Martinez: Lukaku will catch fire in the New Year

You can pretty much guarantee Atsu wonÂ’t be important all season long. Terrible.

No seriously, Rom has had a tough time, I buy into the Ken Buckley theory that thereÂ’s too many instructions from too many teachers, if we play to his natural game the goals will flow again.

We just havenÂ’t got going yet and it is very frustrating.

The lad has been injured and is still not fully fit. He will take off when fully fit and maintain, or probably better, his scoring record over the last two and a bit seasons.

Can anyone explain what that means?

He seems a bit lacking in confidence and I sometimes wonder if loan players are fully accepted in the dressing room. EtoÂ’o has all the experience in the world so he should be used as a yard stick by every other Everton striker.

I just wonder sometimes what goÂ’s on behind the scenes. Is Kone training with the team? Is Atsu fully integrated?

Roberto is merely sharing his thoughts on the potential progress of Lukaku and Atsu, based on his daily working with them. CanÂ’t that be accepted as it is?

Does this mean we wonÂ’t be seeing him play until he can make a meaningful contribution in January?

It wasnÂ’t an anti-Kenwright reaction, it was just a way of pointing out that as supporters we pay miles in advance for our tickets and we expect all of our players to perform to the best of their abilities at all times. We donÂ’t want to be told that our costliest player wonÂ’t perform at his best until early next year.

The reaction to delaying payment until January for our season tickets would be met with disdain by the people running the club so why should we be told by the manager that one of our players has two more months to find his form?

Perhaps you should read the posts more carefully and not be so quick to defend our beloved chairman — especially when he isn’t being criticised.

I agree with those who say RM needs to learn to shut up. I am a big supporter but he does himself no favours.

What happened to Traore? I assume we have all given up on Kone.

On another note, IÂ’ve been reading on Twitter that Jags limped off injured tonight... weÂ’re down to our bare bones if itÂ’s something serious!

ItÂ’s not like he has some uncontrollable urge to pontificate about players whenever thereÂ’s anyone in earshot, or provide pointless updates to people who arenÂ’t the slightest bit interested in whatÂ’s going on with the Everton squad. Like he rolls straight off Mrs Martinez, stares up at the ceiling and says something like... "Leon Osman really is a little wizard minus the robe and wand. A gargantuan talent trapped in a garden gnomes body. HeÂ’s a phenomenal player, person and... interesting fact... really likes Penguin biscuits".

HeÂ’s not directing the conversation or making a prepared statement. HeÂ’s being asked questions about his playersÂ’ form and fitness. He has to answer, and does so as he sees fit.

To criticise the content is fair enough, but to criticise the man for simply refusing to remain silent during his press duties is just moronic.

How else should he respond?

"Do you believe Romelu Lukaku is anywhere near to reaching top form, Roberto?"

"IÂ’m not answering that."

"Really? Why?"

"DonÂ’t want to."

"Why?"

"CanÂ’t be arsed."

"Come on Roberto. Why would you, as a football manager, refuse to answer a simple, run-of-the-mill question about one of your players? ItÂ’s not exactly a controversial question, and thereÂ’s certainly no intent to somehow try and catch you out."

"Â’Cause youÂ’re taking the piss! YouÂ’ve got eyes. Make your own mind up."

Yeah, that would go down well wouldnÂ’t it?

Surely for the price you paid you do not play an injured player in case you make the injury more severe when you have an experienced player to step in until the injury is cleared up.

I thought that was a simple straight forward gag: Martinez says Lukaku will catch fire in January, I make a joke about Kenwright having time to save up a few quid (now that the petrol price is rumoured to be going down and will do in the coming weeks), a deliberate pun on our superb financial position. So, Peter, what were you thinking that actually meant?

Go outside and have a word with yourself and come back in when your brain starts engaging again. It was a joke; nothing more or nothing sinister. Eejit.

My comments were essentially aimed at the offensive post about BK and the "jerrycan of petrol and a lighter" garbage.

In terms of your post, I can only say that Roberto was talking about players working towards their optimum, one still carrying the after-effects of an injury and the other, as a loan squad player,gradually adjusting to the dual demands of the Premier League and Europe.

You somehow see this in terms of BK and ticket sales and give the game away with your sneering "our beloved chairman".

Perhaps you are the one who should read posts more carefully.

Your post has elements of Shakespeare and Shelley at their very best and IÂ’m pretty sure that, in the pantheon of fine posts, yours will supersede any post that us mere mortals can even imagine.

When the great book is written, we will look back on this day with fondness, as we count ourselves fortunate to have lived in the shadow of great literature produced by the most exciting talent to have visited these boards.

Are you by any chance thinking of having an "Evening with Sam Hoare" at a well known Liverpool hotel in the coming days/weeks? :-)

Managers should talk to media/fans.

Lukaku has scored more (may be wrong) than Borini, Lambert, Balotelli, Falcao, Welbeck, Dzeko, Sturbridge, Carroll, Benteke, Kone, etc. I know some of them have been injured, but so has Lukaku, yet he has still pulled the jersey on when others mentioned have went on holiday to "recover" and picked up their cheques.

Yeah, he can do better, and will. Our job is to support, his is to score goals. LetÂ’s take care of our job and enable him to get on with his. Use Steven Naismith as an example ffs.

Nice! But some people woukd rather or manager would not give us an insight into team affairs.

Or if heÂ’s compelled to, he should tell us how screwed we are and that none of the players or coaching staff are up to it.

As for how the manager speaks about his players and their attributes, nobody is asking for RM to undermine them or to be surly and underhanded... but surely it would be better for all concerned if he kept some stuff in-house and got on with the job of picking the best team available for the next match. After all, that is what matters to most supporters.

If you donÂ’t wanna hear what Roberto has to say, change the channel, hit the mute button, or choose not to click on the link then read what he has to say then whinge that he has something to say.

IÂ’m glad my missus isnÂ’t as bad as some of you lot.

I can then attend Goodison with little or no idea of what sort of team he is sending out and in what frame of mind. Ignorance is bliss – I should have thought of that years ago and perhaps MK and LL should have thought about it and saved everyone the bother of becoming involved in the whole interactive process...

[Just in case anybody was wandering, this time I am being sarcastic.]

Simple.

I do think RM talks overly-positive shite, so I tune out. Interestingly IÂ’ve found the interviews heÂ’s given to supporters groups far more insightful (and recommend finding them on SoundCloud or iTunes or wherever they are).

Still it could be worse. A previous incumbent of the Goodison hot seat wouldÂ’ve said words to the effect that Lukaku is the 2nd best striker in Belgium, etc, etc.

Back in the summer I was pleased Lukaku signed for us, I was concerned that he’d have to produce a great season after costing £28 million; so far he hasn’t done it and the more I’m watching football this season I’m wishing we had moved for the cheaper, more mobile and lively looking Danny Welbeck.

Welbeck is doing simple things that seem to be evading Lukaku this season such as for his second goal yesterday, pass the ball, move into space, control the ball and score easily.

As somebody said on another post recently, Lukaku is not easy on the eye, his lack of mobility this season has been rather alarming, every game he looks as though he is running through quick sand or with cement in his boots.

Who knows if he is going to hit the ground running in the New Year, question is why take so long? He should already be used to whatÂ’s required at Everton and how we play.

It seems to me, like with Atsu (who I believe will be on his way back to Chelsea in January, probably to be loaned out elsewhere) that Martinez is merely buying time, excuses for poor form and failure to reach high standards.

We all want Lukaku to be a success, but so far IÂ’m seeing a lot more money than we paid for a similar player in Yakubu a few tears ago but a player not all that different, The Yak was admittedly a striker that didnÂ’t do a lot of running but unlike Lukaku, he was always in the penalty box thus resulting in many goals from that position, poachers goals.

Lukaku at present looks to be out of position constantly (why, Roberto?) and basically like a spare part without any real meaning.

If heÂ’s going to get anywhere near 15 goals this season then he has to be playing in the middle of the pitch, and he needs to find his form there. Otherwise youÂ’re going to be looking in four or five months time as nothing more than an expensive mistake.

HeÂ’s playing with an injury.

Statement: "Should give Bill plenty of time to save up for a jerrycan of petrol and a lighter, BOOM BOOM". End of statement.

If thatÂ’s your idea of a self evident gag, IÂ’d hate to read your serious stuff.

Mirallas brilliant, Barkley a superstar in the making. Lukaku with more goals than Messi at his age, so plenty to be optimistic about – just missing a creative world class midfielder... and when Delboy returns, I will be happy.

I hate managers who are aggressive when dealing with the media. Why do they do it? Roberto never rises to any baiting by other managers, he is a class above and obviously shows it. He answers questions without avoiding them and is a breath of fresh air to my mind.

His audiences with the fans are always open and he answers the questions he is asked. Of course he praises his players, so does every other manager. But he never gripes about referees and never brings the club into disrepute by getting involved in touchline fracas.

God only knows what sort of person some fans want to represent our great club. Personally I reckon this manager we have is a cut above the rest and comes across as an intelligent, classy advertisement for Everton!

Undoubtedly he has looked good for Costa Rica but the same was said about my man No Way Jozy Altidore for the US. Its obvious he is a much better player than Jozy but I think his value could be around $5-7 million. Where would we play him though!?

As for Rom, I just donÂ’t know... I watched Lille and he was quite strong in that game, I did not watch Sunderland but the TW reviews indicate he was shite. I will keep his Lille game in my mind and just hope he will play more like that consistently going forward. According to RM he should be firing in hat-tricks every game by April! And donÂ’t even get Roberto started on his form for the 2016 season...

How many goals will he get for us this season? 25, 20, 15? If he is worth 28 million, he should be netting 30+ a season. Sadly, I think 10 to 15 will be his maximum. We have bought a damp squib.

Mourinho a "very astute manager"? He has nothing to do with the buying and selling at Chelsea. He is informed by Abramovich.

Lukaku is a young lad who, in the not too distant future, will make the money we paid for him sound like a snip.

Mike, he could get extensions or wear a wig.

I think, if anything, it is not so much too much coaching but just inadequate coaching. I am reminded of something old Cliff Marshall said to the former Players Assoc. He was told "youÂ’re priority is to defend" and he thought "sod that, IÂ’m an attacker".

Rom needs to get back to the simple things that made him so good when he first arrived. He had plenty of talent and is a lovely lad but I would rather see him blossom into the Â’30 goalÂ’ striker he is capable of being than become some kind of hold-up target man.

On another matter of coaching; there is only one veteran striker at the club he should be learning from and it ainÂ’t big Dunc. Sammy EtoÂ’o has forgotten more about being a striker than Dunc ever knew, and I say that with all the love in the world.

As for big Rom, if there is a footballing god up there, do us Blues a favour and HELP HIM!!!

Sure, he's got some faults (haven't we all?), but on the whole, he is much better than what is out there in terms of promising young managers (cue across Stanley Park, Villa Park, White Hart Lane etc).

Maybe Roberto does often refrain from spouting nonsense... how would we know if he did so refrain?