Cottoned On

[Caolam]

I would struggle to pick out the faults from yesterday, there were too many. We looked like a team who have given up.
Either the players have totally lost faith in the manager or they are all useless. Yesterday was a complete capitulation.

 

[LouReedwalkonthewildside]

Think this has been done to death in all the other Martinez threads.

 

[royalblue66]

I would struggle to pick out the faults from yesterday, there were too many. We looked like a team who have given up.
Either the players have totally lost faith in the manager or they are all useless. Yesterday was a complete capitulation.

Sad, the fans couldn't get out of GP quick enough and the players could get off the pitch quick enough.

 

[Caolam]

We have gone beyond repairing the situation, we need a major change.

 

[Tubey]

seems to me that the opposition in general have cottoned on to our two major weaknesses- inability to defend crosses and corners which we've known for a good while, and more tellingly Phil Jagielkas distribution. Every team we've played this year has pushed onto us in a way that leaves Jagielka the free man - that means he has to invariably move the ball on to the offensive part of the team. Jagielka is the least comfortable of our players on the ball and as a result possession is given up easily in the early stages of the move. Arsenal did it perfectly yesterday.
For me, if Martinez stays and possession football remains our preferred style then the captain unfortunately needs to be moved on.
We have a similar issue with the centre of midfield where for all his good work and break-up play James McCarthy is equally poor in terms of distribution. I'm not sure we can improve massively with that limited passing ability in two key positions.
Shame, as both are two of the more committed, heart-on-their-sleeve type players in the team. How's the conundrum solved....change in style or change in personel?

Wasn't McCarthy brought in by Martinez because he's perfect for his system, based on managing him personally at his former club? How is he suddenly not suited to Martinez's system?

Isn't it just more likely, given that it has produced nothing but consistent failure in the Premier League barring one fluke season that relied heavily on the defensive remnants left by Moyes, that the system itself is flawed.

 

[Caolam]

Think this has been done to death in all the other Martinez threads.

Agreed, there is nothing more to be said.

 

[Jags..class]

Martinez football needs much better ball players in the team who are very good at passing and short passing. We have a few players who cant do this.

 

[royalblue66]

Martinez football needs much better ball players in the team who are very good at passing and short passing. We have a few players who cant do this.

We are pretty good at passing to the opposition if yesterday is anything to go by.

 

[Jags..class]

We are pretty good at passing to the opposition if yesterday is anything to go by.

I mean under pressure as well

 

[Aar_the_Toffees]

If we finish bottom half this season, he will be sacked.

 

[matty1878]

We're crap. That's what teams have cottoned on about

 

[Deleted member 28206]

Ultimately it's dawned one me that as spectacular as it was Roberto winning the cup and being relegated at the same time, it was the fact teams in the league worked him out, in the cup he had the opportunity to " fluke it".

*this is a purely unsubstantiated theory

 

[bitter-no-better]

If your going to play wing backs there needs to be an end product. there isn't. so play wingers as wingers and full backs as defenders. simples.

 

[lesbattersby]

Would love to see our stats for ground covered compaired to the rest of the teams. We don't press teams, we amble about. I'd be very surprised if we weren't near the bottom of that table either.

 

[GraemeS1980]

My own opinion is Jagielka is unfit, he has an arse on him like a bill posters bag and isn't as mobile as he once was. I am in agreement that it is time for hi to move on. Also Baines too, I am quicker than him now and I struggle running for the toilet ;-) it is going to be an interesting close to the season I would like to see this group of players sign off with a trophy prior to being dismantled.