Europa League

[davek]

Are we giving too much to these midweek games?

We seem to be putting all our better/high tempo performances into these matches and our edge/focus/energy seems poor in some games afterward (Villa apart).

I'd like us to go through and do well, but do we really have to go full throttle in these and use pretty much full first team players?

I'd expect Martinez to rotate for the last two knowing we are pretty much in the KO rounds.

 

[ianefc]

Are we giving too much to these midweek games?

We seem to be putting all our better/high tempo performances into these matches and our edge/focus/energy seems poor in some games afterward (Villa apart).

I'd like us to go through and do well, but do we really have to go full throttle in these and use pretty much full first team players?

I'd expect Martinez to rotate for the last two knowing we are pretty much in the KO rounds.

Villa wasnt after EL game the only game we have won after that comp s Burnley who are awful as are Villa as are WBA who are the only teams we have beaten in the openin ELEVEN games, not good enough

 

[DownunderToffee]

Tottenham are struggling after Europa action as well, not just us.

 

[davek]

Villa wasnt after EL game the only game we have won after that comp s Burnley who are awful as are Villa as are WBA who are the only teams we have beaten in the openin ELEVEN games, not good enough

Sorry yeah, that's the one I meant.

I think the point stands though: Martinez is prioritising a competition we should look to progress in, yes, but not at the expense of getting ready for the PL match following it.

I'm surprised how much he's given over to it.

 

[Joey66]

A mickey mouse competition that will ruin our season!

 

[bluelife]

The attendance vs Krasnodar will be appalling...horrendous error from everton for the tickets to be £33, scraped 30,000 for the other two but this one I struggle to see 15,000 Evertonians in there.

 

[LinekersLegs]

Sorry yeah, that's the one I meant.

I think the point stands though: Martinez is prioritising a competition we should look to progress in, yes, but not at the expense of getting ready for the PL match following it.

I'm surprised how much he's given over to it.

If had to chose would prefer we prioritise the EL. Would love to win some silverware and imo it is much more important than another 5/6/7 th place finish in the league especially as we are a bit more comfortable financially.

Iirc it also means you go straight into the group stages of the CL rather than a playoff like 4th place. There is no point in qualifying for the CL if we haven't worked out how to play against non english teams plus juggle the travel/ extra games anyway and Europa is a good way of doing that. Also raises our profile to foreign players.

 

[toffeejack]

you play in the prem every season, you don't get the chance to play in europe every season! we've got no chance of winning the league, but have a chance of winning europa outright, something that will see us finish for the CL let's not forget. we can have a poor season and won't finish any lower than 7th - that may still be enough to qualify for europe.

what's the point in having a good season to qualify for europe, only to concentrate on the league?

 

[kenada_blue]

No excuse to be playing Baines, McCarthy, Barry or Coleman all the time in these games.

He's not using his squad. He has to now as injuries are creeping in

 

[Baines' left foot]

Stupid worthless competition shouldn't be playing our best players we need to throw this now so we can qualify for Europe next year.

 

[davek]

If had to chose would prefer we prioritise the EL. Would love to win some silverware and imo it is much more important than another 5/6/7 th place finish in the league especially as we are a bit more comfortable financially.

Iirc it also means you go straight into the group stages of the CL rather than a playoff like 4th place. There is no point in qualifying for the CL if we haven't worked out how to play against non english teams plus juggle the travel/ extra games anyway and Europa is a good way of doing that. Also raises our profile to foreign players.

I agree. I'd like us to do well in cups. It's just that I think we can do that a bit more economically in this group stage. Play a few more peripheral players; wind it down when the game is won; make changes early when you have a grip of the game and preserve our better players for the weekend; dont get obsessed by chasing a EL game after falling behind to try and scramble a draw using loads of energy levels up - if we lose one, we lose one.

To me, it's a concern seeing these PL performance of ours looking jaded.

 

[efcfanwirral]

Well we need to get used to it - if we qualify for the CL are we going to say the same thing about not wanting to try in europe? It's a learning curve for the squad - if we can't do it in the league after an easy EL game, what will be like if we have to play better teams and put in that effort just to not get battered?

 

[LinekersLegs]

I agree. I'd like us to do well in cups. It's just that I think we can do that a bit more economically in this group stage. Play a few more peripheral players; wind it down when the game is won; make changes early when you have a grip of the game and preserve our better players for the weekend; dont get obsessed by chasing a EL game after falling behind to try and scramble a draw using loads of energy levels up - if we lose one, we lose one.

To me, it's a concern seeing these PL performance of ours looking jaded.

But it is a gamble, especially in the tough group we are in - would be so Everton to be overconfident and then conceed a last minute winner/ equaliser. Prefer us to win the group as well to avoid the better CL teams.

 

[davek]

But it is a gamble, especially in the tough group we are in - would be so Everton to be overconfident and then conceed a last minute winner/ equaliser. Prefer us to win the group as well to avoid the better CL teams.

Far be it for me to praise Moyes, but he handled these EL stage games very differently but equally as successful as Martinez has. Moyes played a lot of kids and made loads of early subs and we got through groups as hard if not more difficult than this one.

If Moyes was bold enough to do that, I expect Martinez to also.

 

[EverBlue86]

Atsu and pienaar need punting if one isn't good enough/the other never fit. We are literally playing with 2 wingers in the squad with one of those (mirallas) being out for 6-8 weeks