Gibson has a future at Everton

We’re on the road to ruin and there’s nothing that can be done about it. Maybe we deserve what we get if we don’t make it clear enough that this manager is just awful and should be shown the door.

Even Fat Sam at West Ham has less haters than Martinez.

Can you really see us going on a good run of wins, playing attractive entertaining football? It would be nothing short of a miracle if it happens.

We should see how his final year goes and then evaluate the situation... we’re becoming a cross between a knackers yard and an OAP’s home.

Most of our contracts become liabilities as soon as they’re signed... not a good way to run a football club – or any business for that matter.

Another manager would keep quiet on the subject, and maybe have a private chat with the lad and tell him we may look at a new contract next season if and when he can prove his long-term fitness.Gibbo must be laughing all the way to the treatment table, with a warm fuzzy glow in his wallet to help dull the pain.

I really cannot see why people think Gibson will be laughing all the way to the treatment table whilst lining his pocket. I am sure he will be devastated not to be fit. I seem to remember Jagielka picking up a cruciate ligament injury at about the same age as Gibson and he recovered well enough.

I appreciate Gibson has had injuries throughout his career but let’s hope that one day he can put injuries behind him and play enough games for Everton to be one of the best we have had.

If he can keep fit, I certainly don’t want to see him performing every week for another team.

Ernie (8) - "Where did he say he was offering him a new contract?"

Good question and the answer is nowhere, but that’s (obviously) not going to stop some getting worked up about a contract that hasn’t been mentioned.

Example?

Brian Porter (7) - "Another manager would keep quiet on the subject, and maybe have a private chat with the lad and tell him we may look at a new contract next season if and when he can prove his long-term fitness. Gibbo must be laughing all the way to the treatment table, with a warm fuzzy glow in his wallet to help dull the pain."

Couple of points.

First of all the idea that the player is somehow happy with his personal situation (one that must be depressing and frustrating in the extreme) is both ludicrous and insulting.

(Or maybe when Gibson said "..spending a year on the sidelines last season was frustrating and demoralising", he was actually made up and ’laughing all the way to the treatment table’?)

Secondly, who can prove their long-term fitness – how’s that done?

A player could spend months ’proving’ his fitness, only to crack a bone, strain his groin, break a toe (etc etc) first time back at light training.

I have no doubt if the player passed every fitness medical test known to man, but had his leg broken by a bad tackle, there’d be plenty on here whining "he’s a fuckin’ waste of space, he’s robbing us blind" etc blah.

Most of what I have read on TW about Gibson recently, has told me nothing about the player – his injuries, fitness, state-of-mind etc, but has revealed a lot about how some posters deal with disappointment (basically in the same way toddlers react to having their toys taken off them).

Finally, even if the word ’contract’ had been mentioned, it wouldn’t automatically mean 5 years at 㿨k a week (sometimes known as ’a Neville’). There are one-year extensions and and pay-as-you-play contracts too.

It’s horrible for us and for him that he is never fit for long enough as we have all seen what a difference he can make.

He can pass and talk when nobody else in the team seems to have a clue.

We need a fit "Gibson type" next season.

That’s the real priority signing.

Some players have a run of bad injuries then come good later in their career, like Peter Reid. Next season will be make or break (sorry) for Gibson. Unless he stays fit for most of the campaign, he will be out, which will be a great shame for a talented footballer.

It underscores our need for a playmaker. We only have three: Gibson is always injured, Osman is too old, and Barkley is too inconsistent.

I think he expresses this gratitude when he plays, always gives 100%. Commitment and loyalty always go down well in my book! And he can play too.

You better not read too many match reports from this season then, or you’ll be jumping down people’s throats left, right and centre.

In addition, we have this variation on the "absence makes the heart grow fonder" theme. In that, so infrequent have been his appearances that he seems to be seen as a better player in some people’s eyes with each successive absence! I would just like to know on what evidence people can point to that make him capable of becoming "one of Everton’s best" (as one poster put it on another post). Is it because of the ludicrous situation of a dearth amongst the present squad of people who can play the "unbelievably difficult art" of an incisive forward pass?

Gibson in his earlier career at youth and Man Utd squad levels showed signs of really being able to strike a ball goalwards etc. Sadly in recent times he incurs injuries just passing it. Sad indeed but such is Everton’s need at present that they simply do not have the luxury of living in hope or make believe.

I assume you are referring to my earlier post about my hope that Gibson can in time become one of Everton’s best when you ask about what evidence there is to support him becoming one of Everton’s best. It’s based on hope and what I have seen him do in his brief appearances for which ever team he has played for.

Your post does make some sense and especially liked your comment about being able to pass the ball forward. I have always found that a useful tactic.

However I may be missing your point about his absences making the heart grow fonder etc. Its been a long day at work :) I am not sure if people see him as a better player each time he is absent.

I feel that every time he plays he shows what he is capable of and admittedly I don’t get to see games live so can’t truly compare but in the matches I have seen on TV etc when he plays there seems to be more movement in players around him as they probably think there is a better chance of them getting the ball.

No, sorry, that won’t restore my faith in him – quite the opposite actually. He wouldn’t know a good player if he turned round and smacked him in the face.

Roger, I think the idea was that suffering another injury, especially a relatively minor injury, that still sidelines you after coming back successfully from a truly major injury is devastating. Not a RM fan but I didn’t think he was talking gibberish this time, just letting his player know he has his back.

3 scrappy, lucky wins playing shocking football, with barely any structure or organisation to our play whatsoever is not a way of restoring the faith. If we can go from that crap v QPR and Southampton to playing like we did last season in 3 weeks I’ll bow down to Martinez and kiss his feet.

Gibson is a very average playmaker at this level and is ridiculously injury prone.

It’s sad that so many accept that this is our level of expectation. Gibson, Howard, Naismith, Hibbert, Kone, Alcaraz, Osman etc etc...poor players, shocking contracts.

Correct. RM has been doling out contract rediculous extensions. Like Hibbert who has hardly been fit for three seasons. Another weird one is McAleny who is 23 and has a contract to 2017. If a striker hasn’t made it by 23, he probably never will.