Roberto Martinez discussion

[L4Everton]

He is still young in manager terms i am hoping he learns something from this and moves on stronger in the long term, bit of a slow on the uptake at the moment like.

Heaven forbid the current borderline crisis becomes a full blown one, the 'frightening' things for me is that we are a couple of serious injuries away from being properly goosed. To call it as honest as I can, I do not see the fight in the current side for a blood and guts relegation throat cutting session. Perhaps I am being somewhat critical of the actual players, but rarely have I seen such a turnaround en masse, I'm not just talking Everton I mean ever. That a story of players asking for a marginal alteration of play to come out was worrying enough, that it was then lapped up by so many was worrying again, but how a professional didn't recognise the signs to begin with, and then the performances, and then the results and last of all the support reaction says to me we have a driver that is asleep at the wheel. If he wakes up and starts doing his job instead of seeing only a dreamland then that'll be progress. But by goodness he leaves it any longer and he'll need to be performing miracles.

I aint seen miracles from him, ever, and a City side so pished off with Mancini that they never ever started doesn't cover up any short comings. (He then went and signed one of the senior players in that City side that were so unrecognisably poor in that final) (just saying).

 

[The Equaliser]

Well...

Highest premier league wins in a season, highest points total in the premier league, most wins on the spin, imaginative and aggresive football against the top teams, first win at Old Trafford for X years, dynamic and flowing football, beating supposidley more tactically astute and experienced managers on a limited budget...

We've had a far longer period to judge his good bits than this recent slump, he deserves our patience and support during this blip. Turing on a manger and demanding his removal is very short sighted seeing he's been been a far better manager than a useless one for us during his tenure.

Come on now, this is more than a blip. It started in pre-season and has steadily worsened since then.

As a club we should not be in the business of sacking managers 18 months into the job, I agree.

But results dictate everything. If we lose the next few games the pressure will ratchet up another few notches.

Mind you this is all immaterial because Bill won't make the change unless things get really bad.

And I mean dog-gone mean bottom 3 bad.

 

[L4Everton]

I wonder what the stats are from the end of January 2014 (League only) to now.

Just so there is a measuring stick with which to tackle the stat obsessed pie chart bakers.

 

[bluemangroup]

@davek deserves a knighthood.

 

[Dithering Dougie]

Come on now, this is more than a blip. It started in pre-season and has steadily worsened since then.

As a club we should not be in the business of sacking managers 18 months into the job, I agree.

But results dictate everything. If we lose the next few games the pressure will ratchet up another few notches.

Mind you this is all immaterial because Bill won't make the change unless things get really bad.

And I mean dog-gone mean bottom 3 bad.

Take away an awful quick fire few defeats over Christmas and all the hysteria wouldn't be so bad, but factor in we've had an awful injury crisis over that same period and then you might see the real picture of what's going on.

And to be honest I'm not entirely sure what you mean by 'dog-gone mean bottom 3 bad' I'm more interested in how we perform over the whole season not snippets if that is the inference.

 

[L4Everton]

@davek deserves a knighthood.

Basking in reflected glory?

 

[bluemangroup]

Basking in reflected glory?

Not really no m8. More awestruck if anything.

 

[summerisle]

If only Churchill was manager :

Victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be ; for without victory there is no survival.

Success consist of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.

However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results.

 

[edge]

Take away an awful quick fire few defeats over Christmas and all the hysteria wouldn't be so bad, but factor in we've had an awful injury crisis over that same period and then you might see the real picture of what's going on.

And to be honest I'm not entirely sure what you mean by 'dog-gone mean bottom 3 bad' I'm more interested in how we perform over the whole season not snippets if that is the inference.

the problem isn't its a bad patch , we haven't had a good one all season, injury's have played a part but every single club could say the same.
we have not been unlucky didn't deserve to get anything more than we have done out of most of these games lack of spirit . direction and an inability to take charge when things are not going are way ,are what we have seen this season, and like the fella or not and i do ,he has to take some of the blame.
He was always going to get a blip at some stage due to the age of the squad/ dead wood and the size of it with Europe thrown into it , not a problem now we are out of the cups, and you have to question the players as well , are one or two undermining him, oh under Moyes this that and the other, i know davek gets stick over this but i think he has a piont
Like i said i hope he learns from it and is a bit more ruthless and ships out a few and puts his mark on the club.
my biggest worry is the lack of fight bottle call it what you like shown up to now by this squad, if they go a few games further on and get sucked into a scrap would you back them, up to now i have seen nothing to say they would instill any faith in coming out on top

 

[The Equaliser]

Take away an awful quick fire few defeats over Christmas and all the hysteria wouldn't be so bad, but factor in we've had an awful injury crisis over that same period and then you might see the real picture of what's going on.

And to be honest I'm not entirely sure what you mean by 'dog-gone mean bottom 3 bad' I'm more interested in how we perform over the whole season not snippets if that is the inference.

Oh I do see the real picture of what is going on. And it is not pleasant viewing. I see a team that doesn't work on defending for example.

By that I mean we would have to be marooned in the bottom 3 for Bill to fire him, sorry that wasn't clearer.

 

[Ashtonian]

Take away an awful quick fire few defeats over Christmas and all the hysteria wouldn't be so bad, but factor in we've had an awful injury crisis over that same period and then you might see the real picture of what's going on.

And to be honest I'm not entirely sure what you mean by 'dog-gone mean bottom 3 bad' I'm more interested in how we perform over the whole season not snippets if that is the inference.

We have won one game since Burnley in october and that one win came against a team that hadnt picked a single point away from home. We lost so many home games in the period and considering the run essentially started on 1st November i wouldnt call it a blip.

and do you really think the likes of gibson / pienarr / Kone would have made a diference?

Only Mirallas missing for a long period of time is significant, even stones missing should have been managable with 3 other senior defenders to replace him.

 

[DanEFC92]

We have won one game since Burnley in october and that one win came against a team that hadnt picked a single point away from home. We lost so many home games in the period and considering the run essentially started on 1st November i wouldnt call it a blip.

and do you really think the likes of gibson / pienarr / Kone would have made a diference?

Only Mirallas missing for a long period of time is significant, even stones missing should have been managable with 3 other senior defenders to replace him.

McCarthy as well.

 

[Ashtonian]

McCarthy as well.

Was McCarthy not injured twice?

Im sure he came back for a while and left again.

 

[L4Everton]

Was McCarthy not injured twice?

Im sure he came back for a while and left again.

Perhaps he wasn't as recovered in the first place as was made out.

 

[Khalekan]

Perhaps he wasn't as recovered in the first place as was made out.

I think he was rushed back too soon.....I think the same happened with Barry.

There was another game IIRC when McCarthy was pleading to be taken off but he was kept on and aggravated his injury.

The bottom line, IMO, is that we don't need both those boys in the team, or indeed one of them with Besic, when we are playing the lesser lights at home.

We had two defensive midfielders on against Stoke and Baggies, two teams which predictably had no intention of attacking much and who mustered about half a dozen shots on goal between them.

It is no coincidence that the only home game we have won recently was one where Barclay was played alongside a DM and was tasked to pick up the ball deep and surge forward to attack.