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Kieran Fitzgerald
1 Posted 27/04/2014 at 07:15:16
I think that fifth would be a fitting reward for the approach we have had to the season overall. Yes, it would be bitterly disappointing if we don’t get fifth, especially when you look at how well we have played and at how positive we have been in games.

I think both Martinez and this squad have a lot to learn about how to close out a season and that is what has let us down. We have gone off the boil in recent games and have not had enough of the mental toughness or confidence required to win the games you need to win when it counts at this end of the season. Also, Martinez has not always gotten his tactics right with these players in recent games.

However, it is still the first season for a new manager, with a new approach and a new squad of players to work with. Martinez, his backroom staff and this squad have a huge chance in the summer to sit down and learn from this season. You would both hope and expect that confidence, psychology, and tactics will improve next season.

James Martin
2 Posted 27/04/2014 at 07:51:58
Cant believe Tottenham could bear us to fifth. Ridiculous when you consider how poor theyve been this season.
Darren Hind
3 Posted 27/04/2014 at 07:31:56
Lyndon

Your morning after reports are usually delivered with such accuracy and fairness, I’m guessing you probably give yourself a cooling of period to digest and relect on the game before you start typing.
My Sunday morning ritual now goes ; coffee, toast, LL’s report . . But all season long I have found myself disagreeing with you as to what constitutes a good season.

Yes we have an impressive points haul, but look at the bottom half of the table? There are still nine clubs struggling to get to the magical 40. This Newcastle side could have been relegated in the past, yet they’ve been safe since before Chrimbo. Spurs and United have been woeful. . Have points ever been easier to come by in the EPL?

Yes some of our football has been fantastic, but some of it has been very poor too, desperately so.

Sorry, but I don’t see how finishing fifth can be considered a fantastic season, especially when we were 4th with a handfull of games to go.

Unless the gunners want to give us another bite at the
cherry, we’ve surely got to accept that we have squandered a wonderful opportunity ?

Ian Hollingworth
4 Posted 27/04/2014 at 08:48:05
I agree with Darren (3). Yes we have had a fantastic season that has been a breath of fresh air but not finishing 4th is a very disappointing end to the season

To settle for the well we did well under the circumstances approach takes us back to the Moyes / Kenwright glass ceiling etc.

Fourth spot was a real opportunity in this league and we have blown it

I hope Roberto is putting boys pen Bill under pressure to back the team for next season. Sadly I suspect we back to Groundhog Day next August<. I hope I am wrong
Bill Griffiths
5 Posted 27/04/2014 at 08:43:00
Darren, I can’t understand why you think this hasn’t been a good season We’ve had a new manager come in who has totally changed not only the whole ethos of the club as well the tactics and style of play.

I’m sure that before the season started others like myself would have been happy with a finish of somewhere around 6th or 8th with the team showing signs of progressing under the new managers aims and philosophy.

I agree with your comments that on the whole this season standards have dropped on the whole and like you say most of the season as many as half the teams have been fighting relegation.

However, our new manager has seen to it that despite the major changes introduced we have not regressed in any way and has managed to not to just keep hanging on to the coat tails of the 6 so called Big Clubs but actually challenging for a Champions League place.

That though now unlikely, it is still mathematically possible as is the chance we may finish 7th. If we do end up finishing 6th or 7th I will be as disappointed as any give the last few weeks, however that doesn’t stop me recognising the magnificent job done by Roberto and the team overall and as far as I am concerned given the circumstances before the season began this has been a very good season for us.

Christopher Timmins
7 Posted 27/04/2014 at 10:06:48
Folksk, in fariness we have 69 points on the board with two games to go. We should still hit or even exceed the 70 point barrier. However, if we want to improve we need to invest this summer. This summer will tell the tale of to where this club is going over the next 5 years.

Yesterday was a bad day at the office but it did nothing to shake the view held by many that when it comes to the crunch that the team don’t deliver.

Expect at least 3 points out of the last two games which bring our total up to 72 and fifth place. Then Mr Kenwright and the rest of the Board its over to you!

George McKane
8 Posted 27/04/2014 at 09:57:22
Yesterday was a major disappointment for me. Not just the defeat but the manner of it and the (lack of) style of football.

However, the most interesting point for me over recent weeks has been the sense of fear at the possibility of getting fourth. I have felt this from the fans even before some games and have sensed it from the players but not the Manager.

This is our, Fans and Players, major issue during the summer. In the pub before the Place game many, in fact most, fans were seriously worried. Someone said to me "they’ve won 3 on the run". When I said we’d won 7 they looked at me strangely. Didn’t feel or hear anything so negative before the Arsenal game or the ManU game. Yet again the negativity on Saturday was obvious and clear.

I have suggested that we have over the past 11 years been brainwashed to accepting our underdog and "nearly team" tags and should be grateful, almost humble, to even finish in the top 10.

I cannot stand that Uriah Heepish concept.We have to break out of that mindset. Its like The Mancurian Candidate - - we get near 4th or winning a trophy and we panic.

I wonder if at Palace especially that fear was felt by the players.

I feel the same about Liverpool The City sometimes - - "the greatest city in d weerld" and yet when we gained Capital of Culture status we just bought in. We didn’t trust ourselves. Same with the "Giants" crap. Anyone explain the link with giant puppets and WW1.

So Martinez has to buy some players in the summer but he also, in my opinion, has to do a mind job on any of the old guard.

I simply cannot explain such a drop in form from last week to yesterday. Not just one or two players but people like Baines and Coleman and Mc Carthy and Barry. I normally do not call players names and will not here but Lukaku hasn’t kicked a ball in any positive way in any game since Arsenal.

Still, though, got my 2014/15 Season Ticket and will spend the summer meditating and developing my already very posso waves.

Up The Blues.

Malcolm Joyner
9 Posted 27/04/2014 at 10:24:14
What we have been slowly coming aware of over the season’s run-in is that Lukaku is some way from being a £25M striker and that Barkley is ineffective when deployed to do much else that support that striker.

Several suggestions have been made that we should cash in on the youngster to secure the Belgian’s permanent signature. No, no, no, I say.

Anything more than a £15M punt on Romelo will be just that and if Ross is to be sacrificed in the cause of providing a transfer kitty, the money needs to be spent more wisely than that.

Personally, I’d prefer Roberto to ’come up trumps’ with another goalscorer altogether, and see ’our kid’ deployed just behind him.

Somehow I suspect I’m whistling in the wind !

Mike Gregory
10 Posted 27/04/2014 at 10:48:58
To be fair I think the fact the expectations have risen so drastically in such a short space of time is accounting for the frustration and sense of a missed opportunity. In reality, for a semi transitional, debut mangerial season for Martinez I think 5th would be a fair and successfull reflection for THIS season.

We have been much better than spurs and united but unfortunately not so as to the four above us. Irrespective, the last couple of seasons have proven decent opportunities to break the 4 with the usual suspects arguably being at their weekest for many a year but who’s to say the opportunity won’t arise again next season such is the modern unpredictability of the Premier League!?

Maintain the core, strengthen well, phase transition and there is every chance we could have more realistic crack at it next season! Money will of course be the argument but with a bit to spend and really only being 3 to 4 top players off of a very very good side then that is our advantage over the others already there so to speak. We punch strongest at the same weight, that is our forte.

On a player note, we need to steer well clear of Lukaku! His demeanour and attitude stinks of player just in it for himself. You know he’s sat at home this morning, instead of gutted at yesterday’s loss like the rest of us taking a look at europe weighing up who’s qualifying for the champions league for next season!

Yes the lad is still young, and is arguably a raw talent but he’s just not what we need right now. Give me Remy or Hernandez any day over him and if I see any more bleeding glove pointing I may lose the plot! Are the Belgium national side going to wear gloves at the world cup!? It does make me laugh, and just how I’d like to see Lukaku....pointless!

Peter Barry
11 Posted 27/04/2014 at 10:48:17
Regardless of where we actually finish up - be it 5th or even potentially 7th - this will have been a fine first season for Roberto one in which they have cast off the turgid negative shit football that was far too often all OFM had to offer us. It has resurrected my love affair with Everton which was in a perilous state.
So ’Onwards and Upwards’ it can only get better next season.
Sam Hoare
12 Posted 27/04/2014 at 10:58:35
If we finish 5th as we hopefully will then I think it’s fair to say it’s been a good, possibly great season but certainly not a fantastic one. If we finish 6th or 7th then really all we can say is that the football has at times been better and the mood certainly more optimistic. Other than that the end results will have changed very little.
Brian Waring
13 Posted 27/04/2014 at 11:18:33
Peter Barry, spot on mate.

Think a plus point we have over Spurs is we have got a far superior goal difference.

Malcolm Joyner
14 Posted 27/04/2014 at 11:24:09
Peter, if we are to finish seventh (Phil Walling will be proved right! ), it will indicate you can achieve that by playing safe ( Moyes) or pretty ( Roberto).

Most would agree pretty is better !

Rick Tarleton
15 Posted 27/04/2014 at 11:28:21
This is better than I expected last August, but it feels disappointing. It’s a missed opportunity, because we must expect United to get back on track and Arsenal will surely spend big this time round, so next season it may be more difficult to come fourth.I’m a great believer in soccernomics and believe that success generally goes to the big boys who’ve the money to buy a couple of great players. This season was freakish, but there’ll be the present top four and United and Spurs chasing the places next year and Martinez will be fighting them with considerably less in the way of money and squad depth.
Peter Barry
16 Posted 27/04/2014 at 11:23:08
I am sorry for you Sam Hoare you must lead a sheltered life if you think the football has been the same this season as it has been for the previous four seasons at least under TGT.
Bill Griffiths
17 Posted 27/04/2014 at 11:39:45
Peter, I think if you look at Sam’s post again you will see that he say’s the footballs better and the mood more optimistic, just that we will finish in roughly the same position at the finish.
Brian Harrison
18 Posted 27/04/2014 at 11:36:44
Yesterday was a big disappointment we seemed to lack belief in ourselves to recover from a very poor start. There is no doubt that RM has had a great first season in charge and if we are honest most thought a top 8 place would have been acceptable.

The one question I would ask fellow posters is why do you think that early season Barkley,Lukaku and Deulofeu were at their very best, yet in the latter stages all three seem to have gone backwards. I suppose it could be that all 3 are playing what is in effect their first full season in the Premiership, and maybe being young it takes its toll. I think Stones on the other hand has just got better and better as the season progressed, so much so that he must have a realistic chance of going to Brazil. Maybe the fact that he has the experience of playing regularly in the Championship for Barnsley is why he has coped better than the other 3.

Rahman Talib
19 Posted 27/04/2014 at 12:17:48
I think if we finished 6th, we’d already exceeded so many people’s expectation.

Maybe it’s the invisible hand of God telling us we are still not ready for Champion’s league.

Remember what happened to us when we last qualified for Champion’s league?

We were nearly relegated.

Thank God for Phil Neville who kicked a few asses and drove us all the way to tenth.

Colin Glassar
20 Posted 27/04/2014 at 12:15:24
It always makes me laugh when people say, "oh, this season was our big chance. Next season utd, spurs, arsenal etc...will outspend us and be stronger". Well, FYI utd (£65m), Spurs (£100m) and Arsenal (£45m) vastly outspent us, once again, this season and we’re still giving them all a run for their misspent money.

It’s not always about how much you spend e.g. QPR but what you spend it on.
James Hughes
23 Posted 27/04/2014 at 12:25:02
Someone call ATS the wheels have come off !!!!!

Seriously if I had been told we would finish 5th last August I would have looked forward to the season. The reality is we always want more and yesterday is hard to take for many reasons.

We started badly and that set the tone, we seemed scared to attack as we were so vulnerable at the back. Lulu couldn’t trap a bag of cement, Barkley looked lost and the rest seemed to wander aimlessly.

Need 3 points to secure 5th now, 6 points would be good and pray the Arse slip up (lots).
For me beating Chelski, Manure, Arse at home are good memories but I am still left with ’what If’s’ despite our highest PL points tally.

Hope Kone proves me totally wrong and scores for fun when he returns and Barkley is given a compass very soon.

Chad Schofield
24 Posted 27/04/2014 at 12:40:37
It was a disanting game all round. I know Osman’s has been used as a pantomime villain over the years, but he was as atrocious other than the run where he got booked and had a pen shout. For me it probably wasn’t, but not a yellow either. McCathy being hauled back was blatant though!

The game was really frustrating as Deulofeu was taken off just as he seemed to be understanding passing might help. Our midfield were too far back so spent a large chunk punting the ball up to Naismith. While it worked against Arsenal, Lukaku is most definitely not a winger. I would rather have seen him spearheading attack, with Naismith behind and Osman on the right - who would have supplied the same little cover for Coleman. All we seemed to do was switch wings a number of times.

Some really poor performances including Baines and the manager himself.

Patrick Murphy
25 Posted 27/04/2014 at 13:00:08
Chad if that wasn’t a penalty on Osman then I’d like to know what constitutes a penalty - the rule as I understand it any foul in the box should result in a penalty, Osman was fouled ergo should have been a penalty.

It may or may not have resulted in a goal and a different result which Everton barely deserved but it would have been nice to have the chance at least.

I’m really sick of people defending incompetent officials. Dowd has just given one of the strangest decisions I think I have ever seen but the Sky team says he was correct and so I bow to their superior knowledge.

Barry Stevens
26 Posted 27/04/2014 at 12:47:18
I could swear blind that last season was our best chance of reaching Champions League according to many posts on ToffeeWeb. Yet here we are a year later and we got even closer. This campaign has been a success, no two ways about it. Our whole style of play has changed, and I go into everygame believing we can win. When was the last time you could say that?

Yes you could say its all but more or less ended with a tinge of disappointment, but to be in that position in the first place is progress. Also a lot of posts bemoaning the fact of our players not having the composure, balls, belief etc to jump the final hurdle. Yet the same posters not believing we can now finish higher than 7th. Even though we have won 8 of our last 10.

The football gods have been good to us on a whole in the past 12 months, so let’s not give up on Newcastle tomorrow just yet!

Nick Entwistle
27 Posted 27/04/2014 at 13:20:52
Osman’s legs were buckling before contact. He knew what was coming and took a dive.

Later in the game the Southampton wing man skipped over the legs of Coleman I think, and was able to play on. Osman on memory kicked the ball out of play before taking the hit.

Steve Cotton
28 Posted 27/04/2014 at 13:41:45
Chad, Nick don’t know what planet you are on but that was a stonewall cast iron penalty which ever way you look at it. I can assure you that if Suarez gets exactly the same today the ref will give it, perhaps because he always follows it up with about 3 rolls over screaming in agony and holding his hand up for an ambulance.

Brian Waring
29 Posted 27/04/2014 at 14:39:22
Something I can’t get my head round: why we have some fans who come out with the ’bottled it’ tag.

In the race for 4th against Palace and Southampton, we had some lads saying we couldn’t handle the pressure, we froze, and we bottled it.

In the games against Arsenal (who we twatted) and the Manc’s (we won at a canter), we were still fighting for 4th, but never bottled it in those games... so what’s the difference between the games against Arsenal and the Manc’s, and Palace and Southampton that has fans saying we bottled it?

Paul Tran
30 Posted 27/04/2014 at 14:39:46
Alcaraz’s own goal was one of those things, the second was an absolute shocker; Baines gave too much room, Alcaraz/Stones should have dealt with it between them.

What happened after the two goals was worse for me. There was a complete flatness and lack of energy throughout the team. Everyone was looking for a leader out there, no-one wanted to be that leader.

As I said during the previous regime, I don’t regard a trophyless season finishing 5th/6th/7th as ’successful.’ For me, finishing top 6 is satisfactory. I’m pleased we’re passing the ball more, even more pleased that we’ve started to do it more quickly of late.

I’m not pleased with our woeful corners at either end, our inability to cope with going a goal down and Martinez’s idea of spending the first 10 mins settling into the game. Stuff that, I’d rather take a leaf out of Liverpool’s book and steam into the opposition from the off, particularly as we need to get in front to control a game.

The main thing for me is that we’re playing with method, which will make it easier to improve and integrate new players/youngsters into the team.

This summer will be interesting. He’s had a year, he knows the strengths of the existing players, he (presumably) knows his budget and hopefully knows what we need. One thing’s for sure, we won’t be underestimated this time, so I can’t see any loans from PL clubs. I’d like a keeper, commanding, footballing centre-back, hard bastard/leader/playmaker in midfield and at least one good striker. By good I mean interested in every game, can control a ball, never stops trying, rarely stops scoring.

Over to you Messrs Martinez and Kenwright!

Vinny Garstrokes
31 Posted 27/04/2014 at 16:45:43
Nick #27 You obviously arent an Ossie fan Nick but that was a penalty any day of the week. Del was at worst level when he was put through but was given offside. I'm not saying we deserved anything out of the game but had a couple of decisions gone our way at certain times, we could have had a shout at it.
Lets get ready for Citeh, with the possibility of Darren Gibson on the bench!
Brian Waring
32 Posted 27/04/2014 at 17:32:05
Talking of Darren Gibson Vinny, couldn't believe that he is still only 26, seems like he has been around for yonks. If only he could stay injury free.
Vinny Garstrokes
33 Posted 27/04/2014 at 18:34:35
Yes Brian he was immense for the first few months of his time at the club but sadly is prone to getting crocked. An interesting dilemna for me.... I obviously want us to beat Citeh this weekend, but would I want to be party to the RS winning the title?
Sam Hoare
34 Posted 27/04/2014 at 19:21:12
Paul Tran, that striker you are describing sounds better than good! He also sounds expensive....
Dennis Ng
35 Posted 27/04/2014 at 22:06:26
Agree with your article, Lyndon. Yes, yesterday is disappointing. But yes, this season has been wonderful.

RM's stewardship has brought hope for next season even as hopes for UCL is fizzling out. I've spoken out against the rapid increase in expectations before that Mike (@10) mentioned and I think we're at the point of reassessing that expectation. I hope many do realize that other than RM, not much else changed. Yes, we got a few players to fit his philosophy, yes, the style changed, but our income flow has not varied significantly. Unless BK changes his tune about investing money in the squad among other things (like something as simple as just trying to get a better deal than Chang), RM is still a bit hamstrung. However, that does not change the positive outlook I have that we will achieve greatness under RM's stewardship. Of course, fingers crossed that RM doesn't lose our defensive identity for the sake of a pure possession-attacking philosophy. COYB!

Darren Fellows
36 Posted 27/04/2014 at 22:25:26
I think in his first season in charge, RM has done a great job... also got us playing some good football and at last being able to keep the ball. If we do get into Europe, which I think we will, be it in the Europa League, that is important. I remember watching us against Benfica, chasing the ball for 90 minutes in the DM style of play.

As a blue supporter for 30 years or so, I feel we have far more to be upbeat about:

1) RM will attract better players who will want to play possession style;
2) Europa League is perfect for RM and the team to gain European experience;
3) It's been a great first year for RM;
4) Highest PL points tally;
5) No top team hang-ups, beating Man Utd, Chelsea & Arsenal.

Oh – and RS may have blown the title!

So come on, guys – let's be positive and look forward to a positive future.

Dick Fearon
37 Posted 27/04/2014 at 23:21:56
I know it is off topic yet I noted that the RS lost to the same tactics that wrecked our hopes.
Chelsea parked the bus and relied on counter attacks.


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