The missing ingredients

[dannyboy]

No we dont.

Yesterday and before that against Tottenham what is glaringly obvious is that we are getting chanecs but the midfielders are persistentlt dreadful in converting chances.

No we're not. Tell me what chances we had yesterday?

 

[Bluesnapper]

No we're not. Tell me what chances we had yesterday?

Mirallas had two and Osman had one and thats just to name three off the top off my head.

 

[dannyboy]

Mirallas had two and Osman had one and thats just to name three off the top off my head.

Efforts from outside the box can hardly be classed as good chances. We struggled to open them up, like we do against every good team away from home.

 

[Bluesnapper]

Efforts from outside the box can hardly be classed as good chances. We struggled to open them up, like we do against every good team away from home.

The two from Mirallas were inside.

 

[dannyboy]

The two from Mirallas were inside.

If you really think we don't have a problem creating chances against the better teams away from home then fair enough. To me it's glaringly obvious it's the area we're most lacking, and it's been that way for years.

 

[Bluesnapper]

If you really think we don't have a problem creating chances against the better teams away from home then fair enough. To me it's glaringly obvious it's the area we're most lacking, and it's been that way for years.

Didnt say that, what I have said is we have midfielders who dont where the back of the net is.

No we dont.

Yesterday and before that against Tottenham what is glaringly obvious is that we are getting chanecs but the midfielders are persistentlt dreadful in converting chances.

 

[LinekersLegs]

Think our back 7 - Howard, Baines, Coleman, Jags, Distin, Barry, McCarthy are a match for any of the top teams. Sure, there are better players in some of those positions but as a team they work very well bar the odd mistake but that happens with every team.

It is the wingers, attacking midfield and strikers that are the missing ingredients really.

We have quality youngsters but kids are always inconsistent / erratic in their decisions. The older players lack either a bit of stamina, quality or a killer touch. Unfortunately those are the areas that require 15m+ players to get that blend of youth/talent/consistency.

 

[balggy]

No we dont.

Yesterday and before that against Tottenham what is glaringly obvious is that we are getting chances but the midfielders are persistently dreadful in converting chances.

We don't great the chances that our possession merits. The first half against Arsenal away was one our best performances of the season. However we didn't create that many clear cut opportunities.

To be fair, nether Tottenham or Chelsea created many clear cut chances against us. Midfielders and strikers who are capable of opening up top sides will cost a lot. Hopefully Barkley can develop into that player.

You also need a perfect blend between your strikers and your midfield. I think Lukuaku would suit a more counter attacking side, so he can hang on the shoulder of the last defender. We are never going to play like that under Martinez.

Liverpool have the perfect strikers for counter attacking football. I don't know what strikers would fit our passing style.

 

[Bluesnapper]

We don't great the chances that our possession merits. The first half against Arsenal away was one our best performances of the season. However we didn't create that many clear cut opportunities.

To be fair, nether Tottenham or Chelsea created many clear cut chances against us. Midfielders and strikers who are capable of opening up top sides will cost a lot. Hopefully Barkley can develop into that player.

You also need a perfect blend between your strikers and your midfield. I think Lukuaku would suit a more counter attacking side, so he can hang on the shoulder of the last defender. We are never going to play like that under Martinez.

Liverpool have the perfect strikers for counter attacking football. I don't know what strikers would fit our passing style.

Take the Tottenham game, Osman should have scored at least one goal out of the four first half chances he had.

They had one chance and scored.

 

[Chang Elephant]

Take the Tottenham game, Osman should have scored at least one goal out of the four first half chances he had.

They had one chance and scored.

Is it so hard to admit Everton are crap, Martinez has been found out, and that kenwright is actually a wonderful chairman ?

 

[deipnosophist]

Mirrallas had one of the his games which confirm he is an enigma. Two good chances, two poor executions. Next week, he might put in two worldies.

 

[deipnosophist]

We don't great the chances that our possession merits. The first half against Arsenal away was one our best performances of the season. However we didn't create that many clear cut opportunities.

To be fair, nether Tottenham or Chelsea created many clear cut chances against us. Midfielders and strikers who are capable of opening up top sides will cost a lot. Hopefully Barkley can develop into that player.

You also need a perfect blend between your strikers and your midfield. I think Lukuaku would suit a more counter attacking side, so he can hang on the shoulder of the last defender. We are never going to play like that under Martinez.

Liverpool have the perfect strikers for counter attacking football. I don't know what strikers would fit our passing style.

Soldado is probably quite cheap now

 

[mkrudden]

We need time.

Strikers yes, but just as equally we need more time to implement the Martinez ideas. It's a patient style, makes us look boss, and is far better to watch for us fans than anything the last 10 years has given us. We need to remember though that it's such a massive shift in terms of style that it could easily take us another season at least to begin to perfect the tactics.

In that time we will inevitably replace players not as suited with ones more, but the performance yesterday at Stamford bridge left me proud to be an evertonian. I like Naismith but he's not a natural number nine, but we've seen he's probably the most natural finisher in the side which is why he's starting games there in the absence of the front two.

Patience I think is the word. I'm not saying that poor performances should just be accepted, but yesterday was anything but poor. As I say though, with the white haired scot up there trying valiantly against terry and Cahill it was a predictable result.

6th, and likely Europa, is certainly achievable and would represent genuine progress for us.

Keep the faith blues

 

[quasi modo]

I'd like to see Barkley played in the middle with either Barry or McCarthy, a big problem is the movement in the middle of the park and the lack of forward thinking from the holding two.

Against West Ham, I'd like to see:

Howard
Coleman Jagielka Distin Baines
Barkley Barry or McCarthy
Deulofeu Pienaar McGeady
Lukaku

 

[royalblue66]

Bobby said Chelsea were always looking for free kicks, why don't we ? We have the right players to capitalise with Leighton and Kevin, are we too nice ?