Boss not expecting significant deals before the deadline

I don’t know whether to laugh, cry or start padding the walls of my cell. These alarm bells keep going off in my head ......

Will Martinez be here come February? Probably not.

So, er, can you explain the first 22 games of this season?

Where is the Stallone monies?

We currently have 1 goalkeeper available who can grow facial hair, 1 centre back who is comfortable on the ball, 2/3 natural wide midfielders and 2 centre forwards with another on the way out. Now can you imagine how low we would be in the table if just 3 of those were injured or suspended and we had to replace them with a so called strong squad member? Well, there is no need to imagine you can look at the table and see.

If the chequebook is closed we are in big, big trouble.

Although to be honest I didn’t really expect us to sign any one, doubt there is any money to spend as usual.

Realistically, there is only one player who is likely to return any time soon that would have any bearing on our results and that is James McCarthy... and even he won’t solve our inability to break teams down.

Pienaar’s inability to stay fit suggests he is done as a regular force, likewise Gibson; Osman is possibly facing surgery and/or retirement; and Distin is no longer first-choice material.

We badly need an injection of something, be it pace, guile, ingenuity, imagination, but Martinez’s rhetoric is frustratingly "Moyesean" when it comes to transfers which suggests that no money is being made available.

Plus ça change...

He always seems to predicate his strategy on "the last 10 games of the season"... in which case, I hope it’s a good one.

God help us.

BK doesnt wanna spend money and any player worth his salt wouldn’t commit long term to this chaos, but for a chance at more playing time for six months....maybe we could bring in 2-3 players to change up the scene. Everton is still Everton.

With the old, injured and soon to be departed mercenary all unavailable, our squad depth is thin soup. Roberto needs to take tips from Pocchetino and just pretend he can’t "speaka the ENG". Really, just shut up for once.

After last nights debacle anyone would do at this stage

If we get beat or fail to win in either of the next two games, blame the git in the front seat of the Main Stand. By then, the window’s closed, and we will be further down the slippery slope. However, Billy Bullshitter will still come out and say "don’t panic".

We are fucked with Martinez, we are going down without new blood. I am so depressed with this manager, LFC will probably win to make it worse.

If me and my two dogs were signed up tomorrow that would "make us really strong again in numbers", doesn’t mean we would help us win games though.

Hard to remember it being this bad, even under Walter, might be false expectations after highs of last year....

Mike Phelan has just left Norwich because he didn’t get the managers job there. Him and Kenwright must know each other. I’m grasping at straws here. The name "bob" hasn’t been this comical since Blackadder.

Atsu should have been sent back to Chelsea, what’s he done for us? He must bring the chocolate digestives for the coach journeys because he’s offered nothing on the field for us.

And even if we do get everyone back, players will keep getting injured, 19 hamstring injuries in 19 months!

You’ll keep playing players out of position, to accommodate the favoured ones! And then you’ll continue with your ridiculous tactics and diabolical substitutions!

After last night’s debacle opened my e-mail - Auto Cup Scheme Confirmation e-mail taking the proverbial now!

Like others I can’t see BK giving him any money because he knows RM is on borrowed time and he’s figuring it out how much it’s going to cost him to get shut.

Makes me think that our current crop don’t want to play for us. It explains a lot!

I don’t want to hear "Atsu could be big for us" because the lad looks a million miles off the pace.

Every interview is more embarrassing than the last.he is making me cringe.

However, booing a team is one thing but the hugely audible groans every time Ross didn’t set the world alight can only serve to further harm his confidence and undermine the free-spirited nature in which he plays his best football. I fear that not only will we flirt with relegation but we will end up losing a player of Ross’s potential.

By all means boo the team off to show how you feel but don’t single Ross out cos he isn’t living up to your expectations. Remember how good he can be and remember he’s 21 years old. Remember also that he is one of us.

I’m not arsed if we lose a egomaniac like Mirallas. If we lose Barkley cos we drive him out, it will be criminal.

I just can’t be arsed anymore, I have no love for this Everton team, the manager talks in riddles, the team is abject, full of old journeymen with no fight, never looks like winning a trophy and the only difference this season is they don’t even look like winning any games..

I really can’t be arsed with it anymore, will we go down?
We could do yes, do we deserve to go down? If this form continues then yes.

Worst season in recent memory, even eclipsing anything under Moyes which is saying something.

Where is Bilic these days?

Sure, on paper we have a strong squad of players compared to those around us in the table but we have no confidence, no plan, and no leader (off or on the pitch). They haven’t played like a team since the Arsenal game at the beginning of the season. This also coincided when the season began to officially unravel.

I guess we hope for divine intervention for things to turn now. Better dust off the rosaries

But I guess not unexpected, I have no idea how this season will play out but I do expect a rip roaring derby.

If we fuck that game up me and Mrs A will drive to Goodison with my 2 blue neighbours and carry the bastard out ourselves.

He has to go at the end of the season, last night was like nothing i’ve seen at Goodison in 33 years.

What a fucking mess.

Hopefully BK and his odd yes men are working on an exit strategy.

Never thought i’d say that, i’ve always backed our Managers. I even asked Lizzie to marry me in the pub after the Tranmere game in 2000 when we were a complete shambles under Walter.

She said yes and.......erm the rest is history.

As I hope RM will be in April, BK wont do it before then

Get on with it and let’s move on

Thanks, Bill .

Both have shown they love the badge and given good service.

Save all your frustration for the deluded pontiff that thinks Atsu will save our season.

Eto is out of the door, Atsu has had one foot out of the door since he came, Garbutt has an exit strategy (It’s called going on a free and getting a sign on fee) Mirallas has declared his intention, Howard is fucked (whichever way you look at it) and Capt Mainwaring thinks all is well at GP and we don’t need reinforcements.

FFS Kenwright step in and buy us a top class midfield general like Peter Reid and put Martinez on gardening leave. Trust me he wont know the difference but we will.

We’re all gutted at the moment at the dross we have been putting up with. I expect better from Ross but there are lots of players hiding in plain sight and it’s fuckin appalling. The thing is they don’t all get groaned at like Ross does cos we collectively hope he can be our saviour. The one man in our squad capable of igniting the team, sadly, is Ossie. Dark days ahead and I just hope the baby (Ross) doesn’t go with the dishwater (RM).

A further concern is what are the players doing wrong. I know what your thinking "thick idiot", but the passing game is the manager style. Keeping the ball and procession stats show we are on top in most games. How does the manager give the players a rocket up the arse when they are following his game plan.

The passing style we have has killed set plays. The corners and set plays are awful and unless the manager puts this right goals won’t come. When the players are sunning themselves. I hope they remember the torment we the fans are in.

The manager will not be sacked, the style will not change, no new players. Start praying!

Is it wrong to think this is actually a desperate situation in footballing terms ? What I don’t get is this.....regardless of your view of Bill Kenwright.....and here it’s mostly hugely negative.....he really does seem at his best when focusing purely on the football. I’m not talking about the dire state of our finances. I’m talking about football, the team, form, players.....the guy watches a lot of football, mostly us. He just MUST and I mean MUST see how desperate things are ? He can’t ignore it....his beloved blues are so close to totally losing it......we are in free fall, the manager is so clearly struggling and it’s simply crazy to think the "spirit" is ok.....even Baines today talks openly about trying to repair that spirit. There are serious issues within the squad and we lack depth.....today the mgr talks as if getting injured players back means (a) they will rescue the season and (b) that absolutely nobody else will get injured or suspended.

What the hell is going on at our club ? How did we slip so badly ? Isn’t anyone at the club screaming "either get shut of the mgr now or back him massively in the transfer market whatever it takes and do it now"? To do neither is to condemn this great club to the humiliation of relegation and I genuinely believe it’s that stark a choice. Really, it is. Because relegation will finish us for a decade or more and even borrowing £25m now however unpalatable is less so than relegation.

I can’t believe its reached this pathetic state and frankly you can blame loss of form, injuries and some sad spiritless performances but how anyone could argue that this mess isn’t down to numerous mistakes by the mgr is beyond me. He’s lost it, and no matter how much I like the guy, love his values and his community focus, he’s made so many errors it’s not true and we have been going downhill since the last couple of months of last season let alone this.

Really scared this it Everton. I’d be so happy to be wrong and it wouldn’t bother me a bit to look stupid but the entire footballing side of the club is unravelling before our eyes. Bill, step up now or your inactivity will kill us off, really, that’s how I think many feel.

That’s it. We’re saved. Yippee!!!

This one’s on Bill. Roberto is the messenger. There’s no money coming for any reinforcements / signings. That’s not Roberto’s fault.

But the "Atsu will really fucking help us" line is just absurd.

I’m despondent. In my 8 years of support I’ve been blessed, unlike many of you, to have not seen us near the drop.

We’re officially in a relegation battle. And I’m now officially fucking scared to death.

On that note if we are dropped (God forbid knock on wood), what’s an American to do? How the fuck will I even be able to see games FFS? It’ll completely ruin just the personal side of the beauty of waking on a Saturday morning, flipping on NBCSN, and watching the Blues. I’ll be reduced to watching on dodgy internet streams in shit quality and praying we get back to the top flight. I realize a fucking ton of you do that already and the mere thought of it has me in knots. Kudos to anyone, anywhere out there doing that now. I just realized how spoiled I am...

This just sucks. We’re in a heap of shit with no shovel.

I despair, I really do.

She yells, "WHAT’S HAPPENING!" completely out of her wits and scared to death?

Yea, it’s kinda like that.

What has annoyed me with Ross is his lack of fight. He doesn’t tackle, he doesn’t jump for headers and the lad is a coward. At least twice last night and many other times this season have I seen Ross shit out of tackles. I and many others will never accept that. If he did it at amateur level then i’d hate to see the treatment he would receive.

I agree that when a player has a bad game we should get behind him, but when a player acts as he did last night he deserves all he gets IMO!

I’m 62 in a month and have never seen my beloved Everton playing anywhere but in the top flight. As I said on another thread, it is almost surreal to think that next season, Everton could be playing in the Championship while Bournemouth could be gracing the Premier League.

Thanks a lot, Roberto, for totally destroying what should have been a great season for all followers of our great club. Please, Bill Kenwright, get rid of this joker now, while there’s still time for someone, anyone, to salvage something from the train wreck our season has become.

If the problem was the leg break, then why not contest headers? Is he afraid? I played football for years at amateur level and you do come across players afraid of heading the ball, but to be afraid of tackling as well? I don’t get it.

He has talent, but he doesn’t have a damn clue what to do with it at the moment - all this rolling his foot over the ball, passing sideways - he has no end product with the ball and offers nothing without it. I’d drop him immediately.

I also just watched the Martinez interview online - what a pile of shit. Still talking about needing to get our confidence back - yeah right, he’s been saying that for fucking weeks now. Idiot.

Interesting from Nev, although I’m not convinced it is actually him like.

I will save $109 a Month next season because I will cancel my sat TV.

Each morning I wake up hoping to find on TW that Billy liar has told Bobby bullshit to pack his bags.

Peter Ried would know how to save our season. Big Jo even. We heard the same bullshit from Martinez about the 2nd half of the season last season and it just pitted out.

Anyway I live in hope that it’s all just a dream and I will wake up and it’s September.

Since then, we’ve taken two-points from nine in the League, scoring only one goal. We’ve also been knocked out of the Cup.

I know you like us to be positive types, Bobby, but the build up to this (already begun) second half has been a bit worrying. I mean, our point average of one per game appears relegation form, Bobby. And the table, as they say, does not lie. We also have the worst form in the league over the last six-games. The goals against seems a relegation-ish too - third worst in the league.

I remember in early December when you kicked the ball into the long grass with some of your especially hypnotising BS (that thankfully now only works on a tiny minority). You said we were ’building to that second magical half of the season’. Well, is this it? I’m a little underwhelmed, Bobby. And was the big plan for this ’magical half’ the return of Atsu? I don’t mean to be negative, but I remember your last great plan, Bobby...you know, the one about ’maximising the points over the Christmas period’. How did that one end? Oh yes, we lost all four games, conceding eight while only scoring three, and all against mid-table teams that we have been consistently beating for years.

In short, Bobby, are you having a complete laugh?

The reality is that we’re in trouble. I’m not someone who is foolish enough to say ’our team are too good for relegation’. People said the same of Newcastle and Leeds. Instead, I know that the demands placed on a team in a relegation fight differ to those challenging near the top. I love our players, but many of them don’t know what it is to scrap in relegation 6-pointers. In the scenario I imagined above at game 28, could our players get 12-points in the last ten games? They haven’t done so thus far this season, and in a relegation scrap, I’m not sure they could.

Let’s not put them in that situation. Act now, BK.

Martinez has to go before Palace, otherwise we are in deep trouble, because MARK MY WORDS AND MARK THEM WELL, by the time we get to game 28 with Martinez still in charge, we’ll have only that number or less in points.

Hopefully, BK is well on with contingency planning. If we sack him now then we have ten-days to sort the replacement (De Jong, Garde, Royle?), ten days to reorganise, ten-days of a transfer window for the new manager, one cup to help attract a manager, and most importantly, sixteen games to get eighteen points.

Sacking Martinez is hard. It goes against our culture of giving our man time. But he had his chance. He did it his way, playing an unapologetic style of football that, whilst amazing in season one, he couldn’t make work in season two. Those who could see his managerial problems have been screaming at him to change, but he ignored it. The players tried to change him, but he ignored it. Like I said, he did it his way. All that now remains of his reign is a gigantic gamble with our Clubs proud top-flight record, and the roulette wheel isn’t coming up blue.

The truth is that Everton are much bigger than Martinez, and as Southampton have shown this season, there is life beyond the old ’genius’ manager, no matter what the naysayers say.

Let him go and lets move forward again. COYB!!!

Continuity?

Continuity?

Continuing what exactly? Last season was a long time ago, getting back to form is not continuity, it would take a turnaround of ’Inverse Jelavic’ proportions.

What a phenomenal moment this guy is in.

The problem is that the players, eventually, begin to see through the bs and realise that the emperor, no matter how pleasant a man he might be, is actually stood there stark bollock naked, as the former Danish international Hans Christian Andersen put it in one of his fairy tales. Of which BK is probably the world’s greatest fan.

We might be truly fooked if we have to rely on any of the above.

Apologies to my mother (raving Catholic and her birthday today) and to anyone who feels I have offended their prophet.

If, and that’s a BIG IF, we do get rid of Martinez, who would like to manage us in this present state? I would love it really love it if we can somehow get Rafa Benitez or even Mr Tinkerman Ranieri.

I’m not bothered if we don’t play the continental style football because that’s not got us any success this season, but I don’t mind playing boring boring Arsenal style under George Graham. We need to act fast before it’s fast to the Championship.

He’s now going to stand by his man.

One also has to question how fool hardy was it after 1 season to give him a bumper contract extension.

I mean are Arsenal fans chanting for Martinez over Wenger now?

It is not often a thread doesn’t create a debate but this is a one way ticket and if TW is a fair representation of fans as a whole then BK would be a complete fool to ignore a fan base so committed to RM’s removal.

Or have I got that last statement wrong?

’Word on the street’(that catch-all phrase for describing any rumour with or without substance) has it that defeat at Palace’ will do’ for Bobby as his biggest supporter finally shits his pants at having to face Green & Co.

Okay, he might sanction Hal Absie on a loan but they don’t really count and a surprise win at Pardew Palace may buy ’our man’ a reprieve. But only if real money is spent will we know that Chairman Bill has finally put his and Everton’s head in the gas oven.

Follow the money, dear brethren. Always follow the money.

I think this could turn out to be a blessing in disguise because who in their right mind would give this fraudster a penny? He’d probably go and buy three Wigan players.

As for the Atsu statement... words fail me!

I actually thought we’d turned a corner after two much improved performances, against City and West Ham (okay we lost that one) but the signs of commitment were there.

Up steps the mighty West Brom. and all the good work has reverted to type.I think a foray into the market is a ’must’ but it seems the board are happy for us to continue with this, by saying there is no money available.

Looks like Mirallas could be on his way now after Monday’s debacle penalty incident. He was, what I thought the one ray of light we had, but there again, the Football Gods have dictated otherwise.

This was from SSN 29/08/13 1:23pm

Can you believe he said that and now this? Wtf is he on???

So we’ve basically got the same squad as we had September 2013, minus Delofeu and likely to be minus two or three due to LT injuries.

So how the hell are we any stronger? FFS

Evertonians are told we should not criticise these amazing, but fragile talents, or they might leave us. How sad! How would we cope?

Time to bail out of this unreal world. I have supported Everton for about 55 years. I am a season ticket holder, but my grip is slipping. This could be the last time, as the Rolling Stones once said, but not about the beloved Blues...

In all seriousness, whatever you want to blame the manager for (and there is plenty), he can’t be held accountable for the annual empty January transfer window pot.

Yes he was there in his usual seat

The only thing missing is "I can’t manage a football team".

Phenomenal.

Cracker! Nice one!

But then again, given the fare offered in midfield this season ...

Ian (110), we didn’t spend £28 in August, we spent around £12m on Lukaku and Besic, so there should be money available now; you know and I know that most probably there won’t be.

He’s magic with money, Kenwright. That should have read £28m not £28 or maybe that’s the way Kenwright performs with money!!!!

Looking at the disaster this season appears to be heading, I took a look in Wilkipedia to check on his past career. The first thing I read was when he was given permission to speak to Everton was a quote from D Whelan, Wigan’s chairman, that IMO shows the man’s character. Whelan stated that Martinez stated that he did not feel that he was the man to lead them out of the Championship back to the Premier League. So, after being responsible for getting them relegated he was not willing to stand by them in the fight to get back to the Premier League? (Talk about a rat leaving a sinking ship!)

After David Moyes handed his notice in, we were told by Bill Kenwright that he would be doing his normal 24/7 to find a new manager for Everton but, after saying he had spoken to football people all over the UK and Europe (I think most of them were programme sellers) he picked Martinez for the interview on the 28 May.

Without going through Martinez’s past career that is available to any one on Wilkipedia, IMO, apart from a couple of the coaches at Everton being interviewed, Martinez was given the manager’s position before the end of the season and not long after David Moyes let it be known he was leaving.

Hindsight is an "I told you so" excuse but ask yourself – after reading Martinez’s career on Wilkipedia. would you have hired Martinez for Everton – especially after his only time in the Premier League?

As I said on another spread, I hope he disappears up a camel’s arse whilst out in Qatar.

"It is not often a thread doesn’t create a debate but this is a one way ticket and if TW is a fair representation of fans as a whole then BK would be a complete fool to ignore a fan base so committed to RM’s removal.

Or have I got that last statement wrong?"

It would appear that you did (surprisingly) get it wrong. Two fan polls on GOT and NSNO show that 70% of the voters do not want Martinez sacked. I have to say those results have really surprised me!

It also strikes of something similar - 70% possession with nothing to show but tears. I hope this is only a coincidence and nothing sinister in play here!

At 4m he is comfortably Martinez’ best signing in my eyes with only McCarthy admittedly for competition.

Totally agree with you there mate, but why, when Besic has been one of the few (or even the only one) playing with what Evertonians want to see, Passion, is he always substituted?

£4M! .... 7 times that and we could buy, well, a Lukaku.

If true then obviously BK’s not going to give him any cash to spend this window...so, new face in the dug out for the derby then!

The young ones must learn when to do certain things and when not to but I love them exuding that belief that they can do them. A few more like Stones and Besic around and we’ll be alright.

And as for Monday. Propaganda Goebbels would be proud of. Couldn’t believe the rubbish he was spouting. Even Neville and Carragher could see through the bullshit.

And if he seriously thinks that Atsu, who can’t even get on our bench can save our season, them he is absolutely deluded. I really think relegation is a genuine possibility.

Sarcasm is alive and well on ToffeeWeb.

Atsu is going to make a difference? Must be a different player to the one I’ve seen embarassing himself, when he’s not unfit.

Where’s Lacina Traore when you need him...

In regards to no funds if we sack Martinez: fine, we have the players here who can dig us out of this mess, if allowed to play direct football, instead of tippy tappy football.

Quite a few have commented on McGeady giving the ball away; most have happened in our own half of the field with trying to outpass our opponents. Unless we act now, I really do not see Roberto changing the style of play, and that’s very, very worrying.

The clubs below us will be rolling the dice on managers and transfers. It will be suicidal of us not to do either.

If we end the transfer window with no signings yet RM is still in place, then you can blame Bill as well as Martinez if we get relegated. In my eyes, if we lose to Palace, he has to go.

Teams that don’t score are in big trouble, especially when stuck at the bottom. Look what Ings has done for Burnley, even QPR have Austin. Does anyone see Rom doing it for us in the run in?

Now, if Colin and Brian will just get with the programme that many of us have advocated for a long time, we might just have a united front; Martinez out! NOW!!!!

"I have my eyes on young players from the Netherlands. Not now, but for next season."

How the fuck did we miss out on a Manager like Koeman!? And how the hell is he at Southampton??

Depressed.

1. A Goalkeeper
2. A Centre Half with positional awareness
3. A Manager who knows what he’s doing
4. A Sniper.

To SSN’s dismay this could be the quietest transfer window in recent memory.

I’m just glad that the rest of us can see the days of buying a Wigan player, playing players out of position, enforcing inappropriate strategies, poorly organising the back room, blowing our closed season with ESPN in Brasil, paying over the odds for players, throwing long term contracts to around like confetti, spending ’not much time’ planning defence and, finally, describing poor performances as ’phenomenal’, are all soon to be gone.

The old cartel of directors who served this club well and ran it with an iron fist from the 50s to the 70s will be turning in their graves at the shambles the our club has been allowed to become. Tours of the city should point out "This is where Everton FC used to be".

The only people who care are the fans... players, manager, board – they don’t give a flying fuck. If we go down, at least I can get back to some kind of sanity. I spend way too much time wasted on blue forums. Sad really... oh the joys of being born a blue.

1. Slaven Bilic?
2. Frank de Boer?
3. Gordon Strachan....?

I really hope the lack of funds being supplied is a signal.

We'll still be in the Premier League, but I agree, it's not going to be pretty!

"Ladies & Gents, the Captain has requested that you return of your seats & fasten your belts as we continue our descent..."

Keep the faith people, I'd be surprised if anyone in the Club doesn't really care. COYB, an unexpected win in the derby would be very welcome start (Palace aside).

Should keep the score down to something less embarrassing..