Match Thread Everton v West Brom. 13th Feb at 1500.

[evertony]

Bore off with the criticising of the fans.

Lennon was our best player by a mile and should never have been taken off. Thet was a horrific substitution by El Fraudo,

Bore off with your constant negativity. We know what you think as you make it known in every single post....irrespective of what it's about.

 

[evertony]

......there's more than one way of playing the game and there's no doubt his approach is more focused on not getting beat than winning. Saying that he had key defensive players missing yesterday and was still able to organise his team regardless of personnel. That isn't easy, it's built on hours of work on the training ground. I wouldn't defend his philosophy but given his circumstances and the position of his team I think Pulis did a terrific job yesterday.

WBA trained at Liverpools Melwood on Friday. When his own players openly dismiss his training and his tactics as absolute dross there's got to be something to it. Ben Foster laughed and rolled his eyes sarcastically when asked how good it was working with Pulis.
I repeat....its anti-football and will kill the game if people accept it as 'another way of playing'. Can you imagine if other teams like Everton, City, Liverpool, Arsenal etc played that way when they are being paid a kings ransom by Sky? Sky would just shut off the money-pipe and hopefully we'd stop turning up and paying to watch such rubbish

 

[evertony]

West Brom's heat map on MOTD last night, I've never seen anything like it, it was basically a load of blocks that formed a pyramid in their own 18 yard box, it was the benchmark of parking the bus.

Apparently, that's a "terrific" way of playing the game and getting a result.

 

[MassBlue]

I agree. While the subs did not work out there is logic in each one. Lennon was fantastic during the match and proved he could beat his man whenever, but when the box is packed you need to have a great crosser and I'd only put Gerry behind De Bruyne and Ozil as far as crossing. I know the fans are back to wanting to never see Kone on the pitch but Martinez wanted to get another aerial threat in the box and someone to help out Lukaku. Unfortunately Kone's position was all over the place and even the things he typically does well (hold up the ball) he was poor on. Osman was one final hope that he would be able to play that final ball in a tight space. Knowing he wouldn't have to run much, this is a job that Osman should be suited for.

It was a frustrating match because we dropped points again and Pulis' tactics made it a very ugly match. The fact is this type of match really is the one that plays against Barkley and Lukaku's strengths.

Agreed. To be fair to Martinez, I think he sees Niasse as a straightforward upgrade for Kone so, but for fitness, I think Niasse would have been the first sub. But the manager has to work with what's available and bringing on your second striker to get a goal is par for the course....

 

[Eric Djemba-Djemba]

Bore off with your constant negativity. We know what you think as you make it known in every single post....irrespective of what it's about.

Take a look in the Barkley, Mirallas, Lukaku, Baines, Jagielka, Joel etc. threads. I'm positive on people that earn it.

 

[evertony]

Take a look in the Barkley, Mirallas, Lukaku, Baines, Jagielka, Joel etc. threads. I'm positive on people that earn it.

Zzzzzzzzzz

 

[Eric Djemba-Djemba]

Zzzzzzzzzz

Good point, well made.

 

[BlueToff]

Take a look in the Barkley, Mirallas, Lukaku, Baines, Jagielka, Joel etc. threads. I'm positive on people that earn it.

So d'you not give Martinez the credit for developing (some of) those players then?

 

[Eric Djemba-Djemba]

So d'you not give Martinez the credit for developing (some of) those players then?

Well not for Jagielka and Baines as they've been quality footballers long before Martinez showed up. Not for Joel and Mirallas as Martinez has made an effort to destroy their careers.

He's done well given young players a chance though like Barkley, Lukaku and Stones. His signings have generally been very good and he's managed to build a very good squad he just hasn't got a clue on how to get the best out of it.

 

[BlueToff]

Well not for Jagielka and Baines as they've been quality footballers long before Martinez showed up. Not for Joel and Mirallas as Martinez has made an effort to destroy their careers.

He's done well given young players a chance though like Barkley, Lukaku and Stones. His signings have generally been very good and he's managed to build a very good squad he just hasn't got a clue on how to get the best out of it.

The two league games before West Brom came and parked the bus against us (which they've done to many teams before and will do again under Pulis) proved that Martinez knows how to get the best out of this squad.

When it clicks, we're unplayable.

It isn't Martinez's fault that Barkley missed those two shots at the end yesterday, or that his earlier strike hit the post - or that Cleverley's did. Sometimes a game just ins't going to be yours. Yesterday was one of them.

 

[Eric Djemba-Djemba]

The two league games before West Brom came and parked the bus against us (which they've done to many teams before and will do again under Pulis) proved that Martinez knows how to get the best out of this squad.

When it clicks, we're unplayable.

It isn't Martinez's fault that Barkley missed those two shots at the end yesterday, or that his earlier strike hit the post - or that Cleverley's did. Sometimes a game just ins't going to be yours. Yesterday was one of them.

It happens way too often for it to be just one of those games. West Brom are the 6th team to come to Goodison this season and beat us and now we've slipped back into the bottom half.

 

[BlueToff]

It happens way too often for it to be just one of those games. West Brom are the 6th team to come to Goodison this season and beat us and now we've slipped back into the bottom half.

no, it doesn't.

Swansea wasn't 'one of those days' - we played badly and got beat. Same with United, and Stoke to an extent as well. Leicester, we played well but they were on fire and did us. City were rampant at the start of the season.

Yesterday, we hammered West Brom. Everything backs that up, bar the one that counts. That's 'one of those days'.

 

[Eric Djemba-Djemba]

no, it doesn't.

Swansea wasn't 'one of those days' - we played badly and got beat. Same with United, and Stoke to an extent as well. Leicester, we played well but they were on fire and did us. City were rampant at the start of the season.

Yesterday, we hammered West Brom. Everything backs that up, bar the one that counts. That's 'one of those days'.

I've heard it's just one of those days a lot more than just yesterday.

 

[BlueToff]

I've heard it's just one of those days a lot more than just yesterday.

Well I'm not speaking for everybody am I?

IMO, yesterday really was just a situation where we created loads of chances and couldn't put them away... now surely that is more down to the players on the pitch than the manager, whose tactics allowed us to create those chances?

I've got nothing wrong with people not wanting RM here, or whatever, but it's just when the facts are totally ignored (on either side of the debate), that it's annoying.

 

[orly]

Well I'm not speaking for everybody am I?

IMO, yesterday really was just a situation where we created loads of chances and couldn't put them away... now surely that is more down to the players on the pitch than the manager, whose tactics allowed us to create those chances?

I've got nothing wrong with people not wanting RM here, or whatever, but it's just when the facts are totally ignored (on either side of the debate), that it's annoying.

Tell me about it mate.

You show people the facts about Martinez, Kone and Cleverley and they are just ignored. No idea whatsoever.