The penny's dropped, eventually.
The Guardian
Gareth Barry criticises Everton for not closing out winning positions
• Barry: ‘We’ve been in this situation before and not learned our lesson’
• Stoke loss was third time in six games Everton failed to preserve lead
Gareth Barry congratulates Romelu Lukaku after scoring his second goal against Stoke City. Photograph: Carl Recine/Reuters
Andy Hunter
Tuesday 29 December 2015 22.30 GMT
Gareth Barry has fiercely criticised Everton’s mentality and tactics under Roberto Martínez and said both are to blame for the team’s inability to protect a lead.
The experienced midfielder, Everton’s current captain in the absence of Phil Jagielka, revealed his frustrations after Stoke City won 4-3 at Goodison Park on Monday despite being 3-2 behind with 10 minutes to play. It was the third time in six Premier League games that Everton have failed to preserve a lead and left Martínez’s team 11th in the table, nine points adrift of fourth place and nine points above the relegation zone.
Everton’s manager once again spoke of his young players’ need to learn after the Stoke defeat and his preference for a team that out-scores opponents rather than one that “just wants to be solid and grind out wins by the odd goal.” But Martínez’s approach and calls for patience evidently jar with one of his most influential players.
Barry said: “We have just got ourselves to blame. We’ve been in this situation many times before and clearly we have not learned our lesson. You get that sort of game and then find yourself ahead and with 12, 15 minutes to go, we’ve not got ourselves in a position, or in formation on the pitch, to close the game out.
“We need to change our mentality and as a team being able to realise the situation of the game. We have got attacking players that do want to score goals but once you get ahead in an end-to-end game like that there is an opportunity to win, which is the third goal for us, and we need to close the game out. We have to change our mentality that we don’t need to score again but need to keep a clean sheet to win the game.”
The 34-year-old’s outspoken attack presents a fresh problem for Martínez, who lost midfielders James McCarthy and Tom Cleverley to injury against Stoke and witnessed another costly error from the goalkeeper Tim Howard. There were sarcastic cheers for the USA international from Everton supporters when he collected a cross in the first half of Monday’s defeat, with Howard responding with sarcastic applause towards the Gwladys Street. He was later culpable for Joselu’s 80th minute equaliser.
But Barry added: “We are not blaming individuals. It was a dangerous ball. Tim has made a decision, not an easy one but on another day he gets a touch and it doesn’t fall to one of their players. As a senior player I will take responsibility (for the result) but it is a team job.
“We have had meetings about it. It is a team job, we have spoken about it so everyone knows their jobs. Unfortunately we let ourselves down.
The penny's dropped, eventually.
The Guardian
Gareth Barry criticises Everton for not closing out winning positions
• Barry: ‘We’ve been in this situation before and not learned our lesson’
• Stoke loss was third time in six games Everton failed to preserve lead
Gareth Barry congratulates Romelu Lukaku after scoring his second goal against Stoke City. Photograph: Carl Recine/Reuters
Andy Hunter
Tuesday 29 December 2015 22.30 GMT
Gareth Barry has fiercely criticised Everton’s mentality and tactics under Roberto Martínez and said both are to blame for the team’s inability to protect a lead.
The experienced midfielder, Everton’s current captain in the absence of Phil Jagielka, revealed his frustrations after Stoke City won 4-3 at Goodison Park on Monday despite being 3-2 behind with 10 minutes to play. It was the third time in six Premier League games that Everton have failed to preserve a lead and left Martínez’s team 11th in the table, nine points adrift of fourth place and nine points above the relegation zone.
Everton’s manager once again spoke of his young players’ need to learn after the Stoke defeat and his preference for a team that out-scores opponents rather than one that “just wants to be solid and grind out wins by the odd goal.” But Martínez’s approach and calls for patience evidently jar with one of his most influential players.
Barry said: “We have just got ourselves to blame. We’ve been in this situation many times before and clearly we have not learned our lesson. You get that sort of game and then find yourself ahead and with 12, 15 minutes to go, we’ve not got ourselves in a position, or in formation on the pitch, to close the game out.
“We need to change our mentality and as a team being able to realise the situation of the game. We have got attacking players that do want to score goals but once you get ahead in an end-to-end game like that there is an opportunity to win, which is the third goal for us, and we need to close the game out. We have to change our mentality that we don’t need to score again but need to keep a clean sheet to win the game.”
The 34-year-old’s outspoken attack presents a fresh problem for Martínez, who lost midfielders James McCarthy and Tom Cleverley to injury against Stoke and witnessed another costly error from the goalkeeper Tim Howard. There were sarcastic cheers for the USA international from Everton supporters when he collected a cross in the first half of Monday’s defeat, with Howard responding with sarcastic applause towards the Gwladys Street. He was later culpable for Joselu’s 80th minute equaliser.
But Barry added: “We are not blaming individuals. It was a dangerous ball. Tim has made a decision, not an easy one but on another day he gets a touch and it doesn’t fall to one of their players. As a senior player I will take responsibility (for the result) but it is a team job.
“We have had meetings about it. It is a team job, we have spoken about it so everyone knows their jobs. Unfortunately we let ourselves down.
Yes the fans can see it and the players its just el coco in charge who can't.
He has been very good this season
With respect, genuinely baffled.
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