Everton survive penalty drama to beat Norwich

Dorrans chips Robles [0 - 1]
Deulofeu scores [1 - 1]
Whittaker scores [1 - 2]
Barkley scores [2 - 2]
Hoolahan, saved by Robles [2 - 2]
Lukaku scores [3 - 2]
Grabben smashed in [3 - 3]
Gibson scores [4 - 3]
Redmond misses [4 - 3]

EVERTON WIN!!!!

Come on Everton let’s start playing. I want to see attacking football not this. Glad we got through with some of the big guns knocked out, but much room for improvement. Going to penalties is a lottery.

If the starting eleven was selected to ’’rest’’ some players for the Prem. game coming up, then why start Lukaku? Kone and Delboy up front probably would have won the game early.

One could see that Osman and Gibson were struggling to contain the Norwich midfielders who were clearly showing more tenacity.

Although they have progressed Everton once again struggled and one has to question the validity of this competition for all the Premier League teams involved. These games have become an excuse for teams to rest players and use second stringers until of course they reach the later rounds when the second stringers are discarded as then the games become serious.

Robles is in his prime, while Howard is on his way out for good.

The performance from the team today was really poor, it seems we are going backwards with each passing game.

We need to play our best 11 from now on if we want to win this.

COYBS!

Robles, for me has to stay in the team. I hope Martinez has the balls to let him have a run, he deserved it last time and he deserves it now.

As for the manager, nothing wrong with making lots of changes. Some of them were forced, some of them were wished by many on here. Brave decision moving Gibson to a back three which paid off. I'm still not convinced he's getting things across to the players, which is the factor that may cause his downfall.

So, from here, I'd keep Robles in goal, in the hope that he might save us some money, I'd find someone for midfield who can open teams up and score goals. We have to face the fact that Barkley isn't going to do it. I'd pray that Gibson stays fit. I'd make Funes Mori first choice centre back. I'd get someone to partner Lukaku.

And we're through! We're capable of beating and losing to everyone else left in.

How Martinez can justify this shambles, if he can, will be beyond anyone who watched, pass after pass going wrong, possession lost time and again,total lack of awareness or communication, the one redeeming factor was ’MAN OF THE MATCH’ ROBLES who got us to the shootout and the next round, very well played Canaries

Given that we are probably going to be safe from relegation I would rather play our best team in every cup game and if needs be rest players for the odd league game if they need it.

Just don't understand the mentality.

By all accounts it would appear I've been having more fun!

In the hat though (and a lower quality one at that), so that's all that matters. Two more wins for a trip to Wembley!

I was just going to say it sounded like we were really poor today but the fact we got through encourages me. We are 2 games away from the final and with Arsenal & Chelsea going out we have a great chance and now need to play our strongest team.

I have seen too many games over the years where we have been the better team and somehow lost. I just hope we can now push on and win a trophy and a trophy we have never won.

Sunday against Sunderland is key for me. If we can go and win that well I am sure the team will go from strength to strength this season.

Pleased to be through to the next round but this could be a smoke screen unless things change. A win on Sunday is a must no matter how badly we play. Points is needed or we could be pulled into the smelly stuff! Our style of play is open, slow, and hopeful! Take a 1-0 now!

Robles must keep his place.

I am hoping we find our form again as we really do have a chance. I don't want to paper over cracks but we really need to start playing our strongest 11 in this competition as it will give us a trophy and put us back in Europe.

Will we finish in the top 4? In my view not a chance....we are better placed now than I thought we would be and have a great chance to put a great run together but I don't think it will happen.

3 good games and then we are in the final!!!

I'll make an exception tonight as I know that no amount of passing time is going to make me change my opinion re tonight's performance.

Amateur, clueless, out-fought, out-thought and out-worked.

We looked (for 90% of that game) like a div 1 side playing a top team (away!).

Second to every ball, shocking control, balls insanely banged upfield to absolutely no one, it was (imo) a fucking embarrassing disgrace.

(remember this was Norwich at home, not Bayern away)

For me, only the keeper came out of tonight with any credit (and I'm guessing he'll be dropped on Sunday for Dracula).

Robles also, of course, played very well and so did Lukaku I thought.

Let's see what happens against Sunderland but there was some proper team spirit on display by the end and that is also encouraging.

Martinez has to take the blame for disrespecting the only real chance we have of winning something. I have also heard that he has already said Tim will be back for Sunderland... sums him up really.

I've got no problem with eight changes to the starting eleven but there wasn't even a hint of any tactics or gameplan. This is by far the best squad of players we have had for a long time which is crying out for a leader to take us forward.

Bit of a shambles tonight. Cup games can be like that. It must have been tough for Osman, Oviedo and Gibson but they managed to survive and will improve.

Robles, Oviedo, Gibson, Funes Mori, McCarthy and Deulofeu all played well while others looked half asleep.

How we'll fare against Sunderland is anyone's guess. Jags will always be missed and Stones and Barkley need to pull their socks up and start showing a bit of urgency and responsibility. The slow fancy stuff should be left on the training ground.

Mr Martinez was very lucky tonight. He managed to rest three or four players and got away with it. Let's hope his luck continues.

Osman looked like he was begging to come off for Naismith, who did little, the Spanish kid must play from the off.

Terrible, terrible performance, we keep saying Martinez has got to change it but he will not listen, there will be a poison atmosphere at Goodison on Sunday if Howard plays.

If true that Martinez has already stated that Howard will be the keeper on Sunday that is a disgrace in my opinion.

Overall pleased to go through and even more so now that Chelski and the arse are out. Bring on Sheff Wed at home......

Seems the only way to affect a change is for the crowd to turn and voice their fury.

Robles and Funes Mori were our best players tonight in a performance which demonstrated why Barry starts every Premier League game. He provides the direction to our play which was totally incoherent tonight. Gibson looked more comfortable at centre back than he did in midfield. He is nowhere near fit enough to cut it in the Premier League. Browning struggled again at right back but I thought Oviedo had a decent game. By his own standards Stones was disappointing again. Mirallas looked like a player who has hardly played this season and Ossie looked totally spent by the hour mark. At least he scored the equaliser but otherwise he was largely a passenger as Norwich gave our midfield a good chasing.

As always in the cup in the end all that matters is that we are through to the next round. Our other consolation is that performances can only improve after this showing which plumbed new depths of incompetence in terms of organisation and team play.

Barkley and Deulofeu should have started so Martinez doesn't get any credit for bringing them on. Joel was excellent, but as I was saying yesterday, no matter how well he played, he was always going to be dropped for Sunday, which Martinez has confirmed in his press conference.

He said that there is 'no doubt' that Howard will start. An absolutely shocking decision and an awful piece of man management. He's on a high and he knocks him down like that. What does he have to do? Howard is in dreadful form yet doesn't even get dropped? Unbelievable.

I'm trying to cut Martinez some slack and give him another chance after last season but after this, his competency must be questioned. What's even more worrying for me is that he's totally convinced that he's made the right call.

Would any manager continue to strongly defend and play a player who is in such poor form as Howard is right now? No. He isn't ruthless enough and is too sentimental. He's almost reached Moyes level of sticking so loyally to his favorites, regardless of form or performance, both appalling in Tim's case.

I was feeling very good after the game thinking how close we potentially are to winning silverware then I read that quote. Needless to say that if we lose on Sunday and Howard makes another blunder, he will lose a lot of support and stock amongst the fans.

Disgraceful decision. What message does that send out to Joel? Well I tell you what I'd say to him, 'Get out while you can because this manager will never give you an opportunity'. I really feel for him.

Positives were Robles and Mori. Mori won everything in the air. Oviedo was decent too. But we seriously need an improved performance against Sunderland.

The problems are, of course, obvious and continuing but let's not forget that we did win a cup tie.

The body language was not that of a content d team.The first time I could honestly feel that all's not well behind the scenes. Maybe the first time that the crowd turned against RM.

But we’re through to the next round and a lot of in form teams out. Once upon a time I might have felt that a home draw in the next round would be an advantage, but now I’m not so sure.

Goodison is now our bogey ground. We win infrequently there. Watching the first half you could see why we consistently concede the first goal or two in most games, home and away, lifeless, listless, disorganised. I think we’ve only scored first against Chelsea and Southampton in all games this season.

A poor feeling on a night when I should be feeling elated and I’m clearly not alone.

Very frustrating.

We had a free kick about 40 yards out and Mirallas was stood on his own on the left wing for about 30 seconds. Instead of just pinging the ball to him, it took 5 fucking passes for the ball to get to him. 30 seconds too late as a Norwich player was already on top of him. Repeat, repeat, repeat all game. Slow, boring shite.

Can't believe how quiet Goodison was though. About 200 Norwich fans were all you could hear first half.

At present, this Everton team are scraping by with maybe 5 or 6 players turning up... and 5 or 6 not turning up. That's unacceptable. Time that the management got the squad playing. And that includes our big-time players: Stones, Barkley, Lukaku, Coleman, Mirallas. Especially those players.

Note I have not mentioned Howard... my comments would most likely go over his head.

Well we won today, so I can now knuckle down to some work. Rants over. Good night.

Apart from Bournemouth, and possibly Villa, I can’t think of a better team to play. Newcastle dominated even with 10 men, and hopefully we can get a home win and start looking up the table again. I’d like to see Robles given a start in goal, and Deulofeu must play.

Your post tonight alarms me. It must have been shite. Really , really shite.

After a shocking hour, he then makes 2 subs, and brings off an 18 year old right back (Browning), who had done nothing wrong and was looking like he was full of energy. The other one to go off was Koné. The crowd certainly didn’t agree with that decision and let him know - rightly so. Whether you like him or not, he always runs around, and is a striker after all. This left us 1-0 down at home, with 1 out of sorts striker on the pitch (Lukaku).

I don’t know if anyone else picked up on it, but it looked like Osman started trotting over expecting to be hooked when he brought off Kone. It was a bizarre one anyway, and left us chasing the game and with the prospect of extra time with the 4 players I mentioned earlier who did well to finish 90 minutes, never mind 120.

Those 120 minutes might stand us in good stead later in the season, because a lot of squad men have ended up getting game time. But, we very nearly came unstuck tonight. Can you imagine how we would feel knowing that Chelsea and Arsenal had been knocked out, if we had blown it tonight?

I’m more than a bit concerned with the strategy tonight. Yet again, we started a game slowly. The emphasis on ball retention never sees us race out of the blocks. We only came to life, yet again, once we were behind. We ended the game after 120 minutes with players who could barely stand up, with Gibson at centre half etc. At times we left ourselves 3 on 3 in defence, or 4 against 4. We were all over the place. And that was all down to the manager. The crowd didn’t single out the players. This was purely down to picking too many rusty players in the same team, which meant we were completely overrun.

We got out of jail tonight.

On a positive, Funes Mori and Robles played well. Oviedo and McCarthy ran their hearts out. There was a general lack of quality throughout, worryingly though.

Or, a team top heavy with big egos, playing the same way week after week and expecting it to come right, with a manager who, despite a progressive reputation is actually quite set in his ways..... well, it doesn’t bear thinking about.

I'm a big believer that the best teams ALWAYS react well to a bad result, or a bad performance. All teams lose. Top teams rarely, if ever, lose twice in a row. We've lost twice in a row in the league, admittedly to two very good teams, but played very poorly in both games. Fair enough, we're not a top team, so it's very possible we will lose two on the bounce. But to not be able to react tonight with a good performance and / or a good result (we only drew, after all) is disturbing.

We must see a reaction on Sunday. Not because our season would be over if we didn't (that would be premature). No, we must see a reaction to show ourselves and the others in the league that we are a good team. If we can't react properly then the quality and attitude of the players and coaching staff has to come under serious scrutiny.

Martinez should be preparing the team and setting them up to go at teams like Norwich from the off.

In the first half, we didn't trouble their keeper once and they had 10 corners.

And who are they.... Fucking Norwich who just got slammed by a very poor Newcastle team 6-2 and have lost the last 4 games.

We will soon be saying who the fuck are we.

I am quickly reaching the stage I was at after last Xmas with this manager in charge.

BTW, were the crowd booing Kone off or booing the decision to take him off?

Football players need organisation and leadership of which we have none under this manager. How many times have the players bailed him out from his pathetic tactics, slow football, lack of cohesion, unbalanced teams and dreadful team selection.

The players at one point will think bollocks to this lack of organisation, lack of leadership and motivation and will eventually just stop playing for him because they don’t know what direction RM is going in.

It seems after a run of bad results, the next game we are totally inept at putting in a solid gritty performance which says a lot about the manager and the players but it's the manager who is responsible for motivating them.

Now on to the Norwich game which was utter shite. Again we fall behind from a set piece, again we don’t start playing until we have conceded; in the first 20 minutes, Norwich were all over us. The only saving grace is Arsenal and Chelsea are out so let's hope we get a good draw.

Also, we are kind of stuck in the middle, I believe we have a manager and his second rate amateur staff (apart from Dunc) who clearly aren’t good enough to manage Everton, but what happens if we won the Carling Cup!!!!

Give him until the end of the season and then he just has to go in any event.

Positives? Yes, Funes Mori showed what a class act he is and is a real find for us. Robles proved he should be first choice goalkeeper with a commanding performance in goal. Osman tired quickly but proved he still has something to offer but not over a full 90 minutes. The rest were appalling and looked as though the manager hadn’t given them a single instruction before leaving the dressing room, either before the game or at half-time.

A good manager plays his best team with the intent to win games and Martinez’s continued support of Howard could prove to be his ultimate downfall as he is obviously unable to react to the changing dynamic in that area of the team. If the crowd turn on Howard, as I feel they will at the first hint of a mistake, that will soon spread to the outfield players who already look leaderless and demoralised.

Even Man City had the guts to drop Hart a while ago when his form was suffering; Martinez should do the same and show he’s the boss and not carry on with his insane support of a goalkeeper who everyone can see is becoming a liability. How many more goals does he have to lose us before either Martinez does the right thing or gets the sack?

And yes, I also wouldn’t blame Robles for handing in a transfer request. If he can’t unseat a crap keeper like Howard, he has no chance of a future with Everton. Like the manager says, "Don’t have any long-term ambitions!" Yeah, right, Roberto!!!

We have some very good players, the young stars in particular but are in serious danger of losing or wasting them if we cannot find a unity and consistency that see's us playing above rather than below ourselves.

We have some seemingly winnable games coming up and hopefully Martinez can pick a regular XI and get them playing with coherence and urgency from the first whistle as opposed to the first goal for the opposition.

As for the game, I thought we looked very poor until Barkley and Geri came on. Norwich were nothing special but we made them look good in the first half in particular. We were slow and predictable and the amount of times we played ourselves into trouble at the back was frightening.

On the plus side I was very impressed with Funes Mori. Its nice to have a centre half who attacks the ball and I can't remember him losing a header all game. He looked decent on the ground too and he looks as if he might be one of Martinez's better signings. I heard what that Vickery fella said about him on the radio just after he signed and I can't understand what the hell he was talking about!

I thought McCarthy had a bit of a mare, Ossie is clearly on the downward spiral, with the exception of his goal, and Mirallas clearly has an attitude problem. I actually like Kev as a player and I think at his best he gets into the side and offers us something, but he looked to be in a massive sulk last night. I get that he might be frustrated to be sitting on the bench most weeks but he hardly did his cause any favours last night.

We need a resounding victory soon or this season is slipping into last season's non-event! RM needs to stick to his best side and give it a run of games!

Unless, of course, something drastic changes within the club in the near future.

I could understand the manager putting players in, who needed competitive football. Ossie, Mirallas,Gibson and Oviedo might all be part of his thinking to play in the next few weeks.

I thought our midfield was overrun by Norwich, who I think played some decent, fast incisive football and were the better team for most of the match. I’m glad we got through but I felt sorry for them and I wish them well.

It looked to me that Ossie is now finished as a first team regular. He has always had a decent football brain but his slight build is now joined by an inability to travel up and down the pitch, as a midfielder must be able to do. Although he made some nice thoughtful play and scored our goal, it seemed to that the game just passes him, and I look at him as a luxury we can’t afford.

Darron Gibson was equally left standing for most of the time he was in midfield. Though seeing as he’s been out for ages, he might need time playing, to get his match fitness to a level required in the first team. I thought he did well in the later stages of the game and especially when he went into defence (thought he had a decent game there.) but we had a midfield including Miralles, who were inferior to Norwich,

Brian Oviedo had a good game back, I thought. Very athletic and industrious. I’m glad to see him him back in the first team squad.

Miralles? Maybe he needs more games; but maybe the manager is not playing him because he knows what he’ll get. Wait and see I suppose but I thought he was poor.

Although he, in my view hasn’t been playing well, and last night started off the same, I thought McCarthy got better as the game wore on and he probably enjoyed seeing the weight taken off his shoulders a bit, by Gerry and Ross.

As for Joey Robles, I’ve sen him be slaughtered by some posters but I thought he has played well for us bar the first few games he had. If the manager intends to bring back Howard for Sunday, I think that’s being really unfair on the lad but maybe Roberto sees Howard as a better all round keeper.

That ain’t my view. I believe Howard is a good shot-stopper, and I’ll just have to beg to differ from those who say he isn’t, stats included; but to me, Joey Robles is a better all round keeper. He might be prone to making the odd mistake, as he’s a fairly young keeper, but he is a decent goalie and I don’t think he’d let us down.

Back to Roberto. My view is talk of getting shut after the next 3 games, or even 10, is unrealistic. The Club has given him a long contract and are not likely to get shut because we are not likely to get 4th... or even 6th. The way I look at it, he now has most of his squad available to him, for the first time in 18 months or so apart from Bainsey, Pienaar, Jagielka and Besic, he has a full pack of players.

I think he now should be able to send out a team who will begin to replicate the play we saw in the first season. If this is the case, then perhaps we will see a bit of progress in both cups, and some success in one.

If he doesn’t, then criticism as a limited manager might have a lot of validity. But, as yet, I’m waiting now to see what happens. If it doesn't go well, I certainly don’t see any changes in the job holder, just a recognition that we are likely to be a middle of the road team in a middle of the road club.

Until, and if, that’s the case, I’m willing to give the manager time before making my judgement on him.

All the ingredients are there: resilience, strength of character, chemistry with the players and being able to control the big moments,’ said Martinez. ’It is a competition that is giving us a platform. Would I settle for comfortable in the next round? No, I would be happy so long as we just get through.

This guy is actually funny as it's completely the opposite!

Hopefully the win will bring some confidence after two big losses but we are now overly reliant on Barkley and Lukaku being bang on form but they are inconsistent. I would love to see Robles get a run but I’d be astonished.

Anyone know what happened to Cleverley last night? I expected him to be involved. He might be an important player in the coming months.

Sunderland is a massive game now. A good performance and a win puts us back in the mix and builds confidence. A loss and it could be heads on the floor for a while and, as we saw last year, RM isn’t a good manager when times are bad. Perhaps his blind positivity isn’t what most players need to hear when it's backs to the wall:

"Oh... I thought I played crap, but your bigging me up. Great!"

So here we are again. A few good performances. Missed opportunities versus Swansea, Spurs and Liverpool in particular, a cup run.... ring any bells?

I don't think that game was as bad as people made out. We should have buried a good few chances but the fact we allowed it to go to pens is the worry.

My main concerns which last night confirmed were that we don't appear to have moved on or learned.

Robles was ace last night and did exactly what we've all been crying out for, only to be told he won't be kept in for Dracula. The fans are getting frustrated by this, it's so obvious but Martinez either can't see it or hasn't got the balls to drop him. Neither is acceptable.

Can anybody explain to me why we can neither defend corners nor attack them? This isn't a knee jerk nor a flippant comment. It's not the fact that this, like the keeper situation, is costing us points both in missed opportunities and conceding goals, that, although extremely frustrating, is obvious but it's the fact Martinez can't identify or rectify this glaringly obvious fault in our team for 3 years.

There is more but on those two points alone I'll leave it as to why I'm worried about our season and in particular Martinez's credentials to manage Everton.

I used to like his replies and his positivity because the media can be clueless wind-up merchants but sometime during last season it grated on me, often because the game he described was not the one we watched. It was quite patronizing at times.

Sometimes I think he picks different players to prove it’s not a job anyone of us could do... so, when he gets it right, he justifies his appointment; the problem is, more often than not, it’s wrong... and the glaringly obvious team selection most of us would choose would've been the right one.

If Howard has a half-decent game at the weekend, Roberto will be thinking his decision was right... but it won’t be. The bigger picture is to reward players on form who are fighting to get into the team and not reward failure; he’s doing the same thing with Lukaku.

Our levels of concentration were fucking shocking last night. I understand that players and managers (when under fire) like to trot out "I know it looks simple to supporters but..." and there may occasionally be some validity to this.

However the thing with football is that it’s an incredibly simple game (which is why it’s ’the world’s game’) and anyone with an interest in the game can see when it’s working (and why) and when it’s not.

That might sound like stating the obvious, but a couple of weeks ago, I saw about 10 minutes of a Rugby ’world’ (AS IF!) cup game and saw the ref ’explain’ to two captains something along the linesof ...

’10 blue had his left foot off the ground and his right hand on the ball when 13 red moved beyond the last attacking defender. 7 red was not interfering with 5 blue because he had both feet in the air and one of his plums was hanging out the leg of his shorts..." etc blah (captains baffled, players baffled, bent-nosed grocks in the studio baffled).

We can’t of course demand wins, but I think we should be able to demand a certain level of performance.

What is that level – Champions League, titles? Of course not; I’m realistic – how about a level that means we’re not outplayed at home by (the likes of) Norwich?

And who do you play and who do you leave out?

Easy. Player’s who consistently give possession away shouldn’t be in the side. Player’s consistently too slow or too weak to compete shouldn’t be in the side. Etc etc.

"Ahhh but that will piss them off and they’ll be a negative influence" some might say. Oh right... good point, we don’t want that do we, I mean if that happened we could end up playing shit.... oh.

Example: I was watching the Ireland France game with my nephew, who referees Rugby games, and does know the rules. He started shouting at the ref to penalise the French for 'lazy running'. I assumed this was some kind of moral judgement about the French. But no, it's actually an offence...

But I digress. Yesterday's game and result at least went our way, which is unusual. Otherwise, we want a home tie against one of the teams who played last night. The four home teams playing tonight would all be bad news for us.

Funes Mori has been brilliant, impressed that Ossie, Gibbo, and Oviedo managed to finish the game as well although it was painfully obvious we had 3 players on the pitch who havent had enough game time as of late. I thought Oviedo had a terrible time against Nathan redmond, who Galloway wouldn't have struggled with. Ross and Geri again making the difference when they came on, Mirallas was pretty anonymous, but were all aware of his inconsistency. The Young right back Browing is looking a lot more confident as well, looked much better yesterday then in some of the other games.

Robles really is a top Keeper when he's feeling confident isn't he ? He's has a few howlers within his time with us, but I do feel they've usually been to do with confidence and rust. Cant believe Martinez isn't playing him against sunderland, although I do understand it. Martinez isn't doing this because he's sentimental, its because of his philosophy and his attitude,he's a manager that likes to make his players feel as comfortable as possible, and he's stated before he doesnt want the players to believe they're only a couple of mistakes away from losing there place, and that he likes to give players a chance to regain form. Also with Jags gone, I think he might be looking for some experience and maybe not looking to make any more changes just yet in that area of the pitch. That being said, Howards absolute dog shit, and shouldn't be anywhere near the goal at the minute.

Anyway were through, Id take any of the teams from last night in the next round please. We just need city and United to face each other, or maybe even liverpool as we can't seem to find the win against them anymore.

I think Martinez will be judged by the next ten games, our league position right now isn't impressive but its also understandable given the fixtures we've had. I just hope the crowd remembers the impact they actually have on the game and gets behind the team

WE CAN WIN THIS ! Up the toffees!

Football is a simple game complicated by idiots and bullshitters.

First of all I have to admit that I did not see the game last night and have not read or listened to any independent reports about the match. When we are not on, or I am unable to catch us on tv, I enjoy following the match on the live forum - so that is where my perception of last nights game is derived from.

(BTW Although I come from the Wirral I am now living in Kent and working mostly 6 days a week so getting along to games is a very costly, long winded and tiring round trip - Man City being my only excursion this year so far).

I do not actually consider last nights game a 'win' - actually a draw - so I think I am I right in thinking that is 2 home wins in 8 since the end of last year? If so - Not good!

It seems that last night we were morose at best. I thought the team looked ok when announced and whilst I appreciate that they have not played competitive matches as such they should be able to put together a pretty gutsy performance, particularly when you consider there are individuals in there who should be looking to stake a claim for their place. I cannot understand the players simply getting up and going for it.

There are many posts, comments and opinions on these threads about Tim Howard's current level of performance some of which I agree with and some of which I find rather obtuse. However - reading on the BBC site this morning the following quote from RM... "I thought it was a fantastic cup tie. Credit to Norwich, they got the crowd frustrated in spells but we dealt with that really well...." I am astonished.

One thing that did not sound like last night was a 'fantastic cup tie' which in my memory were noisy, end to end, goal-scoring fluctuations of fortunes and thoroughly enjoyable evenings or afternoons of entertaining even if overshadowed by defeat. The 4-4 draw with Liverpool back in the day - that was a fantastic cup tie.

That comment by RM more than his man-love for Tim leaves me totally flummoxed. I would like to have heard ( based as I said on my perception of the match on the live forum) something along the lines of " ...unfortunately we did not perform as a team like we know we can and we made it difficult for ourselves and our fantastic supporters. However, we are grateful for getting the rub and having made it through to the next round, and we look forward to stepping up to the mark for our next challenge against Sunderland..." or some such.

The forum appears to be contributed to pretty much it seems to me by people actually at the match, or watching it somewhere/somehow (streams - which I will not use in deference to my pc and it's ongoing integrity) and certainly by mostly intelligent people who are passionate about Everton. There are some pretty weird contributions which are both expected and sometimes entertaining but most comments provide a fairly consummate insight into what's going on. One does have to make allowance for the 'heat of the moment' moments!

We do not have a bad or average squad of players. We have a bloody good squad of players, any of whom for the most part would get straight in to most other premiership starting line ups. It infuriates me to distraction that we do not seem to be able to get the best out of them and whether this is just a failure on RM's part or something else we can only guess at. I said a couple of years ago that I fancied him as manager and it would have been interesting to see what Slaven Bilic might have made of this lot.

I am not an out and out Martinez hater like some and think everybody needs to be be given a chance. Martinez is being given a very generous chance in my view and he is not taking it with his apparent inflexibility.

I started to get a nervous about him a few games before the end of his first season since when - apart from a few occasions - we have been under performing against our realistic potential. Body language on the pitch does not seem good although at the end last night everyone seemed genuinely made up (obviously) because they probably realised it was essentially a get out of jail card for them all. They would have been lambasted to a man if we had gone our last night.

Anyway "fantastic cup tie"? I think not Roberto, and I think you should be giving the guys on the pitch more rope.

And Howard? Well let's see at the weekend eh? It will make for a colourful weekends reading on ToffeeWeb.

By the way - I have been generating this post over two or three hours at work so apologies if I am repeating any previous posts by you guys.

If only we could harness some of the attitude and mindset rugby players have. Then again, with our injury record we probably couldn't afford it.

Mr Martinez has a firm belief in how he believes the game should be played and nobody is going to change his beliefs, and while he is in charge he will continue to do it. The problem at the moment is despite the number of years he has spent as a manager he is unable to change to a different style and tactics than the one he firmly believes in, even if it has only proved successful on a couple of seasons and a cup win.

Suck it up he is in for a long time. Expect movement in the January transfer window but don't be surprised if it is outgoing and not incoming.

First game in yonks and he didn’t let us down. his crosses were shite but his defending was on point.

Martinez on the ther hand, brought back players in Oviedo, Osman, Gibson and Mirallas who have hardly played for months between them and then subs the young lad full of running, Browning, Kone whose first touch was better than most and was still going well.

Leaving us with Gibson and Ossie still on the pitch after the hour mark, which should have been their limit. Ossie actually thought he was going off for Naismith.

Lucky win but I’ll take that. Still not convinced with Robles and I think it’s a case of anyone but Howard at the moment. His two-fisted dive punch/fall over/miss the ball combination and his hoof out of play when McCarthy tackled a lad and he should have picked it up. His consistently looking to pass it short to Funes Mori or Stones (with this I actually blame Martinez’s influence).

He made some really good saves but I think many are bigging him up just because of our fear now of Tim (I am not allowed to move from this line) Howard.

Not going to get myself worked up about the shower of a performance in the first 70 mins.

Jamie, #20 "I’m fucking exhausted..."

Chris, #64 "Goodison is now our bogey ground."

Victor, 70 "Note I have not mentioned Howard... my comments would most likely go over his head."

Jermaine, #84 "This manager’s lack of competence is slowly killing the fans, the players and me."

Being an Everton fan.

Robert, 90 "Made my first visit for about 10 years to Goodison last night and took my lad along for his first ever visit. Absolutely loved it! The hairs on the back of the neck really stood up when the Z-Cars theme."

COYB

Funny that someone said Redmond gave him a hard time, I have long thought we could have done with Redmond. I think Moyes turned down the chance to sign him for bobbins when he left Birmingham. He was always one of the most intelligent (football-wise) players for the England U21s and I think we could have probably picked him up cheaply again when Norwich went down.

That said, he can't take a penalty thank God and I'm not sure another winger is the answer to any of our problems.

I actually believe he will move to a Barry type player, sitting in front of a back 4 and breaking up play and using his undoubted skills to start attacks; whether this is with Everton is anyone’s guess.

But apart from Oviedo, Robles, and Funes Mori, what have the Romans ever... er... I mean the rest were gash.

Good players need success and Everton under RM are too inconsistent. We need to start progressing up the table and going for it in the cup. We have gone far too long without it and it would be a fitting tribute to Howard Kendall to get some silverware this year.

We are in the last 8 and Chelsea and Arsenal already out, so why not us for final this year? A winning team is the best way to get players playing and players staying!

At the point where some booing rang out soon after they had scored, he glared at the crowd. You have to wonder if he really does want away.

Any half-decent side would like the idea of playing the Red Shite; not us – we've forgot how to beat them. I suppose Hull City or Sheffield Wednesday at home would be okay but you wouldn’t even bank on us beating them with our dismal home record under this clown. And then we would probably have to face a Premier League side in a home-and-away semi-final.

Like someone earlier said, we have to go a goal down for us to start playing because Martinez's sides need time to grow into games. To me, the season is starting to take the same shape as last season. boring dull unimaginative football and a coward of a manager who's obviously afraid to drop certain players, ie, Howard, Barry, McCarthy & Lukaku to name but four, no matter how badly they are underperforming.

I'm at the edge with this clown now, because he's making it so hard to watch.

Let's hope Bobby keeps Robles in net for this competition! ;0)

Time to dream...

Absolute disgrace Howard has been recalled for Sunday's game, our manager has lost the plot bigtime.

Kone put a shift in and again baffling him being taken off.

Comical listening Robles whistling his nuts off to organise the defence.