Swansea City Vs. Everton - CO Cup 3rd Round - Tuesday 23rd Sept - 19:45 KO

[Efcjake]

Everton manager Roberto Martinez: "The scoreline reflects the team that took the chances. During long spells we stopped Swansea from playing. It was an important game for us - for players who haven't played many minutes and to see where they are.

"If you analyse the chances Swansea had, they were few and far between. We had two or three very good situations. In many aspects, I was fairly pleased with that."

I thought this was a wind up. Now i am actually fuming he said this. He can't be serious.

 

[cbpointblank]

We played a second team We're out the carling cup. Let's move on and now Martinez this is what your paid for we have to put a shift in Saturday.

Crap. Should've won this match.​

 

[SchoolOfScience]

I wish he'd stick with a solid back 4 like last season, everyone knew their place an their job, this year its been rotated around far too often for my liking, fair enough change the team around for games like tonight in the cup but to be doing it in Premier League games is suicide, they're our bread and butter

I can't think off the top of my head but can anyone enlighten me to actually how many different combinations of defence has been used so far?

 

[Tree13]

ANY positives from that? Oviedo got an hour, Besic didn't get booked? I don't think I can commend anything we did tonight - vaguely ok-ish for 20 or so minutes at the start and then awful. Alcaraz misses a decent chance barely anything else. McGeady and Atsu were dreadful - the back 4 (Garbutt apart) were terrible.

Alcaraz had his best game in his Everton career tonight, and I'm not being sarcastic there. He's ALWAYS been the worst player on the pitch whenever I've seen him play but tonight Hibbo was far worse. Martinez was an idiot to leave Hibbo on. Alcaraz did nothing of note, and for him, that's an improvement.

Distin will get slaughtered for his calamity header causing their second, and rightly so. But for the rest of the game, he was fine. Garbutt was decent, happy with his showing.

Gibbo, Oviedo and Besic were ok - it looked like they weren't quite match-fit, which is unsurprising given that they've barely played.

McGeady was poop. No pace, can't beat a man, slows down every attack poop. Atsu at least has pace, but I'd take Deulofeu ahead of either of them.

Eto'o was good - he looks to be our best attacking player in terms of technique, off-ball movement and vision. Howard could do nothing about the first two goals - both were entirely the fault of the defenders. The third however, was inexcusable.

The subs: Lukaku had little to work with because McGeady and Atsu produced f*** all. But he did nothing with the little he did have. McCarthy at least showed some fire, but Osman was too little, too late.

The worst performance tonight was from Martinez. I didn't agree with the team he selected, and I didn't agree with his substitutions. Unless he later admits that he WANTED to lose that game to reduce the number of fixtures we have to play, he was awful tonight.

 

[blue4eva77]

i tell you what though. NOW we will see what kind of manager we have here at our club. Since he has been here, everything has gone his way. Now he is up against it now and i will be interested to see how he responds. So far this season, he hasn't responded but he will feel some pressure now.

Over to you Roberto

 

[ImKoneKoneKoneKone]

One of the quickest players in Europe vs Tony Hibbert. Fun

 

[maurice]

f off

 

[GwladysBlue]

I said when he got here he needed a full year. In that full year we were as good as we've been at any time since Royle left. That earned him another year.

Remember how Moyes got us 7th, then 17th and then we stuck with him and he got us 4th?

This guy is a special manager, he deserves more of a chance than to be binned off in his first bad spell. We'll get through this and we'll get better.

I don't want to come across like I'm knee jerking and saying sack him because I'm really not. My biggest worry is he doesn't seem to be learning at all, his defence was always the big issue at Wigan and now we look to be replicating them. We're conceding 3 goals a game and with Liverpool and Man Utd away next I don't see it stopping.

 

[Eric Djemba-Djemba]

Hope big Dunc drop kicks Hibbert, Distin and Howard.

And Osman for good measure.

 

[Tubey]

That quote from Martinez, if real, is insane.

 

[bicycleheader]

Last season was last season.....how long are you giving it before it actually becomes characteristic?

a hell of a lot longer than most of the "fans" on here, thats for sure

 

[bluegirl]

Minus Hibbert, I'd have played that team tonight. I know his substations weren't the best but that aside Roberto hasn't done too much wrong.

The players have got to take responsibility it's embarrassing. Fans paid and travelled to watch that and they weren't arsed. Playing like over-paid pre madonnas just collecting their money and going through the motions.

There's only one way to put it right and that's at the weekend...

PS: Garbutt is the exception thought he gave his all.

 

[Del]

Martinez spouting utter crap once again I see

Anyone who laughs at Rodgers needs to look a little closer to home

 

[bourneblue]

Besic was far more composed at right back, when on countless occasions he had to go and cover for Hibbert.

 

[hudd101]

Garbutt did well, looked very composed, the only positive.

I'm still convinced Besic will do well despite being fairly anonymous tonight. Gibson, meanwhile, looked well off the pace, I think he'll come good too, though.