The Players: are they giving 100%?

Fuleco · January 3, 2015

These players are not ready for a relegation battle.

royalblue66 · January 3, 2015

Fuleco said:
These players are not ready for a relegation battle.

Very true.

bizzaro · January 3, 2015

I'd say they're probably playing at 40%

marty mcfly · January 3, 2015

Prevenger17 said:
It's kind of my biggest concern about this entire mess. I don't really think we'll be relegated, but a team like ourselves, working off limited resources and finances, get rare and small windows of opportunities to achieve something, be it a cup or a place in the top 4. Fortuitous circumstances have to converge at the right time, young players breaking through and hitting form, momentum being capitalized on.

Despite all the speculation, we were able to hold on to all of our best players in the transfer window with very little fuss as well as convince one of Europe's most promising young strikers to sign a permanent deal. That's because we had an unprecedented level of success with minimal outlay, playing great football that convinced all of our young talent they were in the right place, somewhere that matched their ambition. Now we're a shambles, and a lot of players like Seamus, will jump at the chance to join a big team right in time for his peak years and there's nothing we can do to stop him. It's a knock-on effect and then you're put back a few squares and waiting for that window of opportunity to roll around again.

I don't think we'll sell all of our best players, I believe Kenwright is a tough negotiator, but it would be naive of us to think that one or two of our best players won't be plucked from us by the circling vultures. They almost certainly will, because our current predicament will tell them that we won't be able to satisfy their immediate ambitions anymore.

Rubbish. If a player is on a contract with more than 2 years to run there's nothing the player can do. What's he supposed to do ride the bench. play badly?

Now that said it might make sense to sell one of our "top" players. At the moment we have an unbalanced squad. There's too many players in the DCM position and LB and not enough quality on the wings or at CB.

e.g. It might make sense to sell McCarthy and move Barkley and Baines permanently into midfield to partner Besic. It would free up a place at LB for Garbutt and Oviedo, give us more legs and forward passing ability and allow us to strengthen on the wings or even buy a proper No10.

Chang Elephant · January 3, 2015

The only player that consistently plays at 100% is Osman

Jags..class · January 3, 2015

Have we won since the fans hooded the players when they were winning

maccavennie · January 3, 2015

Jags..class said:
Have we won since the fans hooded the players when they were winning

Nope but that ain't the cause

Haston · January 3, 2015

Jags..class said:
Have we won since the fans hooded the players when they were winning

If you mean the QPR game then no we haven't

Jags..class · January 3, 2015

maccavennie said:
Nope but that ain't the cause

But it didn't help, the players might be reacting to the boos which was aimed at Martinez so the players might have took notice of that.

flibbyflob · January 3, 2015

If we were looking at another side putting in the performances we are at present we would be saying the players aren't giving 100% and trying to get the manager the sack. Just because they are our players doesn't mean we can't say it. It is worrying how it has gone so wrong so quickly, only a month or so ago we were winning in Wolfsburg and on a good league run, something has happened for it to go as badly wrong since. The question is can Martinez rally the troups?

Mikey_Fitzgerald · January 3, 2015

The worst thing is that guys who DO come in and give it their all, Oviedo and Garbutt to name two, they end up getting dropped for the next game anyway

It should be a meritocracy

You play well and put a shift in, you get to play. You fail to perform, you get dropped

TheHumbleEgg · January 3, 2015

So, all we have is rumour to go on really, and the results, naturally, choking as they are. Can it be possible that there's been an inner circle revolt? I want to say no because, simply, I just don't want to believe that. I CAN'T believe that...but...but...what ELSE is there to believe? Can essentially the same group of players & management go from the 'back then' to the 'now' with such ease? The answer is a resounding yes it seems. It happened with the RS, the continuing 'blip', but they lost a big player so, kinda, that's expected. But this? Us? Now? I'm hearing bits and these bits aren't good, as an EVERTONIAN I don't want to believe them, all the 'in-house' palaver. But I can't think of anything else TO believe at the moment. I've noticed a LOT of players are VERY quiet on TWITTER etc though. I've noticed that interviews are 'careful', body language is off and words seems chosen to appease and nothing more. And the big 'P!SS OFF' in this, frankly, is that - as fans - I reckon we deserve better than that, I reckon we deserve more...

I'd sooner he play the kids than a load of supposed grown-ups drenched & swimming in petulance.

At least they'd give SOMETHING rather than the NOTHING that's becoming the norm...

Despite this, I remain hopeful. Sort of.

I just wanna see some fight really.

blue61 · January 3, 2015

Mikey_Fitzgerald said:
The worst thing is that guys who DO come in and give it their all, Oviedo and Garbutt to name two, they end up getting dropped for the next game anyway

It should be a meritocracy

You play well and put a shift in, you get to play. You fail to perform, you get dropped

Is right. The only problem with that is we'd only be fielding a team of 3 or 4 players if we're only picking people who give 100% ish.

Prevenger17 · January 3, 2015

Adversus said:
Rubbish. If a player is on a contract with more than 2 years to run there's nothing the player can do. What's he supposed to do ride the bench. play badly?

Now that said it might make sense to sell one of our "top" players. At the moment we have an unbalanced squad. There's too many players in the DCM position and LB and not enough quality on the wings or at CB.

e.g. It might make sense to sell McCarthy and move Barkley and Baines permanently into midfield to partner Besic. It would free up a place at LB for Garbutt and Oviedo, give us more legs and forward passing ability and allow us to strengthen on the wings or even buy a proper No10.

Yeah, he could do either of those things. Holding on to a player that agitates for a move can be counter-productive. I don't think Coleman would be the kind of player to let it affect his performances long-term but it's definitely a roll of the dice. I'd prefer to hold on to McCarthy and sell Coleman. That being said, great right backs are few and far between. Ivanovic and Zabaleta spring to mind, but obviously impossible targets. I really like Clyne but, depressingly, we'd be a lateral-backwards step for him right now.

Brennan · January 3, 2015

Mikey_Fitzgerald said:
The worst thing is that guys who DO come in and give it their all, Oviedo and Garbutt to name two, they end up getting dropped for the next game anyway

It should be a meritocracy

You play well and put a shift in, you get to play. You fail to perform, you get dropped

If Coleman had a bad game and Hibbert came in and played the game of his life, would you keep him in for the derby and Coleman on the bench ?

I hope the answer is no.