Martinez Sentiment Poll: In or Out

[willo30]

2003-04

If his first full season had been a pleasant surprise, Moyes's second was something of a reality check for all concerned and the manner in which his team's form collapsed in the final weeks of the campaign amid speculation that he had "lost the dressing room" would pose his second daunting challenge as Everton manager.

Things went awry for the Blues more or less from the outset of the 2003-04 campaign, with a return of just one win from their first five games. As Moyes tried to find the right balance in a team that now featured the precocious talents and attitude of one Wayne Rooney, that record didn't really improve until a purple patch of three wins and a draw from five league games in December that, in hindsight, kept the club in the Premier League that season.

The standard of football exhibited by his players deteriorated into a more direct approach that was short on guile and long on grit and physique while his increasing emphasis on hard work, effort, work rate, and other such industrial metrics didn't appear to sit well with many of his players, including — crucially — some of the veteran players.

The manager's intransigence in the face of resistance from his squad and the consequent impact on morale saw the Blues slump to the lowest points total in a season (using 3 points for a win) for any Everton side in over 100 years! Things had degenerated to such an alarming impasse that, as soon as the security of 39 points was attained, the players appeared to have given up in a sulk, culminating in the atrocious 5-1 at Manchester City on the final day.

Seriously?? Did you see that squad compared to what we have now.

 

[orly]

Martinez IN

yes he messed up tonight by not dragging Alacaraz off the pitch at half time and re-shaping our defence. Yes he messed up by not playing a tighter game away from home but he's still our manager and I still back him. He will get things right and will still prove everybody wrong. At the start of the competition I wouldn't have believed we would get to the last 16 with ease and I'm pleased with the progress we've made in Europe.

not one of your better posts this, Mick

 

[Superhans1878]

Maybe Sunday was the knee-jerk reaction and they've seen sense again now.

This is the case for me

 

[Allezfan]

I didn't say it was rubbish, I wanted to know what was great about it. When I started to follow EFC in the mid 60s, right through to the mid 90s,a 5th place finish and no trophy was considered a failure. Now unfotunately it's become "great"? How sad.

I think it would be a failiure if that was the best he ever gave us.

But as a first season it's very promising. And enough to show he can get a team palying and to earn him a chance to get through his bad patch, imo.

 

[SNova]

One of the most worrying things for me is that set pieces are so bad and that we can't defend.

Didn't one of their goals come from our awful corner? When we have a corner I'm never excited and I always expect to get hurt on the counter under Martinez.

 

[kithnou]

Seriously?? Did you see that squad compared to what we have now.

We have a handful of guns now, many overage British and American dross passed their used by date, and a few Martinez Wigan whoppers. Our squad is not all that. Lets get real here.

 

[toffeemax]

I was watching Premier League years today from the season wigan got relegated. 'We don't see it as a relegation fight that we are in.'

The problem with Roberto is he can't just tell it how it is and get the team gritty and up for a fight. He relies too much on a positive dressing room to win a game as opposed to the grit that is often required to win hard hard matches. This is always reflected in his post match comments, I've never heard a conference where he has said we weren't good enough, he either heaps praise on the oppo or just says we were unlucky and then clings onto and focuses on the positive that maybe we had one more corner than the opposition.

If you look at the seasons he has been in charge we haven't had that many 'hard fought' wins, I can think of Palace this season, but not many other proper scraps that we'd have under Moyes. You could argue we have a better squad so maybe we don't have to but even title winners need that attitude. It's a business where you sometimes need to play horrible football and use that to get results and the sooner Martinez realizes that a 1-0 scrap is just as valuable as 5-0 free flowing 'perfect' performance.

 

[davek]

I didn't say it was rubbish, I wanted to know what was great about it. When I started to follow EFC in the mid 60s, right through to the mid 90s,a 5th place finish and no trophy was considered a failure. Now unfortunately it's become "great"? How sad.

It's not success, but it was great wasn't it? Or is someone new coming in and getting more points in the PL than any other Everton manager in his first season just seem as run of the mill by you?

 

[Latchford78]

Dildo.

How clever. You definitely have a future in journalism.

 

[SH1958]

• 
  I find it quite alarming that he thinks the finishing was the difference, as opposed to the tragic defending.

 

[riddick]

Martinez IN

yes he messed up tonight by not dragging Alacaraz off the pitch at half time and re-shaping our defence. Yes he messed up by not playing a tighter game away from home but he's still our manager and I still back him. He will get things right and will still prove everybody wrong. At the start of the competition I wouldn't have believed we would get to the last 16 with ease and I'm pleased with the progress we've made in Europe.

Just a simple question: why? why do you think he will get things right? He's done NOTHING this season to think he will..

 

[bluemangroup]

We looked a much better team with Osman on, I suspect we'd look a lot better with Gibson on and Alcaraz getting lost on the way to the game wouldn't have been terrible. It's something that needs tweaking rather than an overhaul for me.

COYDildos

 

[Mikowai]

Pulis manages to organise a defense out of rubbish. Surely we can muster one which is at least half as decent? Right now it's not in the same league.

 

[DanEFC92]

How clever. You definitely have a future in journalism.

Thanks mate x

 

[markmarkmark]

You are a dildo.