Martinez: The Reality

[davek]

Good interview with Naismith too:
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/steven-naismith-says-everton-fc-8822333

Steven Naismith says the Everton FC squad are playing for their futures at the club.

The Scotland international has no doubt that manager Roberto Martinez will wield the axe this summer, unless the players start showing major improvements in the last 10 games of the Premier League season. Everton finished fifth last term with a record points tally, but have struggled badly this time around and sit just six points clear of the bottom three. A crunch clash at home to Newcastle United arrives on Sunday but Everton face a Europa League tie with Dynamo Kiev at Goodison Park tonight.

The Blues have been excellent in Europe and Naismith says they cannot let standards slip when they return to domestic action this weekend - because their Goodison future could depend on it. “Without a doubt,” Naismith said, when asked if the Everton squad were playing for their futures. “If you are not performing then you are not going to be here very long. “This club is ambitious and wants to go forward and I’m sure the manager will look for a replacement to do the job he wants done if you’re not doing it. “I’d say the biggest motivation though is personal pride. “You don’t want to be in a team that is struggling to perform every week. “Players here have been successful and they have known difficult times as well and you want to be performing well for yourself, not just hoping it happens.”

Naismith added: “I think we do have it in us. “The big thing is the players we have coming back from injury now and we should be able to do it. “The players definitely feel they can and we will be ready for Sunday whatever the team is against Kiev. “It is points that matter at this stage of the season, not performances, and we know what is expected of us.”

Naismith does not agree that winning the Europa League is the only way to give their poor season a positive slant. But the 28-year-old acknowledges that just 28 points from 28 games is not good enough. “I wouldn’t say we have to win the Europa League to make it a successful season,” Naismith said. “Without the results, it has been a massive experience for the majority of the younger players in the squad and they have contributed a lot. “That will help us going forward, and the experience of having so many games, and as a squad we believe we can cause trouble to any team left in the competition. “I’m not dressing up what has gone on in the league. “Everybody at the club knows it has not been good enough. “It is not as if the performances have been terrible every week, we have been unfortunate. “We have played well in spells and individual errors have cost us three points or getting one. “There has been a lot of good play throughout this season and it is more the errors that have cost us.”

Naismith continued: “We are aware of the situation, the manager has made us aware of it and the older players in the squad have touched on it. Some players might think ‘It’s Everton, we won’t go down’ but we know it doesn’t work like that. “We know we have to go out and perform. That is the goal from now until the end of the season. There are 30 points to play for in the league and we have to be up for every game.”

 

[catcherintherye]

It's hard not to admire Naismith for his honesty. I also think of all the squad he is perhaps the only one who can hold his head up high this season. He is the only one who can honestly say he has played to his best, or close to his best.

I am sceptical whether in the long term he is the right man for the club. But in the short to medium term he plays a critical part.

Some of the defending of crosses, players like Jagielka, Distin, Lukaku, Barry have let themselves down big time off set pieces. Yet this lad, giving away several inches in height to them has shown them how to head the ball away.

 

[TheHumbleEgg]

Good words from Roberto there. http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/spor...ews/roberto-martinez-says-everton-fcs-8822249

Give it that, very well engineered and the nearest he's been to an honest assessment of things so far, apologetic almost & designed to appeal. The proof comes on SUNDAY I reckon, either way...

Ultimately though, it's still this...

 

[davek]

It's hard not to admire Naismith for his honesty. I also think of all the squad he is perhaps the only one who can hold his head up high this season. He is the only one who can honestly say he has played to his best, or close to his best.

I am sceptical whether in the long term he is the right man for the club. But in the short to medium term he plays a critical part.

Some of the defending of crosses, players like Jagielka, Distin, Lukaku, Barry have let themselves down big time off set pieces. Yet this lad, giving away several inches in height to them has shown them how to head the ball away.

He's a trier, no question. In a season where not too many have stood up to be counted he's done himself no harm...especially early season form.

However, his passing is appalling. He's not a player you can have in a team that seeks to control the ball. He's a player you have on the bench to try and shake things out of the pattern a game is in when its going against you. Very niggly and in your face style that can put others off their game.

 

[daz4matty]

He's a trier, no question. In a season where not too many have stood up to be counted he's done himself no harm...especially early season form.

However, his passing is appalling. He's not a player you can have in a team that seeks to control the ball. He's a player you have on the bench to try and shake things out of the pattern a game is in when its going against you. Very niggly and in your face style that can put others off their game.

Yeah more or less spot on.
A trier but should not be starting games

 

[Lowste]

I will hold my hands up over Naismith, under Moyes I thought he was woeful my biggest annoyance was he couldn't even do the basics. Under RM he looked a different player, great awareness and great eye for goal.
He is a great worker and never gives up, but as mentioned his passing needs a lot to be desired.
Overall a good player who gives his all

 

[catcherintherye]

He's a trier, no question. In a season where not too many have stood up to be counted he's done himself no harm...especially early season form.

However, his passing is appalling. He's not a player you can have in a team that seeks to control the ball. He's a player you have on the bench to try and shake things out of the pattern a game is in when its going against you. Very niggly and in your face style that can put others off their game.

Yes he is a bit like our Solskjaer. He is a good finisher in the box. Alternatively in games when we are leading he closes down the opposition well.

 

[Eric Djemba-Djemba]

Naismith is massively, massively overrated on here. Watching him break down attacks time after time gives me eye AIDS.

 

[Kiwi]

Naismith is massively, massively overrated on here. Watching him break down attacks time after time gives me eye AIDS.

Him and Aids frustrate the living death out of me. Cannot pass a simple ball 5m.

 

[Eric Djemba-Djemba]

Him and Aids frustrate the living death out of me. Cannot pass a simple ball 5m.

AIDS can at least play the occasional good through ball and create something. His passing is erratic. Naismith's is just pure turd.

 

[daz4matty]

Naismith is massively, massively overrated on here. Watching him break down attacks time after time gives me eye AIDS.

Bang on should not be starting

 

[Kiwi]

AIDS can at least play the occasional good through ball and create something. His passing is erratic. Naismith's is just pure turd.

Oh I know Aids has that quality. It just does my head in as I know he can do the hard stuff, yet when it comes to a little 5 yard pass he almost loses focus as it's that basic and invariably screws it up and breaks down the move

 

[MikeH72]

Naismith is massively, massively overrated on here. Watching him break down attacks time after time gives me eye AIDS.

I don't think he's even rated on here anymore. Even @bizzaro has retreated these days

 

[Eric Djemba-Djemba]

I don't think he's even rated on here anymore. Even @bizzaro has retreated these days

That says a lot about how bad he's been recently. Only a few months ago Damon was calling Naismith world class

 

[Little Ralphy]

Every chairman/board would see the annual financial accounts as presented by their accountants prior to issue. Ridiculous to argue he doesn't know what OOC's are, that he wouldn't ask fellow board members if he didn't, and that if someone asked him about the classification of OOC costs appearing in the accounts at circa £20M every year (even if he is the sort of uber idiot chairman that his fan club ends up suggesting he is with these weird arguments) that he couldn't make the leap to guessing what that £20M refers to.

OOC is a specific accounting term, one every chairman would know.

We'll have to agree to disagree here, you seem to be generalising a fair bit and dealing in only black and white.

As @blulouie asked, apart from perhaps him not recognising the term when asked out of the blue or even trying to avoid getting in to a detailed conversation, what are you suggesting were his motives for not answering about OOC?