45 Minute Wonders

[Tubey]

People are talking about Everton like we are a finished product. We will still be in transition in a years time. I don’t expect to see a Martinez team for at least two / three seasons. He will have players that he just doesn’t see fitting his style. In time he will ship them out and bring in his type of player.

He can’t be judged against a squad that he didn’t assemble. The start has been impressive all the same and if the rate of improvement continues at this pace then we will be an incredible team in a few seasons. The only thing I’m not convinced by yet is Kone, but hopefully he will improve in time.

IMWT

Good post, agree with a lot of it. There are certain key players we have now that won't be in his long term plans, like Jagielka for instance.

A year or two will be required and there will be times where we need patience with him.

 

[ijjysmith]

People are talking about Everton like we are a finished product. We will still be in transition in a years time. I don’t expect to see a Martinez team for at least two / three seasons. He will have players that he just doesn’t see fitting his style. In time he will ship them out and bring in his type of player.

He can’t be judged against a squad that he didn’t assemble. The start has been impressive all the same and if the rate of improvement continues at this pace then we will be an incredible team in a few seasons. The only thing I’m not convinced by yet is Kone, but hopefully he will improve in time.

IMWT

Good post, agree with a lot of it. There are certain key players we have now that won't be in his long term plans, like Jagielka for instance.

A year or two will be required and there will be times where we need patience with him.

Very very true these two.

Just wondered really.

 

[TheFinnFan]

I think we will see some interesting business in January.
All in all Bobbys start has been pretty much perfect. I love our footy and new faces like McC really fills me with hope and excitement. Get in.

 

[billycopper]

It was strange that our tempo dropped off in the second half against City. Maybe Martinez urged them to be patient and 'manage the game' rather than chasing an equaliser and leaving ourselves exposed? Newcastle could be another example of the same thing. Roberto might have asked his players to try to contain the barcodes in the second half and pick them off when we could.

We were never very good at game management under Moyes though. We tend to either bombard teams or park the bus. I don't think the players know how to cautiously probe the opposition and that's possibly why we've ended up doing neither one thing or the other recently. Hopefully we'll be able to find more of a happy medium.

 

[Mogwai]

I am a 45 minute wonder b)

 

[Mikey_Fitzgerald]

So as a few have noticed this season is a right old funny one for Everton so far.

A decent start and no mistake, but a pattern does appear to be there.

We seem to have a one decent 45 minute performance but the other is not so good.

Saturday is a good example. We weren't bad at all first half, but second we were poor (blah blah ref, I know he was poor but so were we). There are more than a few other examples of this, Newcastle at home, Norwich away etc....

But why do you think this is?

I think I refuse to beleive it's a fitness thing. It could be I guess, but these are professional footballers at the peak of their game (apart from Osman), so surely it can't be a fitness thing.

Are teams just working us out, and we need a back up plan?

What does GOT think?

(this a question Mick).

We have no plan B is the answer I think

 

[Zatara]

Think 3 years transition due to the age of alot of our players and their contracts. Hopefully he can get a few out in jan and bring a few in...

 

[bluejock]

We have no plan B is the answer I think

 

[ijjysmith]

FFS sake jock I wanted to do the same joke but feared the off topic in the Everton forum ness.

 

[Carlito]

There are still a few weak links in the team most weeks so these things are going to happen.

 

[toffeejack]

Have you seen liverpools results if games started at half time? They would be sitting bottom 5. So they are probably doing the same but sitting top of the league

a game has always been 90 mins, things like these don't matter. i.e. a team who plays counter attackin football always lose the possession stat. Some people kept throwing up stats about if the games were only 80 mins long, spurs would be 2nd or something stupid.

having said that, quite a few teams have been jeckyll & hyde for either half of a game this season

 

[marnie]

The thing is, if great football comes out in the first half...............We should all go and have a pint in The Elm.............. and hope for the best.We are ****e at the back under Roberto,but,we were ****e up front under Moyes. The two o them together, would be a great partnership.

 

[Librarian]

We have no plan B is the answer I think

I don't think that's it. If we lack something, for me, it's a real leader on the pitch. A manager can only set out his stall for before or at half time but if things start to drift, it's up to someone on the pitch to change the tempo.

 

[Blue Cheese]

I bet if you search the vaults there will be a thread about Everton under Moyes only being one half wonders, remember we all used too say the dreaded half time team talk. Well it's the same team near enough and the same is happening under Martinez. Can't put my finger on why but hopefully a solution can be found.

 

[RowloEFC]

We definitely tire out after about 65 mins. I used to think that Moyes fed them a roast at half time due to the way we came out. That's carried on for me. I dont know the stats but we concede more goals in the second half at home I reckon than we do the first.

Newcastle and City where both games that saw us flag after the 65th minute. Lukaku looked knackered, as did Barkley. I think the hi-tempo passing game that we are adopting under the new regime is taking some getting used too and taking it out of the attacking players (Defenders seem okay).

For me, Mirallas goes missing in the 2nd half and struggles to get involved - is that fitness or is it a lack of service from a tiring midfield?