Roberto Martinez discussion

[neil999]

And most of it was because of the 2hat in goal. No doubt we'd be top 4 if he was dropped earlier

2 hats?

 

[BlueToff]

My bad, mis-read your post.
Yeah we defo need to bury more of the sitters, though Lukaku is giving it a good go, we also need to stop giving the opposition sitters, but we all know that

I know mate. As I pointed out we just can't defend crosses into the area very well but fortunately in the last few games Oviedo/Cleverley on the left and Lennon/Coleman on the right seem to be doubling up and preventing those crosses at source. We then have Joel who looks confident in coming out and claiming them.

We still have our moments and that does need to be improved, but I think that's as much the players as the manager. An experienced pro like Jagielka shouldn't be getting caught under the ball as much as he does, for example (as good as Jags is for us).

I'm sure they've been working on it and a defensive help-in-hand to be brought in in the summer probably is needed - mainly to organise that side of it.

The rest of the time, I've got to say, only on a few occasions have teams carved through our defence.

 

[Ihaters]

2 hats?

T-How... too many hats, not enough saves.

 

[davek]

MickNick just put a clip of the 1st Lukaku goal vs Stoke at Goodison in the McCarthy thread.

Some of the attacking football we've played this season has been outstanding. Best stuff I have ever seen us play - including RM's first season.

We've done that consistently - what we haven't done is finish off enough of the chances we have created (mainly in home games but sometimes away as well) to take any hint of stress away from our fragile defence - which has looked less fragile since the turn of the year - though I agree this is when we've got the test of the teams around us playing us.

Consistently good we've been too. Ok we haven't done it for 90 minutes per game (that would be a tall order for any team), but all our games have seen periods of superb football. The style is as good as it gets on this budget. No question we are playing the best football we've played since the 1980s, none at all.

 

[neil999]

T-How... too many hats, not enough saves.

state of him, still only one hat tho @sageyefc

 

[sageyefc]

2 hats?

T@

 

[sageyefc]

Consistently good we've been too. Ok we haven't done it for 90 minutes per game (that would be a tall order for any team), but all our games have seen periods of superb football. The style is as good as it gets on this budget. No question we are playing the best football we've played since the 1980s, none at all.

Can only think of 3 or 4 games where we've not dominated or tore teams to shreds

 

[BlueToff]

Consistently good we've been too. Ok we haven't done it for 90 minutes per game (that would be a tall order for any team), but all our games have seen periods of superb football. The style is as good as it gets on this budget. No question we are playing the best football we've played since the 1980s, none at all.

I do see the point about winning football being the best way, but I think what we're playing at the moment will lead to that in a more sustainable manner than being more direct will - it's just all about a balance between the two and when we get that balance right (which on a few occasions we've done for 90 minutes and other occasions only managed it for a half) then we genuinely are superb. It's just getting the little tweaks and improvements in place, and I think RM is showing that he knows how to do that - or at least how to go about it.

Bar United at home and Arsenal away, there aren't many games this season where I've looked at a game and thought 'yep, we were really bad' - perhaps Swansea and Watford at home.

 

[MikeH72]

Barcelona are playing football touched by performance enhancing drugs.

Yep, obviously

 

[davek]

Can only think of 3 or 4 games where we've not dominated or tore teams to shreds

Spurs home and away, Arsenal away, United at home, City at home.

All the other games we were by some distance the better team.

 

[orly]

Touched by the Drugs

Barcelona are playing football touched by performance enhancing drugs.

Well well well.

 

[MikeH72]

state of him, still only one hat tho @sageyefc

The kip of him, my god

 

[Prevenger17]

Well well well.

Sorry mate, I don't pay attention to anything you post

 

[DrEFC]

It's hardly for the sake of it. It's based on pathetic form.

I was really frustrated last month, but it's a waste of my energy. Can easily understand others being peed off with Everton at the moment, I've just choose not to be.

 

[davek]

I do see the point about winning football being the best way, but I think what we're playing at the moment will lead to that in a more sustainable manner than being more direct will - it's just all about a balance between the two and when we get that balance right (which on a few occasions we've done for 90 minutes and other occasions only managed it for a half) then we genuinely are superb. It's just getting the little tweaks and improvements in place, and I think RM is showing that he knows how to do that - or at least how to go about it.

Bar United at home and Arsenal away, there aren't many games this season where I've looked at a game and thought 'yep, we were really bad' - perhaps Swansea and Watford at home.

Exactly. Keep the performance levels high and the results will inevitably come (more especially if the right recruits defensively are made in the summer).

If people wish not to see that then that's their problem.