Roberto Martinez discussion

[quasi modo]

Agree totally. Barry was excellent two years ago. Now he shouldn't be an automatic choice , we're far too defensive. The back seven never, ever change week in week out. No wonder we can't attack with seven defensive players. When I see that same team sheet with just the odd change to the up field line, it just depresses me. Mix it up a bit, be bold, drop players ( howard, barry, naismith). Stop trying to be barcelona, because we ain't even close to that level.

We can't defend with 7 as well mate.

 

[Foot Long Hot Dog]

But judging him now, purely on last season's performance, is just plain wrong.

Like excusing last seasons tripe because the season before was good you mean?

 

[allen]

Like excusing last seasons tripe because the season before was good you mean?

His first season earned him enough goodwill to endure a below-par one.

That credit has been exhausted, though. He's back to square one and has it all to prove.

 

[Kendall's Dream]

Remind you of something?

It's not just Everton.

 

[Alex Hindmarsh]

Remind you of something?

It's not just Everton.

I have to say I picked up on that watching Arsenal and it got me thinking.

When teams come and park their whole team on the edge of their box for the majority of the game, how do you actually break that down? Arsenal, for all their top players, couldn't break through and it's genuinely much much harder than most people think.

People think we should turn up and the opposition will let us stroll through but it's actually very very tough with the players we have and I personally don't have a clue as to the tactics to counter such defensive units that we see regularly at Goodison.

 

[davek]

You aren't exactly setting the bar very high there. Does that mean you would be OK with a bottom half finish if he doesn't?

Our wage bill is 8th in the league. If he does worse than that then he's had a poor season.

No. I wouldn't. I'd think justifiably he'd be lucky to keep his job.

Point is: we're 90 minutes into the season.

 

[blueboy1945]

As obviously I could remember the first game in one of the two title winning years over 20 years ago.

I find that really surprising. Thought you were only 12.

 

[Foot Long Hot Dog]

Remind you of something?

It's not just Everton.

I think their last competitive game was either finishing 2nd in the PL or lifting the FA Cup not sure which like.....

 

[davek]

Will you let the first season go for christ sake.

The proof is in the pudding....we are slow and predicatble

If the manager doesn't want us to play like this then he changes it

But he doesn't, same team, same shoe horn of players into position, same Lukaku being asked to play with his back to goal and spending more time closer to the halfway line than the oppostion goal.

The manager didn't want it, that's why he gave them a kick up the arse at HT yesterday.

Honest to God, the level of analysis of what's actually going on before your eyes is woeful.

Stop talking in cliches and start debating sensibly.

 

[Kendall's Dream]

I think their last competitive game was either finishing 2nd in the PL or lifting the FA Cup not sure which like.....

And? I never compared us to Arsenal, I'm just saying that it doesn't just happen to Everton, which most of our fan base seem to think

 

[Foot Long Hot Dog]

I have to say I picked up on that watching Arsenal and it got me thinking.

When teams come and park their whole team on the edge of their box for the majority of the game, how do you actually break that down? Arsenal, for all their top players, couldn't break through and it's genuinely much much harder than most people think.

People think we should turn up and the opposition will let us stroll through but it's actually very very tough with the players we have and I personally don't have a clue as to the tactics to counter such defensive units that we see regularly at Goodison.

West Ham didn't park the bus today, same as Watford didn't yesterday.

They were just well organised and well drilled which is what you should expect at this level. You need guile, pace and invention to break sides down.

 

[harry]

If you watch swansea everything starts with shelvy, who starts deep and moves up the pitch to support, he has a great range of passing and good vision. We have barry and mccarthy in that role who don't. In my opinion we should move barkley into a similer role as shelvy plays. If we stick to the positions we are currenty utilising, it will bea long season as nothing will change. I also think gibbo can play that role.

 

[Foot Long Hot Dog]

And? I never compared us to Arsenal, I'm just saying that it doesn't just happen to Everton, which most of our fan base seem to think

It just happens to us on a consistent basis lad

 

[Alex Hindmarsh]

West Ham didn't park the bus today, same as Watford didn't yesterday.

They were just well organised and well drilled which is what you should expect at this level. You need guile, pace and invention to break sides down.

For alot of the game when we had possession, Watford had 9/10 within 15 yards of their box. It's not easy to break down by any means, the way I'd go would be crosses from out wide but Rom can't win one for his life so it rules that option out.

Which of our players genuinely have the traits you've outlined? I can think of 3 in attacking areas in Del, Kev and Pienaar but he's crocked, Kev's unreliable and Del's the same so I really don't know how we get out of this situation we're in.

 

[nsno-chris]

The manager didn't want it, that's why he gave them a kick up the arse at HT yesterday.

Honest to God, the level of analysis of what's actually going on before your eyes is woeful.

Stop talking in cliches and start debating sensibly.

Dave there was a bit more urgency in the second half and that was about it. The first half peformance was truly digusting; but the second half was still not acceptable in the majority of peoples eyes, it was a follow on from last year. Slow, pedestrian football, no movement, no runners in behind Lukaku and no through balls.

Again the emphasis was on ball retention and nothing else. His idea that if we have the ball then opposition can't hurt us is stupid, because we have nowhere to go with it, we loose it and get punished because our defence is like wet paper.

Now if your saying that the players aren't following his orders then that makes him a very weak manager, if his players aren't following his orders then its pointless in him being there. The alternative is that this how he wants us to play, ball retention first of all.

Remember when Palace came here in his first season, and Wanrock schooled us. Sat deep and it us on the break, again I got shotdwon for identifying this has major area of concern. Since then every team comes to Goodison and does this. Its up to the manager to change his game plan or approach to break these small teams down. Something he doesn't look willing to do.

Look at Swansea yesterday, fast paced football, not long ball but direct face paced passing with purpose. That is what we should be doing