Stoke v Everton. 4th March at 19.45.

[Walsall Blue]

Only 2 postives from last night fans turned up again in great numbers and only took me 45 mins to get home...people going on about the next win etc , i can't see where the next goal is coming from.ffs everton sort this mess out and fast .

 

[marty mcfly]

Start the turn around with dropping Howard for Joel on Thursday night. Give Lukaku support by playing 2 wingers, Mirallas and McGeady. Naismith hasn't been good enough for weeks, drop him.

Something like: Joel, Baines, Stones, Jagielka, Coleman, Gibson, McCarthy, Barkley, Mirallas, McGeady and Lukaku. Watch us turn it around with a team like that. It has everything. Work, Skill and Balance.

I think it's got to the point where Martinez has to start dropping players no matter how loyal he is. Naismith, Barry and Howard would be my first three choices. Get Gibson, Joel and a front four of Lukaku, Barkley, Mirallas and Lennon. If they don't perform I would give Atsu a run of games in any of the positions behind Rom. If Rom doesn't score we need to try Kone etc.

However the main thing is that we either need to play Barkley or Gibson with Besic or McCarthy. We're too predictable with two holding midfielders and as a result our games seem to be boring affairs with little chances from either team however it's not working and we have to allow the game to open up.

 

[Bowjangles]

Still booing. Cant remember a season where so many many games our supporters have booed off the side. Season ticket renewals are going to make interesting reading. I wonder if Riquelme is pondering coming out of retirement...

 

[kenada_blue]

Joel saves that Moses goal.

Fact

 

[tsubaki]

I think it's got to the point where Martinez has to start dropping players no matter how loyal he is. Naismith, Barry and Howard would be my first three choices. Get Gibson, Joel and a front four of Lukaku, Barkley, Mirallas and Lennon. If they don't perform I would give Atsu a run of games in any of the positions behind Rom. If Rom doesn't score we need to try Kone etc.

However the main thing is that we either need to play Barkley or Gibson with Besic or McCarthy. We're too predictable with two holding midfielders and as a result our games seem to be boring affairs with little chances from either team however it's not working and we have to allow the game to open up.

The keeper thing is probably unfixable for the rest of the season - if he boots Howard out of the team then the pressure on Robles will be immense, much more than it would have been if he had kept him in the side for the Chelsea game.

As for the midfield issue, I am not sure at all that Besic and McCarthy wouldnt work as a pair, going forward Besic has looked as good as Barkley has this season (admittedly not a high bar to get over that).

 

[Del]

Dropping Robles proved the man has no backbone

Exact same thing last season with Oviedo/Baines

 

[The Mighty Quint]

Howard has kept one clean sheet in the league since November, Robles kept 3 on the bounce.

 

[Del]

Howard has kept one clean sheet in the league since November, Robles kept 3 on the bounce.

Its scandalous that the lad was dropped

He earned his place in the side

All Martinez had to do was wait until he had a bad game and use that as an excuse to drop him

Instead he dropped him when he was playing well sending the wrong message to every fringe player at the club

 

[Eggs]

.....calls with a Blackburn fan and then a Leeds supporter in work this morning both suggesting we will be playing them next season, and they were serious.

As others have said we just don't look like scoring. Weirdly this isn't a problem in Europa League, whether this is because we have a different mind set or because of the opposition quality. Before the last 2 league games we had become harder to beat but even that changed last night.

I don't see an easy fix, agree that Robles shouldn't have been axed but not sure him coming back will help a lot. I still think he is due a mistake and if one happened in the next few games it could ruin him and us. Clearly something has to happen but I wouldn't change manager now.

 

[bullybeef]

For Christ sake it's not difficult you Spanish fool.

Two up top, lukaku and Kone
Two wingers, miralles and Lennon/McGready
Two midfielders, McCarthy and besic/Barclay/Gibson
Back four, Coleman stones jags baines/Oviedo
Goalie, Robles

Get quick balls to the wingers and get them crossing it in for the top two to knock em in the net.

No fannying around at the back or tip tapping it back and too. Let's get it up top and start putting our opponents defence under pressure.

If we continue as we are we are going to be leaving the English pl without as much as a whimper.

Get a grip man or eff off.

 

[ToffeeTownMilto]

My two cents for what they are worth....

I listened to 5 Live on the way back and I disagreed with most of our fans that called in, most were concluding that the problem was Martinez only has one plan which wasn’t the case. The problem in the first half is our wingers were useless with Lennon not connecting with our only real chance but he’s never been a finisher, he looked nervous and cut inside too quickly. Compare that to Lukaku who spent far too much time out wide.

Second half we went direct early but Rom didn’t have much support, again no wingers and our midfield were too deep to support. When Martinez made the subs Kone looked lively and we challenged Stoke till they hit us on the counter. Our defense was poor but the main worry on that was how slowly our midfield went out to them when they were well inside the final third. Thought Naismith gave them problems, as always using his know-how and sucking their players in. All-in-all lots of little problems not one big problem.

 

[streeky]

Dunc caretaker for the Newcastle game I bet we would win it.

I am not sure Dunc has his pro licence yet.

 

[daz4matty]

My two cents for what they are worth....

I listened to 5 Live on the way back and I disagreed with most of our fans that called in, most were concluding that the problem was Martinez only has one plan which wasn’t the case. The problem in the first half is our wingers were useless with Lennon not connecting with our only real chance but he’s never been a finisher, he looked nervous and cut inside too quickly. Compare that to Lukaku who spent far too much time out wide.

Second half we went direct early but Rom didn’t have much support, again no wingers and our midfield were too deep to support. When Martinez made the subs Kone looked lively and we challenged Stoke till they hit us on the counter. Our defense was poor but the main worry on that was how slowly our midfield went out to them when they were well inside the final third. Thought Naismith gave them problems, as always using his know-how and sucking their players in. All-in-all lots of little problems not one big problem.

Martinez is scared we play 8 men in our own half and pass it about sideways and backwards.
Rom is so isolated up top with 3 or 4 men round him its no wonder we can't score

 

[paulbefc]

Thankfully it looks like Cisse will be suspended for the Newcastle game.

At least one vaguely positive thing came out of last night (potentially).

 

[streeky]

Not been home long, if anyone feels like being banned then chance your arm.

Stoke played pass and move and did it pretty well.
We played pass and pass but, like most of the season, very little move.

Well in to Stones and Garbutt ( and, to a lesser extent Jags and Howard too ). Most of the team trudged off with their heads down to a
chorus of boos but two of our youngest players looked us in the eye, clapped us and got a bloody good round of applause in return.

Cracking support, despite a pretty turgid first half performance, the whole team was clapped off at half-time to try and give 'em some encouragement. Nice one Bluenoses, proud of you tonight.

what kind of reception did RM get ?