Dynamo Kiev v Everton. 19th March at 18.00.

[Bilko]

that was the worse defensive performance i've seen from an Everton side in many a year. Coleman was all over the shop and his value halved if indeed other clubs are monitoring him. just a disgrace from a back four that get paid what, 250,000 for a weeks wages..............they looked like strangers. Alcaraz ahead of Stones,laughable.

on the bright side, euro jerseys will be on offer in the club shop in the morning !.

 

[riddick]

Tim Howard gets a very hard time on here imo. It has to be said that if we didn't concede possession so easily in midfield, especially attempting passes that are just not on (e.g. Kone, for the 4th goal i think) then Howard wouldn't be put under so much pressure in the first place. Howard may not be having his best season, that goes without saying, but when i think of all the points he has saved us over the years then personally i think a bit more respect is in order.

You're only as good as your recent performances. Goalkeeper is literally the most important position to not have a massive dip in form because goals lost matches. Howard has easily cost us ~15points this year from being just....awful. And 'awful' is a nice way of saying what he is. Its not like Cahill and him being pretty awful but still winning matches. Howard has done almost literally nothing positive this season at all.

 

[froggyted]

And on the glory trail as well.

I'll take Martinez's brand of football any day over Moyes'. To finish fifth and get us into Europe in the first season is a fantastic achievement imo. And no, i don't think Moyes would have achieved that, before anyone says it was largely his squad. Moyes' strength was his eye for a good bargain imo; stylistically his brand of football was a big bore. Maybe it's not going to work out for Martinez beyond this: personally, i'm not going to be as quick to get the knife out as some on here. I think he needs the backing of all the fans to keep the club from relegation; assuming this happens then i would give him until Christmas to see who he brings in and what he does with the squad he then has at his disposal.

 

[Pat's Van]

I'll take Martinez's brand of football any day over Moyes'. To finish fifth and get us into Europe in the first season is a fantastic achievement imo. And no, i don't think Moyes would have achieved that, before anyone says it was largely his squad. Moyes' strength was his eye for a good bargain imo; stylistically his brand of football was a big bore. Maybe it's not going to work out for Martinez beyond this: personally, i'm not going to be as quick to get the knife out as some on here. I think he needs the backing of all the fans to keep the club from relegation; assuming this happens then i would give him until Christmas to see who he brings in and what he does with the squad he then has at his disposal.

YES!! Froggyted's here!

 

[potato]

moyes achieved 4th partially due to luck and also partially due to his ability to organise our defence and keep clean sheets

martinez couldn't organise a pissup in a brewery.

 

[froggyted]

You're only as good as your recent performances. Goalkeeper is literally the most important position to not have a massive dip in form because goals lost matches. Howard has easily cost us ~15points this year from being just....awful. And 'awful' is a nice way of saying what he is. Its not like Cahill and him being pretty awful but still winning matches. Howard has done almost literally nothing positive this season at all.

Well there was one great save in that game alone, that kept us in it at 1-0 down. But then the central defence blew it.

 

[mrb85]

Thats no answer. A very similar team has played well in the Europa this season. Howard has played himself in after injury, Alcaraz was excellent against Newcastle, and Stones is still suffering the after effects of a virus.(Take a look at him on the bench). Apart from a few cameos by a semi fit Gibson, McCarthy and Barry have been our best midfield pairing, given the importance of the game and Besics temprement being a bit random.Naismith gets in by virtue of his workrate, and he almost scored again tonight. Atsu was a good selection, he caused Kiev problems and nearly scored a worldie.Jags, Baines and Coleman are natural choices in a big game. Don't anyone think that the manager and players are not gutted to lose tonight, it showed in their demeanour at the end. We have had a good run in Europe and Martinez will know exactly what to address in the summer. There is abasolutely no doubt he will be at Everton next season. And we will have a good season as long as he addresses the obvious problem.... Even if a team is set up to play on the front foot, a back four containing three solid internationals, sometimes four, should be tighter. Solve that one, and with a couple of upgrades on existing positions, we will do well.

That's some leap of faith there! He'll know exactly what to address? There is absolutely no doubt he will be at Everton next year? And to top it all, you know we will have a good season. All we need from you now is the evidence to back your certainty. There's certainly plenty of evidence to argue the opposite (even the likelihood of his not even being here for next season). Let's face it, his formation tonight (if there was one), his imbalanced team selection (with 3 of his forward 4 well known for always forsaking defensive duties), his failure to react to getting the goal we needed with even the subtlest of changes -- all the markings of a manager totally out of his depth. But yeh, he talks a good game so let's give him another season.......FFS.

 

[The Equaliser]

I'll take Martinez's brand of football any day over Moyes'. To finish fifth and get us into Europe in the first season is a fantastic achievement imo. And no, i don't think Moyes would have achieved that, before anyone says it was largely his squad. Moyes' strength was his eye for a good bargain imo; stylistically his brand of football was a big bore. Maybe it's not going to work out for Martinez beyond this: personally, i'm not going to be as quick to get the knife out as some on here. I think he needs the backing of all the fans to keep the club from relegation; assuming this happens then i would give him until Christmas to see who he brings in and what he does with the squad he then has at his disposal.

Except we can't defend for our lives and never will.

And spend ages boring the crowd to death passing it around at the back.

Apart from that it's great.

 

[deipnosophist]

Tim Howard gets a very hard time on here imo. It has to be said that if we didn't concede possession so easily in midfield, especially attempting passes that are just not on (e.g. Kone, for the 4th goal i think) then Howard wouldn't be put under so much pressure in the first place. Howard may not be having his best season, that goes without saying, but when i think of all the points he has saved us over the years then personally i think a bit more respect is in order.

With regards to last nights game I largely agree with you. Our defence was shocking, as were our DM's. (they have been pretty unreliable all season...terribly coached?).
Generally speaking though, Howard has also been poor all season.
It's all a bit of a shambles isn't it?
Am I kneejerking to lay a lot of the blame for this shambolic defending at Martinez's door? How many months does one have to watch something to avoid calls of 'you're just kneejerking?'
This season, Everton has been crap...end of...and Martinez is clueless to correct it.

 

[banno]

That 2nd goal that alcarez and coleman messed up was probably more a mess up from howard. I reckon Robles would have flattened everyone to collect that ball. It was in the air long enough to claim

 

[marnie]

last season it was........... the mix of youth and experience ............ this season it seems like kids doing community service in an OAP home.................... No fukker wants to be there.

 

[froggyted]

Except we can't defend for our lives and never will.

And spend ages boring the crowd to death passing it around at the back.

Apart from that it's great.

Defensively, that obviously needs addressing, although perhaps we already have the player in Stones. In midfield we need more creativity, attacking pace, and definitely better hold up play: that has to be the main area of improvement (although it has to be said that in the two or three preceding games in Europe we acquitted ourselves very well). Barry is probably the player to go, both for his lack of pace and his poor disciplinary record, then we probably need one or two creative players to replace the likes of Mirallas; certainly we need Barkley to start living up to expectations next season or we must find a replacement. Finally, we need a second striker to partner Lukaku because from what i've seen of Kone, although to be fair to him he hasn't had much match time, he isn't good enough.

 

[riddick]

last season it was........... the mix of youth and experience ............ this season it seems like kids doing community service in an OAP home.................... No fukker wants to be there.

Last season: faith in youth
this season: noooooope

last season: boss subs at right time
this season: noooooope

last season: pressing everywhere
this season: noooooope

last season: exciting boss football
this season: noooooope

 

[Abraders]

Last season: faith in youth
this season: noooooope

last season: boss subs at right time
this season: noooooope

last season: pressing everywhere
this season: noooooope

last season: exciting boss football
this season: noooooope

This all over.

 

[Fansince1988]

Just a thought had Barry,Howard,Naismith got written in their contract,if fit they play.There are better options the way they are playing (I will give Naismith his dues though he does work and he is usefull at times) the other 2 I've had enough of,Barry gives nothing and he hasn't really for months,Howard should have had to fight for his place back.This whole situation at Everton is a joke and not a funny one.