Blues Still Searching For That Vital Killer Instinct

As the second half commenced, I was convinced weÂ’d get a third and secure the points. To see us fade physically and mentally thereafter was a real disappointment.

There were a lot of positives from the first half – especially the quality of the two goals. But, as you state, we were lacking that killer instinct that those who go on to ultimately challenge for the top four inevitably produce to win these type of games (see Arsenal – winning in injury time).

Not downhearted – just frustrated at 2 very obtainable points disappearing when in our grasp.

I think that yesterday's game will give Martinez and the squad something to think about and focus on in the coming week. If the second half performance, plus playing Arsenal at home in our next game, doesn't inspire a positive reaction on Saturday, then a lot of people will have seriously misjudged Martinez and this squad.

In terms of the players, Lukaku won't be as bad again, Coleman will be another week closer to fitness come the Arsenal game, Naismith will be full of confidence after his goal and performance yesterday. Mirallas will be a week closer to fitness, Atsu and Besic will be more prepared. The team looked very unbalanced yesterday due to Coleman being out and us having to rely on Baines and Pienaar down the left instead of having threats down both flanks. This won't happen again hopefully with players coming back to fitness.

While yesterday was disappointing, it is important to keep some perspective. It was the first game of the season. It is the same squad and manager as last season. We are not suddenly back to where we were under the worst days of Moyes.

Jags and Distin, did a great impression of Jonesy, "don't panic Mr Mannering". Panic, rather than composure, gifting Leicester with 2 goals. This has to be sorted.

Left side looked better, right side badly missed Mirallas and Coleman. Rom looked off the pace, with control not looking great.

Another 'oh-no-not-again' element was the way we brought on someone (Coleman) to close out the match - and promptly conceded. It's not just us, it seems to happen with other teams too. Conclusion? It doesn't work! The Mirallas sub was obviously meant to have the opposite effect, to increase our dangerousness, but he was the direct cause of their equaliser, being muscled off the ball on the touchline and allowing Leicester to break, with our midfield out of position.

McGeady was great first half and probably should have scored more than one, but was nothing short of a liability in the second half and his passing in midfield really gave us problems. Baines and Pienaar were breathtaking first half but disappeared after the break.

Points against Arsenal? It would have to be a better performance all round!

At the close of the season, we saw Roberto go to the World Cup with ESPN. I wonder whether the needs of Everton were thrown a little under the bus by that trip.

WeÂ’ve heard lots about Â’signings are always late in a World Cup yearÂ’, yet this didnÂ’t seem to apply to Liverpool or Newcastle, whoÂ’s respective managers werenÂ’t in Brasil. Compare our approach with the late transfer business over at Van GaalÂ’s Man Utd, under another manager that was away till Mid-July. Before the signing of Atsu, many fans were getting rightly concerned at the lack of numbers. IÂ’m still very concerned and canÂ’t help linking this slow progress to a late start from Roberto.

WeÂ’ve also heard how players returning needed Â’restÂ’. Well, Lukaku played two more games than England, but both as sub (playing 30 mins and 30 mins in both). Super KevÂ’ played a couple too (60 mins and 60 mins in both). But does that warrant reduced training before the start of the season?

Elsewhere, while Rooney (who played every game) has been playing pre-season in the USA, our Ross has been felt deserving of rest (despite playing a fraction of RooneyÂ’s game time). It seems that, relative to other clubs, weÂ’re being a little indulgent with this Â’restÂ’.

And why on earth were non-World Cup players looking knackered in the second half yesterday? Pienaar and Barry looked goosed. Perhaps this indicates more of the mind set at Finch Farm than anything.

I know thereÂ’s no such thing as a single explanation, but IÂ’m linking part of our lack of preparedness to a manager whoÂ’s perhaps a bit too willing to accept the Â’World CupÂ’ excuse, possibly because he used it himself when talking of Â’slow transfer marketsÂ’ in World Cup years. IÂ’m not seeing other teams so hampered by the World Cup, though that may be because their managerÂ’s were in the office watching it, planning transfers and pre-season, and not in Brasil prioritising ESPNÂ’s coverage of it.

What was frustrating yesterday was that Martinez didn't try and change the mix earlier. Substitutions, particularly in midfield or defence, need to be made early enough to settle and make a difference. I'm convinced that Besic would have stabilised things in midfield and given the attacking play a more solid foundation.

Encouraging, however, that the left flank play showed signs of the old inventiveness, and Coleman and Mirallas down the right can do the same.

The game was crying out for subs to be introduced around about the 65 minute mark – nevermind with less than 10 to go. Mirallas for Lukaku would have been my bet and Coleman for McGeady. Here's how I would rate the players if anyone's interested:

Howard, 7/10 – Not an awful lot to do, helpless for both goals;

Stones, 5/10 – Did not impress in the right back role today. As others have been keen to point out. Looked suspect in possession at times and was caught out of position.

Jagielka, 5/10 – Very poor from the Everton skipper. He looks a long way away from being back to his best. No presence.

Distin, 5/10 – Again, as others have said, he looked like his age is catching up with him. Poor on the ball, a dire clearance leading to Leicester's equalizer and no aerial presence. Worrying.

Baines, 7/10 – Had a sublime first half (attacking wise) but petered out in the second as did the team as a whole.

McCarthy, 6/10 – fairly anonymous if you ask me.

Barry, 7/10 –Good first half, involved in most Everton moves, though was lucky to stay on the pitch.

Pienaar, 7/10 – As for Baines, had a sublime first half. Was involved in virtually everything, was lively and busy, dangerous and rarely gives away possession like some others. Has been stated he is past it but on this performance he shows he still has much to offer. Would have been an 8 had he not faded second half.

McGeady, 6/10 – lively and busy in the first half. Scored a peach but can't score him any higher as he is tremendously profligate in possession, often putting Everton under pressure. Needs to improve sharpish.

Lukaku, 5/10 – All 㿈 million of him, we all hope he is unfit because he was dreadful.

Naismith, 8/10 – MotM great movement, industry, superb goal, rarely gives away possession, dangerous. well done, Naisy.

I think most of us either went for the hype with the Rom signing, or we sat back and thought "What the hell, let's be bold for once and hope it all works out and ignore the fact that the squad (badly) needed seven or eight players and now we can afford just three or four".

Strangely, whilst I thought the forward line was the priority, I'm actually thinking that we've all got this wrong and frankly time has caught up with Distin and Jags post injury and post poor World Cup and a defence without Coleman is (incredibly) a lot weaker – as is the forward line!

If we were to beat both Arsenal and Chelsea, this will look stupid so I'm hoping like hell it looks very stupid. But the truth is, despite it feeling a lot brighter to be a blue these days, it always feels same old same old... we can't afford to create a full strength squad and injuries and suspensions will undo our optimism however hard we hold onto it. One game at a time, one game at a time.

Everton have got to find this self-belief from somewhere otherwise it will be another nearly season or perhaps worse. Jags from my viewpoint is one of the worst culprits for this lack of belief that permeates the team and Roberto should now consider who he wants to captain the side for the remainder of his time at the club. Two points dropped, little doubt about it, but it comes from not a lack of tactical nouse or lack of ability but from a complete lack of belief in themselves as a team.

Look, we had the third best defence in the division last season, so let's not get too carried away after one game. Jagielka is clearly suffering a loss of form, and we are also missing Coleman down the right. Besic will certainly bring some steel to our defence, so we will have addressed any weakness along our back line as far as I'm concerned. It's just going to take a while for us to get it right while the new man finds his feet.

Our next two games could be a blessing in disguise. We have to up our game, and if we come out of these two with positive results, a win and a draw maybe,we have had a decent start.

I worry more about an Everton that cannot score, rather than one that makes individual errors at the back. One is easier to fix than the other.

And he got around the pitch more than that lazy bugger Lukaku. Bony, we should have went for, cheaper and an all-round better player than Lukaku, I'd say. Probably get another 15 to 16 goals again off him but I can't see him getting more than that. Naismith, has improved greatly under RM; I like what I see these days and I never thought I'd hear myself saying that.

It's hard to see us winning as many home games as last year so we will have to win more away which means we need to be more positive in our outlook even when ahead.

Loic Remy, seems a good choice. Have you seen Teemu Pukki of Celtic? He's a Finnish striker. I have been to watch Celtic several times having a mate living in that vicinity, so I have seen him play and not on the box. I thought he was quite useful.

I know most on here seem to have a negativity when it comes to Scottish team players but Celtic are a big club and go after players with who they think have potential. I know it doesn't always work out. But I think he is worth a loan spell with us.

We need a playmaker, someone to pick the lock the massed defences we are bound to face. And maybe we already have him - Steven Pienaar. He looks to be fully recovered, but not as young as he was. Playing on the left with Baines has illuminated the top flight for years as we know but he is comfortable left right and centre with excellent control and an instant turn.

Given that role, with Ross out of it for a long time yet, I think his experience could be put to more telling use.

For one, it's very unlikely we're going to bring anyone in defensive-wise at this late stage. And even if I'm wrong, who is out there that's available? I mean it's not as if this problem wasn't around last season or doesn't RM see what we all see? I think Hibbert could still figure but I'll probably get shot down for that but not much got past him.

We needed someone to grab the team by the scruff of the neck and drag them over the line. Jags sadly is not this man. Even sadder is, he never will. Sadder than that, he’s our captain.

For those of you who think that you can stay at a physical and mental peak without rest, I can only assume that you have not played top class sport.

Our second for instance you could argue was lucky along with both their goals which were from fortunate rebounds!

When Leicester went behind, they have to go for broke and this affects the direction and flow of the game. They then started to cause us much more problems and I don't think our second-half display was down entirely to us taking it easy.

Howard is culpable for the second, the ball goes right down the middle of the goal whilst he's diving to his right. This after Jags has kicked the ball to the Leicester player, wrong footing Stones in the process.

Barry should have been replaced after an hour, he was lucky to stay on the pitch the amount of fouls he gave away second half.

There was a lack of urgency about our second-half performance which suggested we'd knew we'd done enough. I don't think it's anything to do with tiredness or poor pre-season, after they equalized we up'd it again and pegged them in their own box.

In the first half, we played some excellent football, especially down the left. Our control of the ball and ball retention was great to watch, we scored two but had the chances for four. Lukaku linked the play well, made runs into space and looked sharp.

Barkley will be a huge miss, an attacking dimension to our game has been removed. I thought Naismith was excellent again, I'm hoping him and Lukaku can develop a good relationship in front of goal.

Next up Arsenal, hope Mirallas starts as he loves it at Goodison.

At least the next game should bring Coleman back into the starting XI as he loss was a glaring weakness and also the new guys will be given their chance.

I saw a few times last season Gerrard got the team into a huddle and gave them a team talk after a goal and you could see the drive it gave them, could you ever see Jags doing that? From his interviews he's extremely passive and lacks confidence, not really what you want in a captain. Howard would be a better choice (I admired his team spirit in the World Cup) but I think Roberto's setting up to hand over to Leighton when Jags retires.