Martinez focused on Pienaar's fitness

It speaks poorly of his analytical skills that he was unable to see we needed a proper AMC last Summer. Hopefully its something he will put right this Summer.

I’m always reminded how we let Beardsley go far too early; he was still delivering the goods for Newcastle (the days when they were title contenders) in the middle of the park. And he was still playing at 36 years old I think.

So, there is still life left in the old horses, if we can get them to reinvent themselves. Both Ossie and Pienaar are at 33 years old. So I think we can possibly get another two years from them if we utilize them well (impact players or otherwise). At least while we are looking to transition new blood.

Pienaar, much like Gibson and Hibbert, are never going to give you even half a season anymore, their bodies have suffered to many injuries to survive and sustain any duration of time playing. We had the same problem with James Vaughan.

You can be too sentimental and hold onto players for too long preventing yourself from moving on. Everton have always had this problem, we did it with Kevin Campbell, Duncan Ferguson and a few others. Get your scouts out there and search for quality players.

Players like Ossie, Pienaar, Gibson and Hibbo have been fine servants for the club but the biological clock is relentless and sooner or later you have to let go. It just so happens that these are precisely the players who get Roberto and vice versa. He can counts on them to play the football he wants the others to play.

Rather than try and coax another season or two out of old, battered bodies he needs to use this window to start replacing them. Remember Roberto, sin miedo.

Sadly over the last 18 months Pienaar has contributed nothing to the cause and with my head ruling my heart, I know that nothing is going to change between now and August. At Pienaar’s age it’s so difficult to be rehabilitated, like I said, even James Vaughan could never stay fit in his early 20’s, much younger than Steven Pienaar.

In the last few days Martinez has come out with two truly ridiculous statements regarding Kone and now Pienaar. I’m sorry but he must think the fans are fool’s.

What he should be making a priority is looking 24/7 for at least 4 players that can genuinely change the dynamic here.

After a truly horrible season I wanted to hear him say something like "We are truly disappointed with the way this season has gone, myself and the chairman will work together at searching for the best quality available and attempt to bring them to the club, we cannot allow our standards to drop and become a bottom half team."

Much like in 2004 when Moyes came out with the honest assessment of "There’s no way I will be going with that same group of players again, some of them won’t be here next season." A honest assessment of a dreadful season from Moyes in the summer of 2004.

Sadly Martinez has to put a positive spin or have some superlatives for every situation. Just now and again, a bit of straight talking would be welcome.

Harold has hit the nail on the head. I don’t expect Martinez to come out and say; ’Bill won’t give me enough money to buy top-notch players, so I have to patch up Pienaar, Gibson, Osman, Oviedo.’

Would be good if he got someone in on loan who could contribute straightaway, though.

It’s time to invest in young players (<25 years old):

Nathan Redmond, Sergi Roberto, Austin, Berinho, Caulker, Deulofeu, Januzaj, Berahino, Michy Batshuayi, Ayew (all potential players)

Get rid of the broken and old: Pienaar, Kone, Alcaraz, Gibson, Barry, etc

Also time for Howard to move to the bench & a younger keeper to come in (German in my opinion).

The squad has no competition for places. Lukaku, McCarthy, Mirallas, Jagielka, Stones, Coleman, Howard have no one good enough to compete with them.

The way things are shaping up and the probable low budget for transfers, I will be happy with a mid-table position next season. That is the fault of the board for a lack of investment in previous seasons and a manager who is too reliant on his senior players and sticks with them even when they are not fit or are out of form. I thought our previous manager was too enamoured with experience but Martinez is in a league of his own.

Is the medical and fitness department up to scratch?

On SP – the guy has been a great servant but will be 34 next year and will be in the last year of his contract. Adding his injury troubles on top, I’m a little worried that Martinez is placing such importance on getting him fit for next season (which will probably be his last).

Yes, a fit SP is useful but surely more focus needs to go on getting new faces in. The likes of Osman and Pienaar even IF fully fit are not going to be able to play 90 mins for 30+ games next season. We desperately need at least 2 new attack minded midfielders to come straight into the first team and not be back up for Osman or Pienaar.

Hope this is just PR to keep SP happy.

How many off those supporters who lobbed their season tickets on to the pitch will be renewing? It’s getting to the stage now where a lot of the old guard support are saying "Fuck it, let’s go to shopping with the wife Saturday morning and watch the game in the pub on a dodgy box." At least this way you can get pissed to numb the tedious pain.

The banners are right: Kenwright has had it. Twenty years without a bit of silverware is shocking. Paying to enter Goodison Park feels like you’re being mugged every week. The whole set up is a shocking scandal that ambles on year after year.

I can’t drag my kids there any more, Facebook and Xbox are more important. When we were kids, Everton was your life and the players were super heroes. Now it’s just a sick joke.

Del Boy would have been a great addition but it’s looking less likely all the time with Barça having a transfer ban, but there’s young talented players popping up everywhere at the minute so surely our well paid scouts can spot some.

Jack Grealish has recently come through at Villa; Courtinho was signed cheap from Inter Milan as he wasn’t wanted there; Chelsea have loads of talent out on loan whom I’m sure won’t be going into that team; and Man Utd are similar.

Even Tom Cleverly would be a decent addition and would probably play more games than Pienaar and Osman by himself, not to mention he’d probably out-score and assist them both if you look at their measly numbers over the past few seasons.

Mostly, though, Ross Barkley needs to improve and demand a more creative and influential roll within our team. Also our Under-18s are looking good... plus we have Henen and George Green to try to bring through who both have been talked about as massive prospects.

Basically, 'out with the old and in with the new' should be Roberto's philosophy.

Barking mad.

Osman, as everyone seems to know except RM, is only a 40-60 minute player......

I wish I had your faith, Terence. I know both have been terrific servants to the club and I agree that they add that spark of creativity. Pienaar admitted himself that he was ready to call it a day; he knows his body better than anyone else and I think he appreciates that the writing is on the wall.

If memory serves me correctly, Beardo was never injury prone like Pienaar and I agree we let him go far too early.

He looked good and said he felt great – hopefully it continues!!!

The main problem on Sunday was that Barry and Osman couldn’t cover the ground and close Spurs down or get tackles in. They are all past it but are being talked into another season or two to avoid having to sign someone.

Next season is already going to be poor, possibly a disaster. There will be a punt on two or three young players from the continent who we have never heard of to try and patch the side up and a loan player or two.

This club is only going backwards under the present board, as shown by the statement that the ground move is unaffordable. Kenwright has had 16 years, he should go now before he finishes EFC as a Premier League club for ever.

On the shopping front, what about Vardy? He is like greased lightening, and very industrious. We need more pace right through the side including up front, where the great, lumbering giant looks like he is carrying too much timber.

Even Latchford was lither when he left for Swansea. Perhaps Villa would do a swap for Benteke?

The likes of Pienaar and Osman play in a position were they are constantly hit by defenders a lot bigger and heavier; when young, their bodies can take some heavy tackling but, as you get older, the body starts to object and injuries start to occur frequently. Holding on to this type of player for your future is a waste of money as their injuries take longer to heal. They could be useful for sub or, at the best, 40-50 minute players.

Anyone who takes notice of my comments will have seen I have been writing that we get a young quality creative midfielder for the last three seasons, along with other supporters... but hey, what do we know?

Maybe we could get Arthur Daley for next manager – or do we already have him as chairman?

People treat every report as if it was some big, press conferenced announcement. It isn´t. It’s an extract from the much debated interview with fans.

He never said that he wouldn’t look a replacement, in fact the opposite, that a ’no10’ was his priority.

In regards to injured players, the others will have nornal training except Pienaar. For him the priority of pre-season is to get fit. Which is true, he has 1 year left, I hope that in this final year he has a good impact.

Where’s the debate? What did Martinez say wrong?

I would prefer a different manager, but there is more to a team than a manager, and every utterance doesn’t need to analysed like a witness in a murder trail.

Personally, I too hope Pienaar gets fit and gives us a good 20 games, because 20 games with a fit Pienaar are 20 games with a better chance of victory.

You were spot on with the fact Everton as a club has always had a penchant for hanging on to players too long. Pienaar was great but maybe sentimentality reigned when we bought him back post loan from Spurs.

Apparently Moyes would be interested at Sociedad. Maybe best for all parties.

I only say that because the player himself said he had thought about retiring... but I suppose the club in its current economic plight have to see if they can get a return on their money, no matter how small.

I took my 9-year-old lad to a few games this season. He started going when he was 4 years old. I asked him if he wanted to go to the Spurs game and he said No. He said he finds it boring!

Boring!!!! At 9 years old, if someone offered me a ticket for a game I’d have chewed their hand off! Unfortunately, I can understand his reaction. He’d prefer to play with his mates than watch a mind-numbing display from the Blues.

Pienaar has been one of my favourite Everton players, I really rate Gibson and Hibbo has been a great professional but what are they going to contribute next season?

No harm in having one or both on the bench, we’ve seen enough if Osman coming on and creating chances this season to still suggest he can offer something and Pinnear too on his fleeting appearances. We should perhaps see how they go and look to loan/buy a replacement in Jan if it looks like they wont see the season out

I think Martinez is right to think he might get 10 games out of Pienaar and Gibson next season but to hope or even plan on a full season from either is just plain daft.

Sadly we don’t have the funds to replace the older players in one window, money rules and we’re pretty skint.

We are skint because of the appalling financial management of Kenwright and his cronies. Clubs like Stoke, Southampton, Tottenham and West Ham are moving past us with smaller attendances.

Sad thing is, there’s no hope of things improving. Pienaar? What a joke. I’m surprised RM didn’t go one further and say he is still hopeful that Danny Williamson and Norman Whiteside can get match-fit.

I bought my 6-year-old a half season; it is a bit early to be taking someone so young to every home game but that was part of my worry – grab him before something else does.

How many fans have we lost in this Kenwright era? And now this clown of a manager is fuelling it with his boring style of football. My lad will watch the game, he will cheer and go mad as he did at the Man Utd game, but mostly he has seen defeats, I’m struggling to keep him interested, and he’s going to have no teeth left with the sweets I throw down him to keep him happy.

On Sunday, he fell asleep in the first half and in the second half just watched the Spurs fans as we sit close to the away section. It’s a sad state of affairs, the players, the board and that clown owe us.

I left early, I just wish everyone else did too, just a little 'up yours' to them may have at least given me hope we are not going to take this garbage, but sadly there are many who are just too accepting of mediocrity.

Either we are that broke that Hibbert is a serious option or else Martinez is just a moron.

I hear everyone of you. Kids are being bored senseless at the moment. Judging by the amount of season tickets being lashed onto the pitch on Sunday, so are their arl fellas.

Worrying times. The board need to somehow find the money for a signing/s that will capture the imagination, galvanise and inspire the troops and the manager somehow has to break his cycle of buying non-creative players and identify them.

Love Pienaar, but FFS...