In the Grip of Fear

The game called out for players to take risks and go at the defence and Lyndon is right in that Baines had a go but Ross looks bereft of confidence and jogged about the pitch unable to offer anything. He needs a rest. Oh for a midfielder going beyond forwards but it never happened.

The Mirallas debacle illustrated his self serving, albeit talented, approach to football and, more worrying for me, the lack of character in others to stand up and say this is a team game and you are not taking the pen. Where was our Captain? At least Roberto showed the balls to bring Mirallas off and, sadly, this may mean a breakdown in his future at Everton.

Perhaps it will hasten his desire for a move. Where do we go now? I still believe we have quality and Besic is quickly becoming our main man but we do need an attacking midfield player and wide man to add to the squad. Lose to the Reds at home Roberto and it will be the end of the dream!

As always, a reasoned accurate assessment of the game.

More strange bollox by RM...

Grow some balls, he is always getting fobbed off with free kicks by Lukaku etc when we all know a free kick in the right area can be like a penalty to Baines, Carragher questioned his strength in the World Cup over him not getting support defensively from Rooney, he said he should be growing a pair and telling Rooney.

And then there is the manager, every word out of his mouth lateley is bullshit, I loved the fella last year but sadly is just a funny talking Mike Walker and even if he rescues this season I would be scared for next season under him.

A few other opinions. What on earth has happened to Seamus? He genuinely wouldnÂ’t look out of place back in the Irish league on current form and ffs, cross the bloody thing.

Naismith, I donÂ’t think IÂ’ve witnessed a performance as bad as his last night since Joe MaxMoore against Ipswich I think it was all those years ago. He was woeful last night, and thatÂ’s being kind to the word woeful. CanÂ’t pass the ball 5 yards without under or over hitting it, shameful. He does run around a lot though so thats fine isnÂ’t it?

2 holding midfielders against those tactics last night was barbaric. Besic tried and played well but too often, takes one touch too many but he is learning and this will def improve. Barkley is suffering but for gods sake, drop him back centrally and give him a chance to get his game back with a bit more space to work in.

Roberto needs to go, didnÂ’t want to say it but heÂ’s now lost me.

I honestly canÂ’t see anything changing with Martinez. HeÂ’s not going to suddenly abandon his whole philosophy of the game. WeÂ’ll sleep walk in to the championship whilst Blue Bill sits on his arse and does nothing about it.

If, as I suspect, RM is not to be dismissed then we must acquire through either loan or purchase at least two players to give pace and some creativity in this window. There is the added problem of what we are offering up front - Lukaku was atrocious last night and what else do we have?

The return of McCarthy, assuming that he hasnÂ’t succumbed to the Everton curse of permanent and mysterious injury, is also vital.

But the situation is truly serious and in 50 odd years of support I have never been more concerned that we might be relegated. As others have said, Kenwright must sack the manager or release proper funds. I would prefer both options in fact but very much doubt we will get either

Why would it be good that they can now go away to sort it out ?
Why are they off to the far east, its a Fkin insult to the fans.
Stay home, face the music, get your act together and get us out of this mess.
They are supposed to be professional footballers

The lad should have been withdrawn last night rather than allowed to continue to have his (already very low) confidence further eroded. He appears to be completely disinterested, but in reality itÂ’s far more likely that he is very dispirited and confused.

By contrast Muhammad Besic responds by working harder.....not all players are the same. I found it extremely odd that Besic was withdrawn (probably to avoid a second yellow).

Similarly John Stones working as an auxilliary right wingback. Was that improvisation or lack of discipline ?
Had we scored from a Stones foray I suppose it would have been the former, and had we conceded than the latter.

Whilst I still want Roberto get things right and believe that he does have the talent to do so, IÂ’m afraid I already have a distinct case of "who should be our next manager".

I like him in the team. I can only speak for the games I see on TV but I assume he protects the defence a bit more as he isnÂ’t the creative type but does his presence allow Ross a bit more license to roam around the pitch?

Where exactly was Ross supposed to be playing yesterday?

Does anyone think we miss Osman?

Someone mentioned that we raise our game against those teams above us. Perhaps thatÂ’s the tactic for this year. Head as low as we can and then be in a position to beat all teams above. :)

HereÂ’s some observations:

- Martinez has managed to nullify the best pair of attacking full backs in the Prem. Why play Mirallas on the left when he wonÂ’t link with Baines yet does so with Coleman?

- why NEVER play 2 up top? We needed a goal and W Brom werenÂ’t looking to score: we didnÂ’t need 2 DM AND an ineffectual Barkley. Should have made the change early in 2nd half and gone much more direct

- Why canÂ’t we cross the ball quickly? How is the striker supposed to steal a yard with all the faffing about? How does he even know when the ball is going to be crossed?

- Why is every attack so slow and ponderous? Why 456 passes before we try to penetrate? Has Martinez never heard of ricochets? Deflections? Stumbles? Sling the ball in the box and see what happens

We are crap and dull to watch

And relegation is a genuine possibility.

Warm weather training?? Nice little break away for the lads (must be under so much pressure). Arghhhh, keep Â’em in Halewood and drill the fuckers in every department. WeÂ’re in a battle and the only way we will survive is by virtue of 3 teams (Hull, Leicester and appy ArrysÂ’ dog shit 11) being worse than us.

Last night was atrocious fare. Not sure where I stand on booing our own players though, I guess itÂ’s individual choice. I think itÂ’s effecting Barkely though.

My considered opinion is that far from removing the glory seeker from the fray, Martinez was faced with a player who bottled it and just wouldnÂ’t face the ire of the fans. Bloody convenient these hammies !

The total Â’non captaincyÂ’ of PJ was shown by his sudden great interest in his shoe laces. Just imagine Labby or Radders - or even Neville - behaving like that !

Now itÂ’s over to BK. Will he continue to buy into Bobby Bullshit ? Is he prepared to see us over the cliff in a 69% perfect display of tiki-taka ? My guess is he will procrastinate until all is lost - he has form for backing lost causes.

The mere fact that your questioning "do we miss McGeady" is the biggest sign of how atrocious this season is.

The question will be answered when you next see McGeady play again my friend, Mirallas will leave and once heÂ’s gone and McGeady is a regular, the fanÂ’s will be crying into their soup.

The penalty incident just glosses over how bad we were again last night.
Now everyone is blaming the selfish act of Mirallas, but what if Baines had took it and missed...again?

The reality is our goalscoring is bollox much like our defending has been all season, I saw the stat that we have scored just 11 goals since we won at Burnley in October, and alarmingly we have failed to score in SEVEN matches since then.

If we stick with this same playing staff and manager until May then we should well prepare ourselves for next season in the Championship because itÂ’s very much a reality now, just as it was a reality in 1998 when we took it to the final day, we are having a season as bad if not worse than that year.

If ever Everton needed fresh faces and I mean that in either players or management then itÂ’s right here and now this month in the next 11 dayÂ’s.
We badly need the fillip that the January signings of Pienaar and Jelavic brought to a dying team in the winter window of 2012.

Only a man insane would think this current crop, manager and his coaching staff included, are capable of bringing an upturn in results.

Leave it too late, well then IÂ’ll see you in August at somewhere like Elland Road or Brentford.

1) DidnÂ’t want the ball
2) DidnÂ’t know what to do with it when he had it
3) DidnÂ’t move into space
4) CouldnÂ’t pass
5) DidnÂ’t shoot when he had the opportunity
6) Was too slow in tracking back
7) DidnÂ’t have a clue who or where he was marking
8) DidnÂ’t really look like he cared

"[Martinez]stubbornly persists with tactics and formations that arenÂ’t working and he fails in games like tonightÂ’s to make the necessary adjustments to engineer victory."

My sense is that itÂ’s not stubbornness but a lack of nouse as to what to do now. At least stubbornness might morph into an acceptance of a need for a different approach. And getting in a few more (will they be much better?) players is only going to have more players wading through the treacle of our current tactics. We donÂ’t have a battalion of young lads breaking down the gates into first team football. We no longer have a team of players but 11 individuals on the pitch.

I made 2 strong points:

1 - - the absolute lack of any form of leadership at the club from Kenwright to the so - called Captain. I spoke about how we are too nice and lack any drive or passion

2 - the booing of Barlcay - - or as I said the loud groan whenever he got the ball - - disgraceful - - but as I said there were several so called senior players on the pitch who should have received groans and moans and possibly boos -- I named Jagielka and Barry and Baines - - where is their anger or passion or indeed ambition.

City Talk are calling it Parkendgate. I suggested Stallone or Redford to play Mirralas in the movie.

It seems teams can either press us to make a mistake and then score, or do what Pulis did last night and defend with a solid organised shape which we canÂ’t score against. Every team now knows this, and Martinez either doesnÂ’t want to change our style or doesnÂ’t know how.

However, I donÂ’t think things are relegation desperate yet, we have relegation form but the talent to get ourselves out and weÂ’re still Â’dominatingÂ’ teams just not beating them. The Europa League is my shining beacon of hope this year and I still, probably naively think we have a chance to win it, or at least give us something to enjoy this year as BobbyÂ’s style is much more suited to playing in Europe. I also think Barkley may not become what some in the media call the new Gazza but he will get better, Rom the same, maybe he wonÂ’t justify 㿈 mill but he will improve, while Stones gets better every time I see him.

The future isnÂ’t bright, but I think it is better than this. My verdict would be to stick with Bobby as that long ago time of last year still says to me he is the right man, whilst changing manager can prove costly, both in results and financially. We need to keep the faith as much as possible.

Being a Blue has never been easy anyway.

A team devoid of ideas, low on confidence and seemingly divisions in the dressing room. A manager who seems to be losing the plot, uttering more and more banalities at each press conference.

We have not been relegated in over 60 years, unless something changes its going to happen.

Be careful what you wish for - Brentford are not doing too badly at the moment in the Championship, might squeeze into the Premier League via play-offs, so you might not get to see Everton playing them. I was at the Carling Cup game a few years ago. Everton played really well for the first 6 minutes, could have been about 5 nil up, but then actually scored one and then well....link below if you want to read.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/league_cup/9009797.stm

More like Wiganesque, donÂ’t you think ?

Sorry !

Naismith is back on the wing where he will only get grief from us. When he was on fire it was playing as a 10 and scored regularly.

Besic keeps getting subbed while Barry stays on, enough said.

No transfer activity, is he too scared to buy or not allowed and we still have no cover for Distin or Howard.

Coleman & Baines are the best full backs in the country but now a shadow of their former selves.

Barkley needs a rest from the flack he is getting yet still plays.

But never mind – we had great possession... yet we only kept a clean sheet cos WBA never attacked.

Martinez needs to go 4-4-2 with Kone up alongside Lukaku at Palace and just fucking make up the numbers in midfield, at the end of the day heÂ’s the one who signed how many midfielders since heÂ’s been here, if he canÂ’t find the personnel then thatÂ’s just his problem but Barkley badly needs time out.

We always suspected a relegation battle is not for young lads, and your seeing why.
You need old experienced warhorses.

Martinez, IF heÂ’s still here, and it should be a big IF, needs to start earning his crust and waking up to what the fanÂ’s have seen all season.

Out of both Cups at the first time of asking, 5 league wins all season A DISGRACE..

You blame the odd individual player here and there but the fact is, as a team, as a unit, we just DO NOT FUNCTION.

I never thought IÂ’d agree with Big Fat Sam Allardyce but his words yesterday struck a cord.

"ALL THIS TIPPY TAPPY STUFF IS A LOAD OF BOLLOX..
GETTING THE BALL INTO THE BOX AS QUICKLY AS YOU CAN WITH QUALITY IS DEFINITELY SOMETIMES THE WAY FORWARD."

Fuck me itÂ’s hardly rocket science if even Sam Allardyce can master it.

No passion... no energy... no confidence. Injuries are just a small part of the problem. This team is broken, and I donÂ’t think RM can fix it. Hell, he broke it! ItÂ’s like a spaceship came along and abducted the entire team, and replaced them with clones...with league 1 football skills.

Roberto! YouÂ’re football philosophy has turned our McClarens into Fords. Please, please wake up!!

We are in trouble! Big...Big...Trouble!

Am I missing something or did Mirallas not recently pick up an ANKLE injury and were we not told that THIS was the reason he could not play 90 mins in recent games.

Martinez should have had the guts to call it as it is and publicly stated - "Baines is our penalty taker and what Kevin did was wrong, thatÂ’s why he was taken off at half time. The matter has been dealt with now and we must move on to the next game".

I was interested in NaismithÂ’s comment that Mirallas didnÂ’t even appear in the dressing room at half-time, seems like the coward did a runner.

Even if we do recover to 8th/9th and iÂ’d say thatÂ’s looking pretty unlikely then some serious damage has already been done in terms of confidence in the current setup. Our best players will be thinking their future may be rosier elsewhere and this season could well end up setting the club back a decade. Or worse if the unthinkable happens and we go down!

I get the feeling that we could be 20th and that Martinez would still play the same system and whilst that is admirable conviction perhaps in a perverse way it is unacceptable for the club to have a manager who puts his philosophy before the clubÂ’s well being.

IÂ’m not one for knee jerk and god knows where we would find a much better manager but the window of opportunity for Martinez to turn this around is getting smaller and smaller. If thereÂ’s no win in the next 3 games then surely the writingÂ’s on the wall?

What the hell was he doing? Steven Naismith was poiltically correct on TV last night but IÂ’m betting heÂ’s not shy behind closed doors

The crowd who only 10 minutes earlier where groaning and heartfeltly at their wits end after the Mirallas fiasco, volte-faced their righteous massed anxiety into an Â’WaterworldÂ’ performance of spectacular proportions.

All led on by a Circus-Yank-mate-actor of one of our richest board members Robert Earl, whose vast 3-6 hundred million dollar fortune stays safely locked away from struggling us, in its Bank of America deposit box.

I fuckin mean like.

I actually think that is harsh on Barkley. To me he just looked lost and desperately confused, as if he was stifling his natural instincts and trying to remember something he had been told to do. He looked actually like a Barry -lite, sitting and just passing along the 18 yd line. The Martinez comments about letting young players make mistakes just struck a chord with me. He is making mistakes but no-one is actually giving any form of coaching or correction. If ever someone needed coaching it is Ross, and we just seem to have a bunch of third rate clueless nobheads in that department right now. Whatever talent he has will be destroyed under the fraudulent joke of a manager we currently employ.

Ian 31 thank you (not) for reminding me of the 2-3 hours I sat waiting to be allowed out of the public car park due to the appalling traffic mismanagement at that hovel of a ground

No Sam, it is OCD/borderline mental illness and needs some kind of intervention

Martinez talked about our unique team spirit, itÂ’s gone. No leaders, especially from the front, but I hope Phil Walling called it right rather than Sandra Bowen.

If the manager took Mirallas off after that, instead of telling him to get the fuck out there and make it up to everyone, that would be disgraceful. I hope he was injured because the team has got to come first.

We all could see he wasnÂ’t though, so this will only lead to more trouble in the changing rooms. What will Miralles say? "Why did Leighton let me take the penalty boys? Fuck off, if he wanted it that much, why didnÂ’t he grab the ball off me!"

This group of players seem to be getting badly mismanaged, and I donÂ’t think there is much respect left for our manager.

My mate who admittedly does not like Martinez sits by the dugout, phoned me after the game to tell me this. He said Martinez was shouting at Rom to have ago, and Lukaku turned round and started shouting at the manager, "How can you be telling me to have a go, when your tactics are way too slow?"

We seem in disarray, but I honestly think we just need a good wide player and confidence to return. But how will we get our confidence back, when there doesnÂ’t seem to be any, in a manager who has also lost his?

How many people watching last night were saying "Get Kone on?" How many people wanted Kone to go on and play as an attacking midfielder?

His players brought in – Alcaraz, McGeady (worst to ever wear the EFC shirt), I feel we are going downhill rapidly.

The pre-season was so poor and we werenÂ’t prepared at all for the start of the season. It must be poor training as well for all the injuries... what else could it be except extremely bad luck?

The tactics of pass, pass, pass are useless if we canÂ’t create any chances of shots on goal. Watching the game last night, I thought I was going to fall asleep.

Martinez in my opinion isnÂ’t capable of grinding out the results we now need; either he goes or we go down.

What a mess this great club of ourÂ’s in now in. I for one wanted to give Martinez more time (Pre West Ham/City) and (foolishly) thought that the teamÂ’s battling performances in those games could be springboard to a climb the table with a win against WBA.

After last nightÂ’s debacle I must concead defeat and say get rid of Martinez now. Defeats against Palace and our customary stuffing by The Shite will see him gone (surely?).
I know the big questions surrounding such a move:

BK wonÂ’t want to spend ٧M in compensation.
There are no suitable alternatives available at present.

Should they matter? if we do lose our next two league games (with Chelsea our third) then we really are in the brown stuff.

Act now, Martinez out and let him build his footballing philosophy at another club and not use ours as a testimonial to his CV.

How has it come to this so quickly?

There were many sceptics at RobertoÂ’s appointment, but you would have to be completely intransigent in your position not to have been impressed by his first full season.

It wasnÂ’t just the quality of the football ... our highest ever PL points total ... the fact that he married MoyesÂ’ strong defence to a more exuberant offensive game.

Roberto Â’gotÂ’ Everton. He clearly studied and appreciated our history. He made newcomers aware of that history. He spoke to us in a way that resonated in our hearts, minds and souls. He gave us hope. He made us believe we could compete with the monied clubs.

There were great little touches to inspire and have the team aspire to, like images at Finch Farm of the clubÂ’s great triumphs, with a space reserved for future successes.

Yes, he could waffle and portray every situation as a Â’positive,Â’ but we allowed him that. We believed it was instilling a necessary confidence, swagger - arrogance even - to a talented group of players who just needed a wee nudge to be a really good side.

But this season has been the absolute polar opposite.

It is unfathomable. Bewildering. And I donÂ’t know what will be the tipping point for BK to make the big decision on whether Martinez continues in his post.

I donÂ’t blame you if I am correct. Watching Martinez on the sideline last night was pathetic, mouthing instructions to "someone" putting fingers up that I take it was to get them to set up in something or other. Nobody on the pitch was looking or took a blind bit of notice in him !

I said he needs to go if we didnÂ’t get 3 points against Albion and still maintain that. Not only for this season but are we really going to entrust the future of Everton to this man next season ??

In all walks of life people have a level, Martinez has tried to up his at Goodison and failed he has to go and find where he belongs - quickly !

What is is about this team and manager that any amateur bleedingÂ’ side would sort out?????

It makes it all the sadder that he has so utterly lost his way and I do not believe he can find it again.

I think there are stories to be written about the players this season as well and no doubt the dirt will seep out in due course. But it is the demise of our manager that is so painful to watch.

If he went to Liverpool the season before heÂ’d have said the same things, and the RS would be saying how he Â’got LiverpoolÂ’.

DidnÂ’t bother with MoyesÂ’s morose maunderings, and the same for MartinezÂ’s pandering patter. On the pitch is where it counts. Or not in his case.

Now this doesnt happen by coincidence this is what RM and his team must be coaching at Finch Farm. I said some weeks ago that Barkley needed taking out of the fray as I was begining to sense the frustration of the fans and they were starting to turn on him. Now any manager worth his salt would look to protect his young player but not this charlatan.

For a manager who says attacking football is in his DNA then I am sorry I donÂ’t see it. Last night we played against a very poor team who were only interested in defending yet I donÂ’t recall there keeper having to make a save. What a sad indictment on our team. I am sure BK will want to show loyalty and because of last season keep RM in place, my worry is our next 3 games are Palace,Liverpool and Chelsea should we fail to collect much from these games then it may well be too late to alter the course of the season.

IÂ’d suggest the type of players we need, we do not have at the club.

Until BK is 100% sure that weÂ’re going to get relegated under him he wonÂ’t blow that much cash on a sacking. ItÂ’s a scary situation to be in and to be honest from a pure business perspective I can kind of understand it (from a football and fans perspective IÂ’d get rid of him now).

Fact is we still have home games against the likes of Burnley and Leicester as well as away games against the likes of QPR and Sunderland. Regardless of the limp performance yesterday, BK will look at these fixtures and think/hope weÂ’ll pick up enough points to stay afloat. After that itÂ’s a question of getting to the summer and reassessing the situation - maybe come to a mutual agreement on a parting or carry on. 10 million now is too much (not even sure we could afford it!)

Bottom line is - Martinez is here to stay for the foreseeable future so weÂ’re going to have to deal with it.

Personally I still think we wonÂ’t go down simply because there are worse teams in the league. We may not be picking up many points at the moment but then neither are the likes of QPR, Leicester, Hull, Villa etc.

ItÂ’s going to be a long few months, just hope we can nick a point here a point there to crawl to safety.

I canÂ’t hep but feel like Sam #39. We all trudged home yet again in the cold and dark with that same empty feeling after another hapless display of Â’possession footballÂ’Â’.

Myself and the the rest of my crowd place the blame squarely on Martinez. I understand that there are a great many who donÂ’t. Unfortunately, the Martinez they are understandably enamoured of, was last yearÂ’s model.

IÂ’ve said before on TW that the team that did so well last year was a team that had many of David Moyes best qualities still ingrained within it. Mix that with a touch of Sin Miedo football and the addition of an excellent Barry, a midfield dynamo that was McCarthy, the promising Lakaku and the occasion flair of Deulofeu and you had ingredients for success. Probably the most enjoyable season for me and many others for some considerable time.

How the worm has turned. We started the season with a massively complacent Martinez languishing in Brazil when he should have been looking after the clubÂ’s interests. It is now clear for all to see that he should have, amongst other things, been considering possible replacements for players whose ages might see them begin to decline. In not one case did he do so. This is not being wise with hindsight - it is what the best manager do - they anticipate and act before they are forced to.

This is now a team motivated, trained and tactically educated and set up by Martinez And the difference between this season and the last is there for all to see.

Martinez seem to be totally locked in his vision of controlling the game by keeping possession of the ball. We may have had well more possession last night then West Brom but who really controlled the game? It seems to me that you can claim to have controlled the game if you have controlled the result.

His belief that control of the ball will inevitably bring the desired result has now been proven to many times to be a fallacy. It has become to be a flawed philosophy. Martinez appears not to have the word Â’winÂ’ in his vocabulary. Moreover goal from open play is apparently worth more than one from a set piece or a corner. Increasingly an element of Nero fiddling about Martinez at this moment in our crisis. Moreover there is much his philosophy that makes even less sense give our current plight including one of his central beliefs that it is important that players enjoying their football. I can tell him for free that this this invariably happens when the team are winning.

Martinez has very little time to get real. Personally I donÂ’t think heÂ’s capable of it. Our survival is probably entirely in the hands of those teams below us. Now weÂ’re off for some warm weather training. One can only hope that the team doesnÂ’t return in the same shape they did the last time he treated them to the same kind of break ot we are well and truly in the doo dah!

But by definition, at that point we are down to the Championship with all the attendant loss in income over the longer term (notwithstanding parachute payments). Will Bill really wait until relegation is definite? Of course, his problem is knowing at what point he thinks relegation is pretty much a certainty or pretty much avoidable - massive judgement call. WhoÂ’d be a club chairman!

Add to that games against QPR, Leic, Sunderland, Burnley etc where (on paper) we should pick up something, then BKs mind will likely be thinking I donÂ’t need to pull the trigger just yet as we may still be ok.

Think heÂ’ll at least wait until the end of Feb to see if weÂ’ve managed to pick up another half a dozen points or so. I agree itÂ’s a bit of a game of chicken with very high stakes. Also, I donÂ’t know if we can afford a 10m hit at this time....

Even if there are performance related clauses in there RM has not presumably yet broken any yet as the seasonÂ’s not over. E.g. Manu had to wait last season until it was mathematically impossible for them to qualify for the CL before sacking OFM, otherwise they would have had to pay out the rest of his contract. IF RMs has a clause about eg finishing in the top 8 (just as a example, no idea if its there) then BK will have to wait until itÂ’s mathematically impossible to get to that stage - i.e. nothings happening for the next couple of months...

Last night was one of the worst attacking performances from Everton I have ever seen and the next few games are not likely to be any different. The only time we ever looked even remotely dangerous was when our 21 year old centre half brought the ball out from the back.

The reaction to taking off the best player on the pitch speaks volumes for me. Barkley and Barry have failed to muster a decent 90 minutes all season between them but are immune from being substituted, yet Besic who has got better every game gets hooked regardless of his performance.

A very frustrated and angry blue here.

Martinez has blunted our best attacking options, getting at teams from wide areas to be replaced by predictable short passing through the middle. Our creative player, Barkley is so desperately out of form he wouldnÂ’t be getting in a Championship team, however all is good in RobertoÂ’s world as he reacts to this by going to press conferences and singing the boys praises. Similarly you have to feel sorry for Lukaku, spend your transfer budget on one player and then set the team up to play a style that suits him least.
Last nights penalty omnishambles tells you all you need to know about the chaos that currently envelops this squad. It is a long time since IÂ’ve seen an Everton side put in so many spiritless performances. This squad of players should not be in the bottom half of the table although it is noticeably weaker than the one he inherited. That is only down to one man. Suddenly the Moyes era is looking a lot better than it might have felt at the time.

So even if you are correct and BK doesnt sack him and we escape relegation do you honestly believe that we will be in a much better position next season because I donÂ’t. For me I would terminate his contract today appoint Joe Royle with Sheedy and Ferguson as his assistants till the end of the season that gives him time to look around and pick the right credentials and more importantly pick a man with a good track record.

I agree with you. The possibility of relegation is too horrible to contemplate and certainly his sacking shouldnÂ’t be shirked on compensation grounds. I also like the idea of Joe Royle and Sheedy as caretaker managers. IÂ’ve no doubt theyÂ’d get us sufficient points to ensure survival.

Whatever way you look at it we must be very close to the tipping point. Martinez, by how we are playing and what he is saying is making, is making it abundantly clear heÂ’s unlikely to get a grip anytime soon.

There must be sufficient time for whoever takes over - if it comes to that - to be able to turn things around. I canÂ’t see anything happening before the Leicester and Liverpooll games. When weÂ’ve played both of them I reckon weÂ’ll know exactly whether BK has to act.

For me, it was Martinez who benched the lad at half-time who is the real culprit. Get the fuck out there and make amends – go do the business.

There are four teams that will battle out relegation: Hull City, Leicester City and Burnley – two of them are 6-pointer games for us. Should be an interesting battle to the end with a bottom 6 finish. 4 home wins and 6 draws by any means is required.

WBA are a disgrace to football; reminded me of MoyesÂ’ going to the Sky Four in their approach and why play two holding midfield players against a defensive wall?

This lot need to get to the sun and have some clear the air discussions amongst themselves because it could get gloomier with Arsenal, Chelsea and the RS coming up.

ThereÂ’s a desperate need for some creativity in the center in this window or the unthinkable beckons.

Apparently Baines had EtoÂ’o by the throat as he told McCarthy, Besic and Barkley to get away from Martinez if they wanted to win anything.

ThatÂ’s why both didnÂ’t play in the first West Ham game and why he is definitely off to Italy.

ColemanÂ’s strength is running from deep on to a through ball and catching their left side Â’up fieldÂ’ whilst struggling to get back. This is never going to happen again under this system. WeÂ’ve nullified him and Baines ourselves.

* not excusing what Mirallas did.

West Brom did well to defend however if you are moving and making runs its so difficult for the opposition to keep organised. Its easy for a defender to mark the likes of Lukaku when he stands and waits for the ball at his feet.

I am surprised at the lack of one two play in the final third, I always remember we used to be good at that, especially down the channels.

It must be down to the management and coaching, it seems this has been coached out of the players over a period of time.

In all honesty my belief is even under Martinez we will survive. My concern is that next season will be pretty much the same. I think MartinezÂ’ beliefs are so entrenched that it would probably take a course of electric shock treatment to re-wire his Bain before he would change tactics. And to be honest IÂ’m not sure I could take another season of his management.

There are solutions out there. None of them include Martinez. HeÂ’s a busted flush. The squad of players we have may not after all be as good as we thought 6 months ago, but itÂ’s certainly good enough to be performing to a level that would have us on the fringes of European qualification.

We donÂ’t need a great manager as a replacement. In the immediate term we only need somebody who can organise the side better, and have a pragmatic approach to style and tactics. Numerous managers/coaches are capable of this. Many on here are looking internally fora replacement. IÂ’m not so sure since the current coaching staff might already be too wedded to RMÂ’s approach. Maybe one of them with Joe Royle at the helm might work. In any event there are options. Hughes and Lennon for starters would DEFINITELY see us retain our biggest asset -- our precious record in the top flight.

Main question is does BK really thing RM is the man for the future, if yes then nothing will happen. If no then its a question of get rid now or wait until the summer. Personally I think BK HOPES he still is the man for the future and will pray on hand an knee that he scrapes some wins together in the next couple of months.

He, like most managers realise that defence is everything. If you do not concede a goal you will not lose, sneak one in and happy days. He will ensure West Brom stay up and like Stoke become an average mid table Club which for West Brom is what itÂ’s all about.

Now look at the clown we have. His philosophy is based on statistics. He doesnÂ’t really give a shite about the result as long as we have 70% possession and 3,000 passes more than the opposition. He reckons as long as we outscore the opposition everything is good - what crap. He doesnÂ’t want them to practise dead ball situations. The fucking list is endless.

Let me ask this question - right now, today, in our present situation, who would you sooner have at the Club ? Martinez or Pulis? I know who IÂ’d rather have.

The basic concept is still the same as last year. Pass it round loads, starve the opposition, wait for a chance. It was just a different version of KITAP1. What worked so well was that the defense was solid as McCarthy was infront of it. Distin did his best to mess things up but at most weÂ’d only concede one goal a game. When Stones came into the team the defense was perfect hence the winning run. Even with this though the football was often dire, we threw away the first half of most games through pointless passing then we would win the game off the bench. Pienaar Osman Naismith, or Deulofeu would come on, quick flash of something different and we had our lead and a solid defense. Villa away is the prime example. Going nowhere for 70 mins, Osman comes on sets up one and scores one.

This season its the same model except McCarthy is injured, which means the defense is got at easily, this was also a defense without Stones (see how the losses have gone to draws since his return?). So instead of wasting the first 60 minutes with pointless football and being at 0-0 weÂ’re usually one or two down. Then when Martinez turns to the bench he has no Pienaar Osman or Deulofeu to win the game in the last 20 mins.

Add to the above with injuries for Lukaku and Mirallas, bad refereeing, bad luck, and the effect of no confidence that is my theory behind our demise. Martinez knows how to win one way only. When the pieces arenÂ’t there though it doesnÂ’t work.

WeÂ’ve seen what the return of Stones has done to the team. WeÂ’re still awful but weÂ’re now drawing. When McCarthy comes back this will improve again so weÂ’re back in the realms of 0-0 after 70 mins. What forward line do you fancy to nick the win? A tired Naismith Barkley and McGeady or Pienaar Deulofeu and Mirallas all off the bench? Thats what was happening last season multiple times as well as an extraordinary number of direct free kicks.

Martinez needs to learn to find snother way of winning when his first choice lineup and bench arenÂ’t all fully fit.

EFC is a sick patient bleeding (points) to death. We are in intensive care in Â’criticalÂ’ condition. There are no signs of stability.

This is not a blip like catching a cold or a small dip in form. These symptoms started showing in that abysmal pre-season. The decline is accelerating and fast becoming terminal.

The cure / drug (RM) is not working.Do we wait to die slowly hoping for Divine Intervention? Where is the evidence that we have a solution? Or do we take the uncomfortable option of surgery and at least have a fighting chance of survival?

Those visiting family members who think we should wait a few more weeks to see if we improve are burying their heads in the sand (on the misapprehension of loyalty) because they donÂ’t want the short term surgical option.

Survival is all this season is about now. Forget running marathons, the patient can barely walk. And forget that foreign trip because the patient is too weak.

We have 16 games to go. If we replicate the points haul from our previous 16 PL games, by my reckoning weÂ’d accrue 41 points. However, I currently canÂ’t see us getting more than 3 wins for the remainder of the season hence weÂ’ll be lucky to get more than 39.

I am not sure there are 3 worse teams than us out there. On form there most definitely is not.

As a PL outfit, I fear EFC will be dead by the summer unless we act now. And IÂ’m very sorry to say that.

I just feel that those fans concerned should lay off Barkley because one day – maybe under a new Manager who recognises the sense in mixing up how we play – we will see a player who will light up the premiership. I would hate that to be at another club because he felt the fans didn’t want him. He will be a great player and he is committed to us. Let’s keep that way.

My other comment would be your title "In the grip of fear" - this is a manager who came in with his slogan "Sin Miedo". Now we have in bucketloads and we live constantly "Con Miedo"!

The way he wants to play the game is how I enjoy watching football. I think he is trying to implement a good style of football but doing it with some players not fully suited to the style.

I honestly believed, given this window and the summer window he would move a few on and bring a few in who can play the required style. Unfortunately, I donÂ’t think he will get the chance.

When youÂ’re in a dogfight you have to scrap and snarl your way out. In my opinion, we havenÂ’t got enough players with that mentality. And we havenÂ’t got a manager prepared to sacrifice his principles to get us out of it.

Some of the players need to take a look in them mirror and realise the lack of effort they are giving to the loyal fans who follow them all over the country.

However we are not were we are just because of injuries and to be honest I do believe Martinez should have foreseen at least a few of the problems arising from some of our aging players.

IÂ’ve also seen enough of our play this season to know that the mess weÂ’re in goes far deeper that the loss of 2 or 3 players particularly since Pienaar and to a lesser extent Osman were not 90 minute players last season.

IÂ’m sorry to say that in my view much of the blame lies with Martinez because of his total commitment to possession football, his lack of realism and seeming inability to be flexible and adapt to whatÂ’s happening in the pitch.

The formula behind this approach was still fundamentally flawed though. Games were won through imdividual brilliance or wondr goals often from a sub, not from penetrative consistent team football.

Martinez was always going to hit a patch when defensive solidity would be lost through injury and our offensive impact off the bench lost so my criticism is he should have found a different way to win. Instead he keeps trying to repeatedly bang a nail but doesnÂ’t realise he no longer has a hammer in his hand.

Instead of them passing the ball sideways, that allow the opposition to regroup and form a wall around the centre forward, who then has little opportunity to turn and fire a shot on goal.

As other have stated, BarkleyÂ’s performance in his regular no 10 slot was poor with very few forward passes. See Stats here
Link

Barry is often slated but he is still the player we signed last season but is less effective in McCarthyÂ’s absence. Contrast the number of forward passes played by our Defensive mid with those of our No 10.
Link

Criticism of Naismith should be directed to Martinez. We all know he is ineffective as a wide midfielder and does his best work in the box, when not under physical assault of course. He hardly made it into the box last night.
Link

Martinez praised EtoÂ’o when he was signed for his work in the box. Then plays him mostly on the wing or in midfield. Naismith suffering in the same way.

The untruths emanating from the camp, mostly from the manager, show a club in disarray. No one believes anymore. In all walks of life, be it sport or business, employees/players will not give of their best if they donÂ’t totally respect their manager. Hard to respect a manager who tells us that McCarthy is still growing and who subs Besic every game, rather than take the hard decisions.

ItÂ’s broke and only a change in manager can fix it.

What kind of supporters jump on the players back when 3-1 up at home with 10 minutes left? It is quite telling that the team have not won since. The next home match might just be a blessing in disguise as the crowd will be up for it and it should inspire the players.

Our football for the most part was terrible and cowardly. What fan wants to see a team play 5-yard passes to each other in their own half for 90 minutes? What fan wants to see his team never take a shot or even cross the ball? The football is piss-poor and mind-numbingly boring.

Moyes got lambasted for being yellow against the big boys and rightly so but Martinez is just as bad against everyone. Holding the ball in your own half at home is just cowardly and negative and will always create an atmosphere to match.

There are a lot of supporters out there that have interviewed people for a vacancy in the company that they worked for, but the interview is usually the last part of the selection process after going through background checks.

IMO Martinez should not even have got to the interview but as he did it shows that B.K. hired him without checking his managerial background .A club the size of Everton with its history deserve more than just a good story teller.

Concise and accurate summation of the match and our current predicament.

This is why iÂ’ve been so frustrated recently when people talk about things being Â’knee-jerkÂ’ or mention Â’first bad runÂ’. ItÂ’s neither of those things.

For those who actually watched (I mean really watched, not just observed) the way we played last year, the problems were clear. They needed to be addressed and they werenÂ’t. The fact that some people are only now having their eyes opened does not mean that this has been a sudden demise.

People talk about the pace of play being slower this year. Slower than Spurs and West Brom at home or Palace and Cardiff away last season? They talk about the defence Â’suddenlyÂ’ becoming ragged. The same defence that conceded THIRTEEN goals against the top 2 last season, and almost contrived to throw away comfortable leads against Newcastle and Swansea at home? People talk about BarkleyÂ’s Â’inexplicableÂ’ loss of form. He finished the season with 0 assists last year. None, zero, zilch. From the number 10 role. He had the odd moment of brilliance and a few of them led to goals but I donÂ’t recall a single game where I thought Â’heÂ’s bossed thatÂ’, now the moments of brilliance are still there but theyÂ’re not leading to goals. Look at the Hull game, some fantastic runs and turns but no finish. In the West Ham cup game he played a sublime ball to Lukaku but he missed. His game is pretty much the same but without those individual moments that make people take notice.

DonÂ’t get me wrong, I didnÂ’t expect things to go this wrong this quickly, but as James said there were fundamental flaws in our play which were there for all to see. Unfortunately, but totally understandably, most people didnÂ’t want to.

The players don’t want to play for this man anymore – the coach’s bullshit is no longer listened to. So, instead of the players taking responsibility and showing pride in a performance, they turn tail and hide.

Mirallas should have told to fuck off by our captain and the ball given to Baines. End of. Some fucking captain he is! Baines just as culpable for not snatching the ball and telling him to do one!

Be very worried folks because this is the rub-manager who should be long gone is STILL here. Players donÂ’t want to play for him so they have "downed tools". Unfortunately, because of this feud, these same players have lost even the BASIC requirements of playing as a TEAM and couldnÂ’t give a shit until Martinez is gone. That is unforgiveable and two fingers up to you the fans who deserve better.

Me? My derby tickets are burning a hole in my pocket and I pray one Mr Joe Royle is in temporary charge before then because a humiliation at home against them would just about end it.

Any team (and that includes Chelsea) would have struggled against West Brom, when they chose to set up as they did. That’s not to say we shouldn’t have won that game – but give the opposition a little credit, they did defend very well.

IÂ’ve got to say, that was the first time I have ever seen a team set up to get every man behind the ball from the kick-off.

I donÂ’t think we are in the relegation dog fight but, with the derby and the run of fixtures we have coming up, El Bob might be giving Dave Whelan a call sooner than he thinks...

WBA got a decent point for them (job done).
We didnÂ’t.

Wenger moaned at Spurs a few years ago for Â’parking the busÂ’ and I thought he was out of order.

With the wide variance in resources, teams will do whatÂ’s best for them based on the opposition, whatÂ’s at stake etc. Given that, there is a clear need to adapt the tactics.

It brings into focus the lack of Plan B - or Plan A for that matter.

The closer we are to relegation fodder / poor run of form - and teams will set up to exploit that.

DonÂ’t want to state the obvious, but I think you will find you have to get every man behind the ball at the kick off.

Since IÂ’m not at the matches, maybe itÂ’s not entirely fair for me to comment, but I feel particularly sorry for the active supporters who are paying good money to subsidise RMÂ’s attempt to prove again that he is not a genuine, consistent Premier League manager.

Good luck to the supporters, I hope you can stay up.

I would put RM on notice that his performance is not up to standard (if not already done) and would then put him on "gardening Leave" until the end of the season and put big Joe in charge.

That cannot be any worse than the shite we are currently observing and at least we would fight for some points and get the team spirit back.

The type of fans who are paying good money to watch a pile of shite.

I donÂ’t get this view that you should not criticise the team. If you are earning multi millions and not performing then IÂ’m sorry you are sensitive to a little criticism. The fans are the constant in the club, players and managers come and go.

The atmosphere this season at games reflects the performances. Most games have been played in a funerial silence and recently the crowd has been expressing its unhappiness at poor performances. IÂ’m sure Ross Barkley doesnÂ’t feel great about the crowd reaction. ItÂ’s very simple solution, start earning your wages and put some decent performances in.

Since the manager has made it clear he is not changing, then who is working to help change the squad!? Status quo is not on. Who is going to be working this transfer window for a solution (even a band-aid one) while Bobby and the lads are sunning their arses?? With an injury list that shows no signs of shrinking, reinforcements had better be in the works.

If BK is not going to fire RM then back him with some emergency funds to strengthen in the window.

If not, act now.
I think this warm weather break might be Â’pivotalÂ’.

Either way, I donÂ’t think RM will be the person taking us forward much longer (the summer at the VERY latest even with an upturn in fortunes).

BK - act now. Back him or sack him.
Right now, IÂ’d vote for the latter.

Some, predictably, used the smokescreen of the FA Cup to buy more time for Bobby. Not me. The entertaining chaff of the West Ham games did little to disguise the underlying problems.

So, hereÂ’s a reality check for those still unable to see that we have a major problem.

In the next four we play Chelsea, Arsenal and the kopites. After that weÂ’re going to be on mid-20Â’s points, with twelve games to go, having a season average of circa one-point per game. Oh, and the transfer window will be closed. Do the maths.

I know some deny thereÂ’s a problem, saying Bobby is the Â’truthÂ’ and a Â’geniusÂ’ that just Â’needs more timeÂ’. I, along with others, have been ritually shouted down, reported to mods and censored by such absolutist Bobby-ites. But such attempts to stifle debate do not dull the message, for it gets louder by the hour.

Simply put, since December I havenÂ’t seen one of the optimistic assertions about Martinez come true. Every Â’just wait till the next gameÂ’ is followed by another poor performance. Every Â’the lads look better todayÂ’ is followed by another dire performance.

Now, IÂ’ve called it right since December and time has shown me right. He has to go. We are going down if we donÂ’t. Last night was just further unnecessary evidence.

Do it now and the new guy gets longer, has a bite at a transfer window and a cup to play in. We even have a break till Palace to organise. Time for action, BK.

Replacements? BK will have an idea. Newcastle are already in the market and will cause us competition. De Jong, maybe. Remi Garde? Both possible. As Southampton showed, a Club is much bigger than its manager - people just need to be a little less cowed by the thought of Martinez going.

As for Martinez; greatness was in his grasp, but he dropped the ball in summer and never picked it up again. Tragic, but he had his chance. Club first, always. COYB.

I agree with you that time is very much against us and my view is that we donÂ’t have the luxury of waiting to see how it stands in the Summer. What is now clear beyond sensible doubt is that Martinez doesnÂ’t cut it for the players, or at least not for a significant number of them. IÂ’d hoped the last few games before last night meant heÂ’d brought them round, but not so.

I donÂ’t see how the sun on their backs will cure that and when they get back we are right into a very difficult run of games. There is a window still for BK to do the deed. Will he? I think we all know the answer to that and I for one am starting to prepare myself for the consequences.

People going on that he deserves a chance because of last season. Wrong. Last season IMO was only two wins against Man Utd better than any thing that Moyes ever managed at Everton. Those two wins made the difference. Everton And Martinez had a good season, but we still ended up winning nothing in a season when cups were there for the taking.

Last comment: how about Everton signing Joey Barton. And make him captain. Put him straight in the team. He could take the place of any number of misfiring players. Bring some much needed fight to this sorry band . Play him alongside Besic, and McCarthy. Get the defenders to bloody well defend, and let the few flair players do their thing. Worth a punt and he is an Everton supporter. And yes I know that we need a complete overhaul. But Barton would be a start, for now.

Although considering that our manager is a footballing genius I suspect that Barton would not exactly suit his philosophy. So this window should be an eye opener. Expect Wigan to be raided and also someone of around 35 to be brought in. God help us. This is one season that I cannot see over soon enough.

Slag them off in the pub or on here boo at the full time whistle or at half time, but last night there were fans getting on the players back after 15 minutes because we werenÂ’t in front already, for gods sake.

I don't think anyone was upset about it being goaless after 15 minutes. We just started like we have in the majority of games this season. Predictable, lacking energy and passing into dead ends.

Most fans are reasonable and turn up with a mindset of supporting the team but they are not stupid.We have had nothing to cheer largely this season and the 'majority' are now beginning to get fed up with it. There is more than enough false optimism coming from our manager without expecting fans who are paying hard earned cash to join in.

I hope Martinez and the players are under no illusion that what is being served up is unacceptable

In fact when did a blues player last get a hat trick ? Saha v Blackpool ?

Martinez has disappointed every Evertonian on the spectrum, but I still think most arenÂ’t taking our dire situation that seriously.

Unless things change quickly we have a very high chance of being relegated. IÂ’m losing sleep over this, so IÂ’d imagine owners with fortunes at stake are restless too. If we donÂ’t get good results in the next month there is simply no choice. Survival trumps everything and everyone.

Possession is meaningless unless it used to hurt the opposition. Our approach play is ponderously slow, and the individuals who are in the side to do what Sterling and Coutinho did for Liverpool, namely poor Ross, Naismith, Mirallas and sometimes (please no more), McGeady, through a lack of form or injury,simply aren’t cutting, so we repeated amble around the centre of the pitch being watched by massed defences who don’t act or behave like they are worried we are going to break them down.

I personally think we have sorely missed the wit and guile of a fit Steven Pienaar. Remember how he opened up Leicester in the opening game? I don’t know what the solution is with the personnel we have; possibly give Mirallas a try in centre midfield? Without a fit Ossie, to me there’s no obvious candidate. Poor Ross Barkley’s confidence is completely shot and the howling from the stands when he doesn’t do something wonderful is ill-targeted, will be counter productive, and may set the lad back. Maybe pull him out of the limelight for a spell Bobby?

I hope the whole team (management and players) use the time away from the spotlight to have a good hard look at themselves collectively and individually to draw out what they are going to do to put things right. The talent is there. Is the collective together to get us out of this mire and back where we need to be?

http://eightdaysaweek.org.uk/2012_19.htm

Proud to be a Blue - but still a bit worried.

1. He would have to pay him off, buy some other manager out of his contract, and also supply the new lad with funds.

2. He not long ago authorised the RM mural at the ground. If he sacks him the same season, he will look an even bigger tit.

3. He hates being the hard man.

So we are stuck with him till May at the earliest...