Roberto Martinez discussion

[toffeejack]

Spot on mate. These players need to start acting in a professional way.

The manager cant bale them out, he's not on the pitch.

yep, we're not wales.

 

[TommyDavo]

Howard has cost us about 8 points this season. He's been a liability. This is a young defence with Jagielka out of it and Howard gives them no protection and has made loads of howlers.

Even if Robles were in we'd be further up the table. There's no doubting that.

No argument about the keeper, but the set up is wrong or at least the lads tasked with it are, DMf too far forward and narrow + no pace to recover wide
.

 

[daz4matty]

also mentioned on motd - inexperienced back four

no Martinez criticism from the well respected experts of wright and shearer here

He must be the next kendall then

 

[davek]

The defenders and keeper must take a fair bit of blame but with all due respect can't see how anybody is backing the manager tonight. The lad is supposed to be obsessed with studying football and tactics. He leaves Kone on with Besic on the bench as he must view that as a more reliable tactic to see off a game. Utter nonsense. Lukaku is a hugh smokescreen for him

Hold on, picking and playing some players is his responsibility and down to him, but picking and paying another is merely a smokescreen?

That's not even handed is it?

 

[ToffeeTim]

also mentioned on motd - inexperienced back four

no Martinez criticism from the well respected experts of wright and shearer here

Fair play watching it tonight. It would have pushed me over the edge watching our defending, howard, and clattenberg again.

 

[The Esk]

I find it sad the way our expectations have decreased since Moyes left. Moyes used to be vilified for finishing 7th, and was accused of bottling games when he lost cup finals against the most expensively assembled side in history. Whereas Martinez's midtable finishes are described as progress, despite him having the best side since the 80's at his disposal.

One of the primary reasons that expectations are reducing is that competition in the PL Is greater now than it was 5 and certainly 10 years ago.

Not only have the big 4 grown stronger as revenues and investment pile in, other clubs Spurs, Stoke, Crystal Palace have benefited from decent balance sheets, decent P&L accounts and importantly investment.

In the meantime we have traded +/- small operating profits, sometimes transfer related profits, debt reduction and no investment.

We have performed a miracle to produce the results we have on the pitch over the last 15 years, however we have been taken over resource wise by so many clubs and this is now reflected in our expectations.

That's the legacy of this board and the reason new owners with the ability to invest significantly (not through debt) is so important now. Every year that goes by makes the job of the incoming owners more difficult.

 

[kenada_blue]

I'm happy with that. Attacking team and we'll see where that gets us. Right now midtable; sort a GK out - way up there.

Not a chance as that's part of a bigger problem.

We lose the ball and we are WIDE open. We play possession. When we lose it, we are incapable of winning it back effectively and quickly leaving acres of space on the flanks. Any chance a side has attacking us is terrifying as you can carve us open with 3-4 passes.

We panic at set-pieces. We don't have a dominant aerial player.

He's crafted a great attacking side but shows zero ambition to improve the back.

 

[davek]

No argument about the keeper, but the set up is wrong or at least the lads tasked with it are, DMf too far forward and narrow + no pace to recover wide
.

...and absolutely nothing to do with a player dangling his leg out for that divvy to make a pen decision nor the howler by Howard.

These individuals are making mistakes. Stones can sort it out, buy Howard is beyond it and needs to be shown the door.

 

[jceverton]

Howard has cost us about 8 points this season. He's been a liability. This is a young defence with Jagielka out of it and Howard gives them no protection and has made loads of howlers.

Even if Robles were in we'd be further up the table. There's no doubting that.

This is the most frustrating thing for me and is a major failing of Martinez. He needs to sort it out in January, if not i think it will cost him his job.

 

[Ihaters]

The trouble is we gave Moyes 10 years and he delivered absolutely nothing in the terms of trophies, yet some were still happy with this, this sort of shows the ambition of some of our supporters.

Moyes was given around 10m on top of net spend during that entire era and took relegation battling dross to the CL spots, a cup final and a largely consistent top 8 or above finish.. Subtle difference to the current situation where the team has been broken to be rebuilt, money has been spent, players not sold without replacement funds, and the team inherited was pretty damn good and only looking to need someone a bit more savvy for us to do well.

Its like hes building a lego football squad, but the instructions were Scandinavian so Martinez has just used the pictures, and whilst some of it works, some of its very badly put together and he still seems to have a left over Besic at the end that he can't work out what to do with, but rather than rebuild it correctly, he's just gone f..it, no one will notice and gone and put it on the shelf and gone down the pub.

ps my lads had me playing flippin lego since Christmas and I swear I see lego bricks before I open my eyes now.

 

[ToffeeTim]

One of the primary reasons that expectations are reducing is that competition in the PL Is greater now than it was 5 and certainly 10 years ago.

Not only have the big 4 grown stronger as revenues and investment pile in, other clubs Spurs, Stoke, Crystal Palace have benefited from decent balance sheets, decent P&L accounts and importantly investment.

In the meantime we have traded +/- small operating profits, sometimes transfer related profits, debt reduction and no investment.

We have performed a miracle to produce the results we have on the pitch over the last 15 years, however we have been taken over resource wise by so many clubs and this is now reflected in our expectations.

That's the legacy of this board and the reason new owners with the ability to invest significantly (not through debt) is so important now. Every year that goes by makes the job of the incoming owners more difficult.

I accept we don't have the biggest finances. But it's really not a money issue from what I see. It's shocking defending and a manager backing a pathetic has been goalkeeper. We have the tools. But we are self harming so to speak.

 

[davek]

Not a chance as that's part of a bigger problem.

We lose the ball and we are WIDE open. We play possession. When we lose it, we are incapable of winning it back effectively and quickly leaving acres of space on the flanks. Any chance a side has attacking us is terrifying as you can carve us open with 3-4 passes.
We panic at set-pieces. We don't have a dominant aerial player.
He's crafted a great attacking side but shows zero ambition to improve the back.

Brought through a young England CB and bought a young Argentinian international; brought through a young CB and adapted him to LB. Key word here is young. They need to learn quickly to shut up shop.

 

[daz4matty]

I accept we don't have the biggest finances. But it's really not a money issue from what I see. It's shocking defending and a manager backing a pathetic has been goalkeeper. We have the tools. But we are self harming so to speak.

There is no respect to defending from the manager down and by picking flappy he is writing his own p45

 

[TommyDavo]

...and absolutely nothing to do with a player dangling his leg out for that divvy to make a pen decision nor the howler by Howard.

These individuals are making mistakes. Stones can sort it out, buy Howard is beyond it and needs to be shown the door.

That divvy not yours is the only one one we have and I sincerely hope I'm wrong about the lads defensive abilities

 

[daz4matty]

Brought through a young England CB and bought a young Argentinian international; brought through a young CB and adapted him to LB. Key word here is young. They need to learn quickly to shut up shop.

The key word should be experience its no good him being so naive defending should be respected