £40m
We beat a full strength Man City side at our gaff recently too.
Bluerover
Player Valuation: £50m
Big Nev says give RM another season but get in a defensive coach - today's Echo.
I like this...........
Neville Southall believes Roberto Martinez should appoint a defensive coach this summer to prevent another season of frailty at the back.
The Everton goalkeeping legend thinks Martinez deserves another season to prove he can guide the team into the Premier League's top four, but warns he must first solve his side's ongoing habit of conceding too many goals.
Southall, who was voted Football Writers' Player of the Year in 1985, also reckons the Toffees need to bolster their squad in the summer by signing a commanding midfielder.
Speaking to Bwin news, Southall reflected on the pressure that Martinez has been under recently as results have fluctuated.
He said: "I personally wouldn’t get rid of him as I think he’s a fantastic manager but in the summer, he needs to sit down and see if he can find someone to work on the defensive side of the game.
"As I said, we’re amazing going forward but we’re struggling defensively. The situation regarding the board is so unknown at the moment. Nobody knows if someone is taking over the club, so what’s the point in sacking the manager and bringing in a replacement who might not be there in six months time anyway.
"Our problem is balancing attacking prowess with defending. I’ve got no problem with our attacking play, it’s old-school in that it’s outscoring your opponent rather than keeping it tight.
"But to be honest, they’ve got international players in goal and across the backline. They’ve got a good back four and if you can’t defend with five internationals, you shouldn’t be playing in the Premier League."
Southall is eager to see the Blues sign a potential captain figure in the Steven Gerrard mould to add leadership to the side.
"The team is missing a real leader in the midfield – a captain’s captain – to change the game," he said.
"If you look at the squad – and it’s a good squad – we’re missing one special player who doesn’t have to be a world-beater, but someone like Steven Gerrard who will come in and take a team by the scruff of the neck.
"Roberto Martinez sets the team out to attack but all the fans want clean sheets – if we want to win the league we’ve got to have clean sheets. Overall, we’re not far off but we’re definitely underachieving and we’re missing that spark. I look back at the Peter Reid’s and Roy Keane’s who would assert themselves on a team and make the players play to their tune."
Southall believes that Martinez is under added scrutiny because the current Blues team is largely players he has signed.
He said: "There will be massive pressure and he’s getting tons of stick. If we can get to the end of the season in the top five, the fans will be happy, but I won’t be.
"One thing I’ve noticed amongst the fans is that they are fed up with the manager coming out and praising the players and the performance when we lose 3-1, it gets a bit wearing."
I like this...........
Neville Southall believes Roberto Martinez should appoint a defensive coach this summer to prevent another season of frailty at the back.
The Everton goalkeeping legend thinks Martinez deserves another season to prove he can guide the team into the Premier League's top four, but warns he must first solve his side's ongoing habit of conceding too many goals.
Southall, who was voted Football Writers' Player of the Year in 1985, also reckons the Toffees need to bolster their squad in the summer by signing a commanding midfielder.
Speaking to Bwin news, Southall reflected on the pressure that Martinez has been under recently as results have fluctuated.
He said: "I personally wouldn’t get rid of him as I think he’s a fantastic manager but in the summer, he needs to sit down and see if he can find someone to work on the defensive side of the game.
"As I said, we’re amazing going forward but we’re struggling defensively. The situation regarding the board is so unknown at the moment. Nobody knows if someone is taking over the club, so what’s the point in sacking the manager and bringing in a replacement who might not be there in six months time anyway.
"Our problem is balancing attacking prowess with defending. I’ve got no problem with our attacking play, it’s old-school in that it’s outscoring your opponent rather than keeping it tight.
"But to be honest, they’ve got international players in goal and across the backline. They’ve got a good back four and if you can’t defend with five internationals, you shouldn’t be playing in the Premier League."
Southall is eager to see the Blues sign a potential captain figure in the Steven Gerrard mould to add leadership to the side.
"The team is missing a real leader in the midfield – a captain’s captain – to change the game," he said.
"If you look at the squad – and it’s a good squad – we’re missing one special player who doesn’t have to be a world-beater, but someone like Steven Gerrard who will come in and take a team by the scruff of the neck.
"Roberto Martinez sets the team out to attack but all the fans want clean sheets – if we want to win the league we’ve got to have clean sheets. Overall, we’re not far off but we’re definitely underachieving and we’re missing that spark. I look back at the Peter Reid’s and Roy Keane’s who would assert themselves on a team and make the players play to their tune."
Southall believes that Martinez is under added scrutiny because the current Blues team is largely players he has signed.
He said: "There will be massive pressure and he’s getting tons of stick. If we can get to the end of the season in the top five, the fans will be happy, but I won’t be.
"One thing I’ve noticed amongst the fans is that they are fed up with the manager coming out and praising the players and the performance when we lose 3-1, it gets a bit wearing."
He's right on the defensive front.
But, let's be honest, nobody expects us to win the league. Anyone who does is quite frankly deluded.
Leicester and Spurs are doing incredibly well and all the best to them, but every team has to be realistic in their outlook. We so far haven't taken advantage of a sloppy season from the money sides but, tbh, if we get top 5/6 it's been a very good season - and everyone would have been happy with that at the start of it.
Eric Djemba-Djemba
Player Valuation: £60m
Good of us to win a home game in spite of our home supporters.
davek
Player Valuation: £150m
He's spot on about needing a leader. I've been banging on about it for ages. He must look at the church mouse Jagielka and compare him to Reid and find him horrifically wanting, as I do.
He's behind the curve on the defending though. That reads like a critique of Everton from two months back. We've conceded just 8 goals in the last 12 games since the turn of the year. He seems to have not noticed the defensive changes in terms of personnel that provide the basis for that.
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