Match Thread Stoke City vs Everton, 6th Feb 2016

[Westend Blue]

Probably explains why he's the second-highest scoring player at the club.

Hate to piss on your biscuits but osman has a fair few more goals then Kev he's still gash mind

 

[Plumber]

What I'm liking now is Martinez is rewarding players for performing well, and dropping others who are not. A luxury we have not been able to do over the years. There's great competition for places now and it's great to see!!!

 

[royvernon39]

What I'm liking now is Martinez is rewarding players for performing well, and dropping others who are not

Sounds obvious innit. Sorry Plumber but RM has done exatly the opposite and it was most unfair.

Robles was hard done-by last season and only because of enormous pressure has RM finally done right thing and kicked Flapper Man into the long grass and applied the rule . But even now we have to read the pretence that Flapper Man is injured as if he might return.

 

[degsy]

Did what we have to do, you can only beat what is put in front of you etc. etc...could've had 6 or 7 really

Was it this time last season where we went on a run??...when it didn't really matter.

Has Roberto applied the tweaks and slight changes in emphasis many were calling for?

Is it a long term sea change or short term expediency measure

It used to be said 'you're only as good as you're last game.' when in reality, in Roberto's case anyway, 'you're only as good as you're NEXT game...and the next...and the next.

Despite what some might think I could see what he was trying to do...he just wasn't doing it at all well, in fact p. poor

Now he's doing it a bit ( only a bit mind ) better, so given the power vacuum / sound of silence at Board level. There was never going to be a surprise taxi ride, even less chance now...and on the plus side If he keeps up with this seemingly more mental and physical solidness, less need.

Roberto and the whole squad should be made to watch City Vs Leicester once a day. With Mr Punch doing the commentary,'That's the way to do it'

Short version; one game at a time...as it should always be.

 

[Fansince1988]

There's nothing Strange that Howard,Stones and Baines are out and things I prove massively, it's took injuries to forceMartinez's hand and its worked. This team has to stay like this for the time being, as for Lennon I wonder if he's still eyeing a Euro place for England in the summer, as it looks like his form is improve just at the right time.

 

[Dario Terracotta]

Most complete performance of the season for me,that's how good we can play as a team when the correct players are selected in their preferred positions,Howard,Baines and Stones are facing a hell of a battle to get a shirt now IMHO.

 

[Tree13]

Has he scored more than Osman?

Well played sir, well played.

I should have said "Second-highest scorer since his arrival in 2012".

 

[Tree13]

Hate to piss on your biscuits but osman has a fair few more goals then Kev he's still gash mind

Fair play. I foolishly forgot to refer to the timeframe of September 2012 - present.

 

[BigDuncis Blue]

Most complete performance of the season for me,that's how good we can play as a team when the correct players are selected in their preferred positions,Howard,Baines and Stones are facing a hell of a battle to get a shirt now IMHO.

Yes. The defense was different class. Thats how a defense should play. When there was a danger, no fancy step overs, no messing about, just smash it forward and take the pressure off.

 

[peteblue]

Keep Baines and Stones on the bench, keep Howard on the Bus.......


Oh and we'll batter these 3-0.......

I'm getting good at this lark........

 

[Baines' left foot]

Everton winning makes even the most uneventful weekends much better.

 

[D410]

Everton in Balanced team shocker.
Pity it took till Feb to work it out.

 

[degsy]

There's nothing Strange that Howard,Stones and Baines are out and things I prove massively, it's took injuries to forceMartinez's hand and its worked. This team has to stay like this for the time being, as for Lennon I wonder if he's still eyeing a Euro place for England in the summer, as it looks like his form is improve just at the right time.

you still believe that Howard is 'injured'...bless.

 

[ClausThomsen]

Yes. The defense was different class. Thats how a defense should play. When there was a danger, no fancy step overs, no messing about, just smash it forward and take the pressure off.

Agreed. It's a little unfashionable among those who think directionless "tika taka" is the right way of playing, but playing football in your opponents half, rather than your own, is quite a good basis for success. The right pass beats the clever pass every time.

 

[Stanley Parker]

I honestly think he'd be great behind the striker. As has been said, we look incredibly balanced with Lennon/Coleman and Oviedo/Cleverley, so no need to break that up.

In games we're expected to win though, e.g. West Brom at home, I'd be dropping Ross back to centre mid and letting Deulofeu run riot through the middle. Let's us keep our balance, and if he gives it away, attacking mid is the best place to do that.

Keeping this formation, Barkley could only drop back to centre midfield at the expense of Barry or McCarthy. Which one should he replace? And we would then run the risk of Deulofeu giving the ball away in attacking midfield and Barkley giving it away in centre midfield.

Deulofeu does work hard when he plays, and offers a good alternative to Lennon. Mirallas, however, is poor at tracking back. And McGeady is no more.

But Carlisle, Newcastle and Stoke have posed very few challenges to our defence. West Brom have won none of their last seven Premier League away trips (W0 D3 L4), and have failed to score in three of their last four games in the Premier League. Perhaps we could be a little more adventurous against them.