Jagielka: Players share the blame for poor run

, 5 March, 70comments  |  Jump to most recent

Everton captain, Phil Jagielka, says that the players need to start performing to take the pressure off their beleaguered manager following another defeat at Stoke last night.

The Blues went down 2-0 at the Britannia Stadium as Victor Moses and Mame Diouf scored in either half for the Potters with Roberto Martinez's side carving out few chances in response.

Romelu Lukaku had the best of them with a deflected shot that went agonisingly wide while Aaron Lennon, and Arouna Kone and Luke Gabutt forced fairly routine saves from Asmir Begovic in the Stoke goal.

A sequence of just one win in 12 Premier League games is ratcheting up the pressure on Martinez to arrest Everton's poor form but his skipper says that the players need to "buck up" their ideas as well.

"[I]t is normally the manager that gets [the stick] as he is head of the food chain," he said in the Liverpool Echo.

“But, we as players know we need to buck our ideas up, start performing better and take pressure off him, pressure off ourselves and start getting some more points.

“We know we need to concentrate on our league form,” Jagielka continued, acknowledging the disparity between the Blues' results in Europe and those on the domestic front.

“We have 10 games left now and need to pull our finger out and start picking up points.”

The 32 year-old was asked if he thought the club was in danger of getting sucked into the relegation fight and he replied: “Yeah, I think so. With 10 games to go that is not where you want to be.

“We still have that six point gap but we are not taking anything lightly. We have some tough games coming up and we are not where we want to be so need to start winning sooner, rather than later.”

 

Reader Comments (70)

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Chern Lee
1 Posted 05/03/2015 at 06:21:58
Please, less talk – more action.
Aman Kanji
2 Posted 05/03/2015 at 06:36:25
ThatÂ’s what was said during our 2014-15 Xmas run...! No improvement. WeÂ’ve had one win since then.

I for one never wanted him post Moyes, and even told BK at the QPR home game (he was heading into the ground). At the end of last season, I posted an apology to BK on EFC site.

Now RM has made me look a fool twice!!! His verbal spew is embarrassing in indefensible. What now? It’s too late to act – everyone one of them needs to win somehow, then take stock in late May.

Simon Hermansen
3 Posted 05/03/2015 at 06:43:56
Exactly Chern, it seems one of RobertoÂ’s answers to the mess heÂ’s got us in is to push the players into post-match interviews about how itÂ’s all going to turn around soon (no doubt part of his Â’positivity will win the dayÂ’ philosophy).

IÂ’m just bored at the predictability of it all now especially when itÂ’s the turn of our tepid, uninspiring captain who shows no leadership on the pitch (Exhibit A: the Baines/Mirallas penalty incident).

Andy Cobham
4 Posted 05/03/2015 at 06:58:38
Just woken up... Martinez is still the manager – another day wasted. Another day where nowt is gonna change.
Matt Traynor
5 Posted 05/03/2015 at 06:58:11
I know RM didnÂ’t necessarily appoint him as captain, he was de-facto Captain when Phil Neville retired from football during the first half of the Wigan FA Cup debacle, but I really think Jagielka needs to be stood down from the role. HeÂ’s got the leadership qualities of a lemming.

I know the old adage of you need leaders all over the pitch etc. but the person who is named as the Captain has to also be a leader, and Jags is not that. ThereÂ’s a myriad of other problems with Everton right now, but this is one area that needs addressing by RM or whoever replaces him.

Timothy Blanshard
6 Posted 05/03/2015 at 06:58:15
HeÂ’s not, never was, and never will be captain material.

Have you heard Jagielka talking on Everton FC or Match of the Day? He is a walking talking mogadon footballer.

For the leader we need a big gob shouty inspiring captain, and I know Gareth Barry has the turning circle of the Arc Royal, but he has experience, he commands respect from the other players.

To be perfectly honest, none of them really stand out like Dave Watson or Rats, even Phil Neville tried to get them going on the pitch. Something has to be done and soon.

TalkSport discussing Everton in 2 mins 7:15am.

James Martin
7 Posted 05/03/2015 at 07:15:52
All talk from Jags, he doesnÂ’t really care. If any of them did we would have either improved by now or it would have flared up between manager and players. HasnÂ’t happened because thereÂ’s barely one winner at the whole club from top to bottom.
Peter Barry
8 Posted 05/03/2015 at 07:23:10
Don’t know about you but I am sick to my back teeth of all these players trotting out the same ’we must do better’ platitudes – don’t tell you must do better – show us on the field you are doing better and at least that you give a fuck.
Craig Mills
9 Posted 05/03/2015 at 07:23:18
The problem is, Matt, we donÂ’t have anyone who is captain material, no-one on the pitch shows any leadership or motivational qualities and that is true of the manager too.
Barry Thompson
10 Posted 05/03/2015 at 07:59:10
No shit, Sherlock.
Barry Thompson
11 Posted 05/03/2015 at 08:06:32
Old pegleg Whelan was right: Martinez will take Everton to places they never dreamed of – Watford, Leeds, Blackburn, Bolton, Huddersfield etc etc
Andrew Lawrenson
12 Posted 05/03/2015 at 08:17:55
Barry (#11) yes, and then to further places like Rochdale, Port Vale, Crawley, and Fleetwood. Make no mistake, folks, if we go down then we cannot stop the slide to obscurity.
Andy Meighan
13 Posted 05/03/2015 at 08:19:40
Beleaguered manager? The only beleaguered ones are us.
Phil Walling
14 Posted 05/03/2015 at 08:30:30
As an arch critic of RobertoÂ’s appointment, I am in no way surprised at how it has turned out. But there are more than a few teams with crap managers whose pride and professionalism sees them put in a good shift. JagielkaÂ’s Â’boysÂ’ have not seen fit to do that.
Paul Kennedy
15 Posted 05/03/2015 at 08:38:00
We cannot keep getting lucky with the other relegation teams results going for us. Unfortunately we have to play some of them so they will be looking for 3 points from us easy!!!!
Sam Hoare
16 Posted 05/03/2015 at 08:39:24
Phil, not sure thatÂ’s totally fair. According to stats I think our team has covered the 4th most amount of miles in the Prem. They are putting the running in but just not in an effective way.
Dick Fearon
17 Posted 05/03/2015 at 08:47:14
Jags could make a start by acting like a captain and laying into some of our backsliders.

As Martinez proved, being a Mr Nice Guy gets you relegated.

Kev Shearer
18 Posted 05/03/2015 at 08:50:57
Heitinga was the closest thing we had to a captain. He was an experienced World Cup runner up with Holland, after playing for Ajax and Atletico Madrid. I still think we sold the wrong defender... we should have sold Jags.

He tries, bless him... but woeful with ball at feet. Johnny H was fantastic at bringing the ball out of defence and hard as nails.... NSNO.

Geoff Evans
19 Posted 05/03/2015 at 08:53:18
DonÂ’t tell me, show me!
Dave Abrahams
20 Posted 05/03/2015 at 08:59:25
The complete inertia of the club is amazing, the teamÂ’s performances since early December have been putrid and still the same platitudes are being poured out of the club. We know what needs to be done by Kenwright and we know it will not be done; so, without a doubt now, if it stays the same way, we are going DOWN.
Trevor Peers
21 Posted 05/03/2015 at 08:46:38
Whilst the manager remains in his job, the players will become the scapegoats for his failed tactics.

All this season we have seen the spotlight fall on player after player: Baines, Coleman, Lukaku, Jagielka and Howard have all been targeted.

The reality is RobertoÂ’s plan of possession football doesnÂ’t work. The players find it unworkable, and we now find ourselves in the same position as Wigan, fighting a relegation battle.

Sean Stevenson
22 Posted 05/03/2015 at 09:12:27
RobertoÂ’s selections are the problem. The players are good enough, they are fit enough and they try enough. The team selections are wrong and that lays at RobertoÂ’s feet.

The only major difference between last year and this year is the absence of Pienaar and Baines on the left, the source of much creativity for several seasons. Mirallas/Deulofeu and Coleman were fantastic on the right with their pace.

This season the lack of options up front means that the ball stays in midfield or is passed up front and lost or passed back. This means defenders have the ball a significant portion of the time or it is passed sideways in midfield. Eventually a mistake is made and eventually these will lead to a goal. We have the worst errors leading to goals records in Europe.

If you play two defensive midfielders you are reliant on the fullbacks and wingers to get forward. This has not happened enough. How many assists has Baines provided since Pienaar got injured? We are talking about the best attacking fullback in Europe. He needs to play someone with craft who can hold the ball up on the left wing to help Baines. Naismith or Mirallas are not the answer. Or he removes a defensive midfielder and keeps the left back defensive.Roberto must adapt or we are not going to survive.

Alan McGuffog
23 Posted 05/03/2015 at 09:42:09
And there was me shouting abuse at the Toffee Lady!
Simon Dutton
24 Posted 05/03/2015 at 09:59:21
Trevor, I think you may have it wrong: the "players" should be good enough. As professionals they should also be able to say this isnÂ’t right IÂ’m gonna do it my way, to get a win because I have pride in what I do, regardless of what Martinez says from the side of the pitch or on the training ground. Once out on the pitch, itÂ’s the players kicking the balls and making the mistakes.
Zayn Zaffar
25 Posted 05/03/2015 at 10:04:21
Robles
Coleman Stones Jagielka Garbutt
Besic
Lennon Barkley/McCarthy Baines
Kone Lukaku

ItÂ’s a strong enough team...

Rob Dolby
26 Posted 05/03/2015 at 10:02:11
He has to go. I honestly think that the players would do a better job without him there. He without a shadow of doubt the problem, turning good players into possession obsessed monkeys.
Chris Gould
27 Posted 05/03/2015 at 10:30:34
Shut the hell up!! All talk talk talk...nothing changes and it wonÂ’t change until BK grows a pair.
What will it take to get this fool sacked? What happens when the 6 point gap becomes 3? And it will.
Trevor Peers
28 Posted 05/03/2015 at 10:31:10
Simon the players do have a responsibility of course but, if we go with your theory, why bother having a manager at all?

Managers have always been the most important part of any successful football team; look at Jose at Chelsea – he’s a winner. Alternatively look at the job Lambert did at Villa – he was a disaster.

The players reflect the strength of the manager’s character and carry out his tactical plan. Roberto’s plan is bankrupt and his character is weak; I blame him – not the players.

John Gee
29 Posted 05/03/2015 at 10:20:07
IÂ’d love Martinez to succeed but, as I posted before Christmas, heÂ’s making the same mistakes over and over. Before this slump he had twenty games to fix the problems and couldnÂ’t find a solution.

WeÂ’ve had Barkley, EtoÂ’o, Osman, Naismith, Oviedo and Kone all playing wide left. Last night I watched Barry and Jagielka exchanging passes up there from our free kick. The team set up is wrong. ItÂ’s unbalanced, exposes the full backs, ensures the only player with space is behind the play and worse of all it asks players to play an unnatural game.

The really sad thing is we have competition for places all over the pitch but his bizarre selections have nullified that. His rotation hasnÂ’t had a positive effect all season and, letÂ’s face it, some flukey results in the EL glossed over this. The man doesnÂ’t know how to set up a balanced team. This is football 101. The unthinkable is staring him right in the face.

10 games ago any manager worth his salt would have gone back to basics to grind out some results. Does he even know what football basics are?

Trevor Lynes
30 Posted 05/03/2015 at 10:27:39
Simon I fully agree with you. As things stand, the manager bears the brunt of every negative result and the players are hardly blamed by comparison. I would like to add another set of culprits who are more the blame than any others. This board of ours who hangs on desperately to any profits made and refuse to strengthen our pathetic squad.

Last seasonÂ’s squad included Osman and Pienaar who have not been available for ages. We only signed players who were already at the club as loanees. Only Lennon landed in January to attempt to plug one of the glaring gaps.

We have been desperately in need of a schemer in midfield and all we have are defensive midfielders or players who will not shoot! Baines has missed both Pienaar and Osman and what was our biggest threat last season has been taken out of the equation.

The fault for the phenomenal demise in our Premier League form was pointed out at the beginning of this campaign when Martinez went into print to say we needed 6 or 7 additional squad players to be able to compete on all fronts. I could forsee disaster as I am sure many other fans could.

We now have a squad which is ageing and some of which are injury prone. How long will Gibson last? Where are our supposedly top class youngsters? We only seem to produce defenders.

Last season was the swan song for many of our better players and no replacements are on the horizon. I reckon DM quit as he was not supported adequately and I reckon it is exactly the same now for this manager and whoever else takes the job. We are behaving like a small club with an unambitious attitude. Survival is our only hope and with this squad an early exit from the Europa League may well be a blessing.

This is a club who have been in the top ten for season after season and other clubs below us have out spent us. One tends to reap what one sows!

Tony J Williams
33 Posted 05/03/2015 at 11:07:12
Next weeks exclusive......... the wheel is round.
Ant Summers
34 Posted 05/03/2015 at 11:03:49
I have said this before, a new manager is required. Without a new manager with hard principles, no easy street, we will always be in trouble.

I do think we will survive as clubs around us are as bad or worse, that though should not be seen as success if we fall over the line. Hard training from the second week in June, a strong pre-season is required, at least 4-5 players should be released, either to old, or just not PL standard.

Hard decisions, Hard training, Hard men required. RM canÂ’t do this, so he has to go.

Denis Richardson
35 Posted 05/03/2015 at 11:01:44
Copy paste from last week, the week before and the week before that etc.

All you need to change in the text is the name of the player and the number of games left.

Sam Morrison
37 Posted 05/03/2015 at 11:43:51
Jags may not be captain material but I donÂ’t think anyone can say he doesnÂ’t try or doesnÂ’t care. He puts his body on the line every week.

The problem is, when the team is on a bad run, players still have to face the press, and inevitably this is what theyÂ’ll say. What else could they say? ItÂ’s pointless getting angry over a press conference. Save your anger for the miserable performance of the manager. Like others, I didnÂ’t want Martinez but was won over wholesale last season.

Like others, IÂ’m now wondering if I was right in the first place.

Paul Joy
38 Posted 05/03/2015 at 11:42:32
Never mind winning to take the pressure off Roberto Martin... Never mind winning to take the pressure off themselves... How about giving 100% effort for the thousands who turn up without fail home, away, Switzerland, Germany, France, Russia?

But should we expect millionaire footballers (I use that word loosely) to give a toss about us? Oh for a genuine character who cares about our club and its fans in our dressing room... Manager, coach or player anyone would do.

Mollycoddled millionaires living in their little bubble world without a fuckin clue what pressure is. IÂ’m sick of the whole useless bunch.

Ken Williams
39 Posted 05/03/2015 at 12:03:14
ItÂ’s becoming boring now: before every game, big themselves up; after the game, letÂ’s all share the blame. The fans can see that Martinez has no idea and the players are without passion. If we go down, most know they will move on and Martinez is looking towards a Spanish club.
Andrew Hawes
40 Posted 05/03/2015 at 12:01:25
Would David Moyes be allowing the likes of Howard, Jagielka etc to be spouting this rubbish to the media?? The above mentioned wouldnÂ’t even be in the side!!

For me, the most tragic example of how he has first confused then lost the players is Seamus Coleman..... The best right wing back in the league by a country mile canÂ’t, is not allowed, or wonÂ’t even have a run at defenders??

The scary thing is Goodison Park will be buzzing for the Dinamo Kyiv game and if we go a goal up, the fans will begin this ridiculous Spanish anthem... when we all should be making quite clear to the chairman that his time is up!!

Mark Andersson
41 Posted 05/03/2015 at 08:46:46
Sam running backward with the ball is counter productive in this game. Phil has been proved right, whether you like it or not.

I hear that Blue Bill has given Martinez his approval to manage us next season. It will never happen but every fan who goes to Goodison should vote with their feet and boycott this disgrace of a team and management.

But we all live in hope that, just maybe the next game will be the turning point.

James Stewart
42 Posted 05/03/2015 at 13:35:21
He doesnÂ’t get the best out of our best players. Barkley and Mirallas would be key players under anyone else not warming the bench. Tick-tock... lose to Kiev heÂ’ll be put out of his misery.
Ross Edwards
43 Posted 05/03/2015 at 13:42:09
Spineless. From board level down. Especially Jagielka. By far the most timid captain in the league.
Milos Milenkovic
44 Posted 05/03/2015 at 13:32:27
Sean #22, great analysis. We have players, they have desire, but at the beginning of the season they were forced to pass instead of be more direct. Last few months, Martinez totally lost it, with wrong formations and wrong players.

Even though we beat them twice, I was impressed with the way Wolfsburg were playing and even back then my wish was to see my team playing like that. No surprise that they are flying high, playing great games and scoring 4-5 goals easily, because the are trying to score in every attack.

Vinny Garstrokes
45 Posted 05/03/2015 at 14:12:12
RM needs to cut down on his use of superlatives and do the practical things like drop players to freshen things up, à la Pellegrini. He dropped his captain and doesn’t give a shiny one what anybody thinks about that. RM has pretty much already lost the dressing room and daring to drop the likes of Howard and Barry is not what he is prepared to do.

Lose to Newcastle and he has got to go for me, and that is not something I will say lightly. Premier League existence is everything and ItÂ’s amazing how circular life can be as Premier League survival used to be the limit of my ambition through those dark days in the mid 90s until Moyes was appointed.

Jimmi James
46 Posted 05/03/2015 at 14:06:29
All the same, but I know he doesnÂ’t play much now but Ossie would be my choice as skipper, always gives his best.
John Francis
47 Posted 05/03/2015 at 14:18:36
Neil Lennon. There... IÂ’ve said it.
Vinny Garstrokes
49 Posted 05/03/2015 at 14:41:25
Jimmi (#46) – I totally agree, despite the pelters he has had on here over the past couple of seasons I look at him and think – "You are an Evertonian, mate." I was heartened when he came on last night as the impetus and desire seemed to go up a notch... albeit briefly.
Bill Gall
50 Posted 05/03/2015 at 15:44:24
The thing that I do not understand is that supporters since December have been saying if we lose the next game he has to go and here we are 2 months later saying the same thing.

B.K. is not going to fire him listening to comments, the only thing that will affect him is the bottom line. i.e. finance. As I now live in Canada I will not tell other people what to do but I am sure that as a season ticket holder before I left I would not be renewing mine under the early renewal programme.

I was one who did not want him hired but was willing to give him a chance and he went above expectations in his first season that was truly great to watch. From the start of this season all though the results were disappointing we sort of expected the second season syndrome and Europe syndrome may be a factor but what I did not expect was the low level of fitness from the players , the way other clubs started to employ systems that the manager could not react to, and after a couple of months, his reluctance to change followed by playing out of form players and finally, accumulating to interviews with the media that he did not consider there was anything wrong.

Around exmas time I done a background check on Wikipedia on the manager and I have to agree with Mr Phil Walling that Martinez should have not have been hired for a premier club of Evertons standing..

David Holroyd
51 Posted 05/03/2015 at 16:32:09
Phil Jagielka isn't an obvious choice as captain . But he is still our best defender. But give him a break he is not to blame for the shit we are seeing . That falls on our pitiful manager, he is totally out of his depth.

Martinez says he's not panicking no he's not ,cos when the likes of him fail he gets a fecking golden handshake.
We look devoid of ideas. Stoke players all new what their roles were. We on the other hand looked like strangers.

A ball was passed to Lulaku who touch was about 8 feet Bach where it came he is shite. Barry and Naismith were lucky not to both get sent off as time and time again they missed the ball and got the man .
The team is not geared to score goals as only 2 players score goals
It's going to be a long last ten games . MARTINEZ OUT.

Andy Cobham
52 Posted 05/03/2015 at 17:03:37
Bill (50) spot on mate. I've been a season ticket holder for 20 years (in this stint anyway), supporter for 40 and there's no way I'm getting my ticket with this crap going on. To be honest I'm even questioning whether to get a ticket at all because I've not enjoyed a single match this season...and if truth be known a chunk of last season too. Basically whilst Sideshow Bob is Manager I can't see any reason to waste my hard earned plus it's sends a message that I'm not prepared to just blindly keep going the match without some form of return ( principally entertainment and something to be enthusiastic about -it's not even winning games!).
Brin Williams
53 Posted 05/03/2015 at 17:11:03
So, it is down to the team!!

The team - should consist of all the players, trainers and manager, including the whole fucking board - that was the team that I was prepared to back with my money.

The Captain - for the time being, the players - for the time being, the trainers - for the time being - the whole fucking board of directors - for the time being are ALL - for the time being; and ALL come a very poor second to MY TEAM - EVERTON.

So Mr captain, Mr Manager all get your arses into gear and start delivering on your overpaid overhyped overthehill - underperpormances.

Results - no more fucking chat!! Get on with it.

John Daley
55 Posted 05/03/2015 at 18:55:30
"Would David Moyes be allowing the likes of Howard, Jagielka etc to be spouting this rubbish to the media??"

Everton players have been giving cringeworthy variations on the 'we'll turn it around next week' wankery for years. Long before Roberto Martinez rocked through the door.

As soon as his alarm went off in the morning, Phil Neville used to jump up and automatically start spouting lines from his script like....'All the lads know we should be doing better. We need to put it behind us and focus on getting the three points against blah blah'.....before pointing furiously at his empty Man United mug until his wife Julie finally got the message and went to put the fucking kettle on.

John Daley
56 Posted 05/03/2015 at 19:12:01
I've not enjoyed a single match this season...and if truth be known a chunk of last season too"

Can't disagree with the first part. We're into March and every league game at Goodison has been absolutely turgid. What's been the highlight? 80 minutes of the Arsenal game and nothing but slow torture since. When the email came through (in Feb ffs) about renewing for next season, my immediate thought was 'you can fuck right off'. 

However, I can't agree with the second statement. I enjoyed last season more than any other in recent memory and thought it could be the first stepping stone on the road towards something special. Which makes everything that's happened since the summer feel like an even more vicious slap about the chops. Honestly, my enthusiasm for going  he game has been almost entirely sapped. I just want this season to end. Sharpish.

Glen Garrett
57 Posted 05/03/2015 at 19:53:28
Martinez will remain Everton manager if they win the Europa League, despite if Everton do go into the Championship next season. I will hate to see Everton go down because they are a top fight footballing team the name Everton FC and their history in the game speaks for itself. The Premier League need Everton Football Club – it will upset & gut me seeing Everton go down... that’s if they do?

Everton need to start finding goals in the Premier League – otherwise, they will go down. I don’t understand why Everton can perform & score plenty of goals in the Europa League but yet they can’t do it in the Premier League?

I think Martinez should try & get someone such as Joey Barton. I know he is a bit of a handful but at least he has the balls & the drive in himself to be a team leader & has the ability to get the team fired up for every game. He will have the passion for the club... after all, isnÂ’t he an Everton fan too?!?

Bobby Thomas
58 Posted 05/03/2015 at 20:30:08
More of the same utterly complacent, insulting nonsense.

The auto-pilot soundbites from Howard and Barry in midweek prepared me for defeat last night. I had no expectation of a positive result. If ever a team had relegation written all over them, its us. Everything's gone. Everything.

When a squad of players have no faith in the management team, and this doesn't appear to, you need strong senior pro's to see it through.

Avram Grant had no respect as Chelsea boss. The senior pro's and Steve Clarke ran it. What have we got here?

A vacuum.

Someone mentioned Barry for captain. He's like a church mouse on the pitch.

There is a malaise going on. Standards, organisation, shape, respect, discipline, hard work, graft, know your jobs, basics of defending.... you think of all the things you need to be a good side... they've gone.

We are the worst side in the league.

Something is rotten at Everton and when we go to QPR they will be well up for it. We are there for the taking by anyone, home or away.

I personally think he should be dismissed for gross mis-management, as we have looked relegation material since Christmas. However, he has two league games to save his job. Lose them both and the players will have their clear wish.

The get Joe in, get organised, aggressive and some service for Rom.

Watch this bunch of shitehawks suddenly raise their game.

Aman Kanji
59 Posted 05/03/2015 at 20:38:28
Who's renewing their season ticket next season? I might not bother and just let my lad have one. Why should I bother watching drivel...
Ian Riley
60 Posted 05/03/2015 at 21:35:20
Mr Gall (50) agree with you! The manager relegates a club then gets a top five Premier League club. Even better, a five-year contract is placed on the table. I like the guy but seems to make the same decisions with the same results.

As much as I had my issues with Moyes, the players appeared to like and fear him. Get bloody angry, Roberto, tell the players to fight. The players have got off likely. They can't be this poor! Sadly we have no leaders out there!

Fans will renew their season tickets, they love the club, not the manager or chairman. How can your club cause so much emotional pain. The fear when renewing is will it continue next season? Please god no!

Guy Hastings
61 Posted 05/03/2015 at 22:02:23
Aman 59 - do that and social services will be on to you like a shot.
Roman Sidey
62 Posted 05/03/2015 at 11:31:55
A lot was said about Eto'o's departure and that he was one of the reasons for the squad not performing well. I honestly believe that he left because he is used to winning things, whereas this squad is afraid of moving forward to win things.

He may have been disruptive in the sheds, but having played for serial losing teams before, the established players in a team that doesn't win get rubbed the wrong way by new guys who come in and try to get the side stepping up.

Call it pushing guys from their comfort zones. Call it players believing their own hype. It is what it is, and I don't think the likes of Jags, Howard and Baines would react very positively to a bloke coming in and telling/showing them that they have been under-performing.

Liam Reilly
63 Posted 06/03/2015 at 13:31:21
Jagielka should start by putting on his game face in the tunnel and stop the chit chat with his opposite number. Winners like Keane, Viera even Terry are/were always stone faced in the tunnel; focused on one thing.
Tony J Williams
64 Posted 06/03/2015 at 13:35:44
Liam, Jags simply needs to start being a captain.

Bollocking players, getting in the refs face when the inevitably give a shitty decision against us, little crafty kicks to forwards.

That's the problem with this team, probably apart from Besic and perhaps McCarthy, they are all too nice.

We need a little Cahill type 'orrible niggly bastard in the side pronto.

Daniel A Johnson
65 Posted 06/03/2015 at 13:47:02
Jagielka is not a leader of men.
He's meek, mild, passive and is quite prepared to hide behind others. His war cry is more of a whimper.
Kevin Tully
66 Posted 06/03/2015 at 13:42:07
The side full of 'weaklings.' Mental weaklings. They accept their fate without so much as a murmur. They have been like this for years though, this pattern of behaviour is not something new.

This manager just seems to reinforce that mental weakness, which has turned into a recipe for disaster this season. Who in their right mind would have put Howard back in place of a man who had just kept three clean sheets? The stat's don't lie. Frankie has made the most mistakes leading to goals of any PL 'keeper. Martinez deserves no sympathy, he hasn't got the balls to make the right decisions. Barry should have been dropped this season, and Lukaku. Weak management, and even weaker players.

I've always maintained the best sides win the fight first, the football second. It's sickening to witness some of these players accept being bullied time and time again. Ref's must love getting an Everton game - easy afternoon ahead for all in black.

We have turned in to a 'team' of individuals who only look after themselves.

Daniel A Johnson
67 Posted 06/03/2015 at 14:02:15
Maybe we need a sports psychologist on board. Most top teams use them do we?
Daniel A Johnson
68 Posted 06/03/2015 at 14:03:04
At least Moyes looked hard I remember when he squared up against Mancini at City, only one winner there
Tony Abrahams
69 Posted 06/03/2015 at 14:04:50
Tony 64, look at McCarthy is head is starting to go.
Maybe it's because he's been here before with Roberto, but looking at the other night, he was actually doing all the work in midfield by himself.
We know we don't even need two defensive minded midfielders against Stoke, never mind three. But Gibson and Barry were so far off the pace it was embarrassing.
McCarthy also had a poor game, but it wasn't for the want of trying. Players should play there position. so in Barry and Gibson's case that should have meant midfield, and not Infront of the back four whenever McCarthy went to press the opposition.

All about opinions, and although I've seen Everton play a lot worse than the other night, it's a very long time since I've seen them so tactically inept.
If he's to keep his job, at least send him home to Spain for a few days to see his family. Nothing worse than being lost and maybe a few familiar faces might just take him out of this very sorry predicament!

Harold Matthews
71 Posted 06/03/2015 at 23:02:02
McCarthy and Naismith set out to show Stoke they were tough and hard. Pity they forgot to play football. Can't believe they were following orders, which begs the question. Who's in charge? Naismith should have been tight to the guy who crossed for the first goal but was busy mouthing off in the box and woke up too late.

Normally I blame the system but this time too many were intent on doing their own thing and it resulted in a complete shambles.

The only solution is a no-nonsense coach to replace Martinez immediately.

Adrian Breeden
72 Posted 07/03/2015 at 01:10:14
Lose at home to Newcastle this Sunday and 61 consecutive years of top-flight football is over (i.e. the domino effect). All hope will be gone.
Harold Matthews
73 Posted 07/03/2015 at 05:19:37
Sorry to Naisy (post 71. ) I got their first goal all wrong. Right now the TV is on pause and Bardsley is bringing the throw-in over his head. Naismith is six yards away with his back to the action calling and waving to Gibbo for help. Garbutt, who should be on Bardsley, is one of 7 marking 4 in the box. Completely out of position.

All this occured seconds after Naismith, McCarthy and Garbutt tried the heavy stuff with Bardsley which resulted in the Stoke throw. We lost concentration and were all out of position. Jags was more interested in keeping a straight back line than sticking with Moses. Amateur follies. Relegation stuff.

Dick Fearon
74 Posted 07/03/2015 at 11:24:27
For me it started early last season year when I mused about our back line and keeper having a kick about between themselves instead of shifting the ball upfield.
A few more sessions of that kind of rubbish and I realized it was part of Roberto's game plan. It was then that I voiced my frustration on these pages.
I wrote that it was not only pointless and boring but also potentially dangerous.
Most managers are not fools and quickly latched on to the gaping holes in Roberto's possession at all costs plan.
I reckon the dam burst last year at Anfield. Rodgers easily
out maneuvered our man and other managers simply followed Brenda's lead.
That was when Roberto aught to have made drastic changes of plan. A year later we are staring down the barrel and little has changed.
. From his utterances it seems he is totally bereft of any idea on how to save the situation.
His ridiculous inanities scream of a person who lives in a different world to the rest of football society.
Ian Doyle
75 Posted 08/03/2015 at 08:01:08
He seems more interested in what his sunbed tan looks like on TV every week than being captain for Everton.

Naismith should be captain: I know heÂ’s not everybodyÂ’s cup of tea but this guy gives everything. He knows he will get hurt every game and contests every single decision in a game.

Jags just plods along smiling mumbling thinking "Does my tan look good?"

Ben Winter
76 Posted 08/03/2015 at 08:45:05
The defeat at Stoke gave me comfort in the fact that Martinez would be relieved of his duties. To my utter dismay, he still runs our first team.

After watching Aston Villa in the last week, it proves that the Villa have found what we have been missing all season: passion and a game plan. I have no doubt installing Big Dunc for the remainder of the season would get a response and have the passion return to Goodison and to the players who seem to be sleepwalking into possible relegation.

I would be a big fan of Dunc with maybe Alan Irvine assisting. Irvine is a top coach, just not a top manager. The managerial team of Dunc and Irvine would be great in my opinion.

Will it happen? Probably not, but Bill must act now. It is already late, but not too late to get across the line and secure our premier league status.


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