How do we improve?

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GrandOldTeam said:
  • Balance. Or lack of in the final 1/3. Too many players given creative license. Round Pegs, Square Holes. Barkley, or Naismith. Not both. It seems we're trying to play three number tens. Example vs West Brom, Mirallas, Barkley and Naismith - interchanging every other minute, with Mirallas and Naismith constantly drifting central, causing;
  • No Width. Naismith operated out wide and was a 'boo-boy' under Moyes. Martinez moved him central last season and he was a revelation. He's poor out wide... and that lack of width is isolating our full backs, time and time again Coleman/Baines would pickup possession and have no easy go to ball. It's not a coincidence that both our full backs have gone to the dogs this season.
  • Flexibility. We're just too predictable. I admire Martinez' philosophy of mastering your own style and you'll win more than you lose but occasionally, you need to adapt. It's part of the game, adjusting to outwit your opponent. Example. Two defensive, holding midfielders at home vs 10 men behind the ball. Not for me.
  • Lukaku. Any striker in world football would struggle in our side. We just don't play to his strengths/look to find him anywhere as early as we should. Andy Gray called it. Add to having a poacher in Naismith, a 'ball greed' (What?) in Mirallas and a confidence shot Barkley in support (Who had a 95% pass rate vs West Brom, but 78/82 passes all 'safe'...
  • Rebuild. Martinez will have learnt more about his players this season than last. Remove the deadwood and damaging characters.
Getting off the fence for a moment, I think any talk of removing Martinez is irrelevant. We're Everton and with Kenwright, it's never going to happen - certainly not after signing a five year deal in June. Only relegation would see him outcast, so ride it out, rebuild over the summer. Evaluate after the first 10 PL games.
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Bottom bullet point is the only realistic path forward The die is cast this season in terms of making changes on width, flexibility, balance, use of Lukaku. If he hasn't changed things by now we're not going to see them in the final 16 games. Which leaves us with next season.

Martinez will have drawn the conclusion by now that this is a first team not fit for purpose. The GK and CB situation has to be radically altered to provide a platform to play from. Midfield I think we have the tools already, so no major work needed here unless there's outgoings. The winger situation needs as much extensive work as CD - so I see a lot of comings and goings there. And we really do need up front to sort out exactly what we are looking to achieve (my guess is that Lukaku wont ever fit Martinez team unless we get a very handy playmaker in behind him). Oh, and we need a leader on the pitch.

From next August Martinez has to have all that in place. At the moment he's still largely using the material left behind by Moyes.
 
What we need?

A team tactic to aim the ball at giving it to lukaku's feet in the box every time we move. As soon as we attack if it ends up going to our striker then the attack was a success whether we score or not. Passing it 5 yards out from the penalty box is not helping anyone and wasting time.

the attack needs to be quick and focused like it was last season. No messing about, just win the ball and look to know who to pass it to with the sole aim of scoring, nothing else.

We need to use the energy of besic and McCarthy when he is back to create a midfield engine that will win the ball before the other team can mount a return offense. Just think how efficient the team would be if we could nick the ball back and get it right down the other end of the pitch so quickly?

Use barkley to create chances only. Don't put the weight of the world on him, just give him the job of finding the striker or the wingers with the ball and have him cover a position outside the box that he can tick the ball about in that fashion. allows the rest of the team to do their jobs and know they have a play through player in an attempt to score.

and finally we need hate in everythign we do. Just being able to quickly move the ball to the box in as few a player as possible in the mean time and for the love of good NEVER STAND STILL with the ball , always be moving, everyone on the pitch looking to create space for EACH OTHER not themselves.
 
Make sure Gareth Barry. Howard and Distin never play for us again. Keep Stones and McCarthy fit. All the improvement you need right there.
 
We need to lose the passing.

If you get me.

Essentially, it's very apparent we can't break teams who sit back down at all. Not even close.

So we need to give the opposition more time on the ball. Rather than wait for us the inevitably balls it up, let them have it, press them, wait for them to mess up.

We could even do it with the line up that he persists with and I think it could work quite well.

That's what I'd do anyway.
 

ijjysmith said:
We need to lose the passing.

If you get me.

Essentially, it's very apparent we can't break teams who sit back down at all. Not even close.

So we need to give the opposition more time on the ball. Rather than wait for us the inevitably balls it up, let them have it, press them, wait for them to mess up.

We could even do it with the line up that he persists with and I think it could work quite well.

That's what I'd do anyway.
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pass quicker, and get it up the field quicker.
 
AaronTheBlue said:
true but there is ways to do it, i'm just not paid to know how to!

i think our pressing from last season has vanished too, to be honest.
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Definitely. Along with a lot of other things.

It took Arsenal until Sunday to work out you dont always have to have all the possession to win games. For me we could do with realising the same.
 
ijjysmith said:
Definitely. Along with a lot of other things.

It took Arsenal until Sunday to work out you dont always have to have all the possession to win games. For me we could do with realising the same.
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First 75 mins vs Arsenal this season we were boss. Very boss.

Can't we just play like that?

AaronTheBlue said:
true but there is ways to do it, i'm just not paid to know how to!

i think our pressing from last season has vanished too, to be honest.
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That's it all over - we just don't press very much.

If we started doing that again we'd be sound. I personally don't think it's rocket science, we just need to show more gumption, stop passing it back and go at the other side hard.

Can I have £50k a week now?

Kiwi said:
Play Leon Osman...
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I'm sure there was a recent article that suggested this wasn't too far from the truth.....

:blush:
 

Groucho said:
First 75 mins vs Arsenal this season we were boss. Very boss.

Can't we just play like that?


That's it all over - we just don't press very much.

If we started doing that again we'd be sound. I personally don't think it's rocket science, we just need to show more gumption, stop passing it back and go at the other side hard.

Can I have £50k a week now?


I'm sure there was a recent article that suggested this wasn't too far from the truth.....

:blush:
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It was said in jest. But having said all that, there is a lack of someone who can play between the lines and who with a deft touch, flick or pass can unlock the defence and find space in our team at the moment. Leon despite his other limitations has the ability to do this at times.
 
ijjysmith said:
We need to lose the passing.

If you get me.

Essentially, it's very apparent we can't break teams who sit back down at all. Not even close.

So we need to give the opposition more time on the ball. Rather than wait for us the inevitably balls it up, let them have it, press them, wait for them to mess up.

We could even do it with the line up that he persists with and I think it could work quite well.

That's what I'd do anyway.
Click to expand...

This 100%

Ferguson was the master at this at United, watch a lot of their games against the lesser teams and you'd see that they'd cede a lot of possession but still win comfortably
 
- support the team
- play wingers
- don't play nais on wing
- drop Barkley
- play besic at all cost
- get Baines n Coleman watching VTs of last yr
- get macca fit
- practice corners

Job done
 

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