Martinez aims to hit the ground running in August

It would be nice if Lukaku comes back a stone lighter too, he looked like he was carrying a bag of cement last season.

So I donÂ’t buy that excuse. Other teams dealt with it well, why couldnÂ’t we?

He has to start next season well because if he doesnÂ’t heÂ’ll be under massive pressure.

Have the fixtures been announced for Scotland?

Time for the Bill and Roberto act to be binned. Someone hail a TAXI!

We need new direction, from a new board and a Manager who has ideas, more than just plan A.

The team got criticised at the start of last season for being under cooked so they announce a new strategy for next season to involve more hours and they still get slaughtered.

Would you all have preferred it if they had announced that they were doing exactly as last year. If they had announced that, they would have been castigated even more.

The venue as to where the training takes place is irrelevant, itÂ’s about the hours that need to be put in which is what theyÂ’re rectifying.

This negativity which "beggars belief" were the "new Stratedgy" is being "slaughtered" . . .Where is it Mate ?

IÂ’ve read all the post and I don't see it , , ,is it in some sort of code ?

Bit like the comment "Atsu will be really important to us in the new year" — so much so that he didn’t contribute anything.

This guy doesnÂ’t check with his brain before making inane comments.

Then when we had a chance to make the final 8 he bottled it by going full out attack just like last year when we got on top of Arsenal for the 4th position and he went all attack against Crystal Palace. The spots on the leopard never change. Anymore than staying up is all the board cares about.

I guess Martinez looking and learning from last season isnÂ’t comment worthy, so just keep sticking the boot in on unrelated subjects?

No matter how much you wish, he’s never going to come out and say he got it wrong – you just need to read between the lines.

Anyone know where/when weÂ’re playing in Scotland?

Once again, insufficient planning by Bobbie.

Steavey, Jags isnÂ’t 34.

Quite a lot of us are prepared to give him a chance next season but he will have to prove that he has learned from his mistakes and at the very least I want to watch some attractive attacking football.

I well remember his "weÂ’ll be firing on all cylinders by February" comment.

I hope he hits the ground running alright. Running to another club...

However, I am also glad that he has recognised the need to actually be fit and ready for the start of the season. As has been mentioned earlier, the proof will be in the pudding but at least its a start.

Funny that. Because I canÂ’t remember it. Unbelievable.

WhoÂ’d have thought it eh! A team actually fit enough to play the game.

The mind-fucking boggles at his forward thinking...

From Jan 1st to March 31st we won 3 league games.

Does anyone actually understand what this statement means? Another Martinezballs nonsense statement as far as I can tell. Seriously, ask yourself do you really know what this means?

Next time you are challenged by your boss at work, just tell him/her that your intent has been fantastic. ItÂ’s bollocks, but you never know, the boss might just buy it.

HeÂ’s been here for two seasons now, during which I cannot recall him acknowledging that anything is his fault. A character flaw, in my view, but there it is. HeÂ’s flat not going to.

So, "a 60-session training plan" is it? HeÂ’s not going anywhere. So, I have to think (ie, "Hope") that the lightbulbÂ’s gone on over his head. LetÂ’s see if it works.

We very nearly did hit the ground running last year, if it hadnÂ’t been for the final 10 minutes against Arsenal things may have been very different.

IÂ’m willing to give Bobby the benefit of the doubt for the opening 10 fixtures, but things have clearly got to change, more so tactically than in terms of personnel.

We still have a core group of players capable of genuinely being phenomenal on their day. RM needs to find the right formula to make it happen soon or weÂ’re in danger of Bill getting on the phone to Fat Sam, and nobody wants that to happen surely?!

The problem we have is the longer he is allowed to stay, the bigger the rebuilding job for the new man and Bill will pull his usual "I wish we had more money" act.

I would love to get egg on my face next season and see the club do well but I honestly do not have any confidence in this fella.

What is a "60-session training plan" anyway?

Player? So much for keeping our most important performers, looks like our squad is going to be severely depleted by the end of the summer...

Haha. Seriously though, good to see heÂ’s identified the problem we all know there was with our last pre-season. LetÂ’s just hope thatÂ’s not the only mistake heÂ’s learned from.

COYB.

BTW Barry and Paul are also known as the Chuckle Brothers and their catchphrases included "To me, to you" and "Oh dear, oh dear".

People saying we have a wonderful squad and if we donÂ’t collect so many points from so many games then the manager is out. Jeeps. Where is this squad which should be winning this, that and the other? From where IÂ’m standing itÂ’s very unbalanced and severely deficient in several areas.

Old players on their way out and youngsters not up to Premier League standard. Question marks over Howard, Barry too slow, CBs vunerable to high balls, Lukaku and Naismith not scoring goals and keep losing possession, Mirallis playing Prima Donnas and Barkley failing to progress. WhereÂ’s this great squad? I canÂ’t see it. Jose Mourinho would struggle to succeed with that lot.

There wouldnÂ’t be this obvious squad unrest and disharmony. They wouldn't dare do it under Mourhino. Do you hear Hazard making any noises to the Belgian press.

This fella has no control nor direction just wishful thinking and empty statements. He has turned a top 4 defense into relegation standard, made our attacking ability totally sterile and destroyed the team spirit and harmony that Moyes built up.

John Terry is 36 and Drogba 37+ FFS. It is the manager's ability to motivate and direct that makes a difference despite a players age.

An avid reader of ToffeeWeb, but less so a commentor... But, these comments I keep reading are ridiculous, and not from the TWers, but Martinez.

Purely on his comments in this article, and only his actual quotes, none of the other stuff that orientates or directs us towards our opinions, just his quotes.

"I think coming back from the World Cup affected us defensively because we became a little bit loose" — Speaking of loose, Martinez, this comment is about as loose as it comes. What do you mean exactly? Do you mean porous, leaking goals, unable to defend set pieces? Please enlighten us, why would a return from a World Cup do all of this to Everton, and not say, Arsenal?

"There were many things that affected our first half of the season in the [Premier] League. Once we turned the year, our intent in the League was fantastic." — What were these things? Most people here seem to think it’s due to a poor pre-season, you swanning about at the World Cup, poor coaching, etc etc etc. I tend to agree.

Also, at the turn of the year, "the intent was fantastic" you say. Are you saying our "intent" for the first half was not there? Not results, but intent. If it’s just results, we know how bad they were... they continued well into March (in fact our wins at the turn of the year to the end of March equated to three). Nothing seemed to change in results, or intent – apart from a player leaving, and some unrest in your camp.

"I think by that point, most of the players had got over their hangover from the World Cup." — Oh, shut up! I cannot even be bothered to follow up on that one.

Whilst not denying there were large swathes of the season where we were in total disarray at the back, when were these boys ever "a top 4 defence"? They never have been and never will be, certainly not as a combined unit.

"John Terry is 36 and Drogba 37+ FFS.

It is the managers ability to motivate and direct that makes a difference despite a players age."

The comparion between those two and EvertonÂ’s elder statesman isnÂ’t apt at all. Terry and Drogba have been perennial winners throughout their time in the Premier League and have proved it time and time again. No matter what faults you may try to find in their game, they could never be criticised for lack of drive, determination and desire to win at all costs and by whatever means necessary. That sure as shit canÂ’t be said about the likes of Howard, Distin, Osman. TheyÂ’ve always fallen short and accepted glorious failure too readily, no matter what stage of their career and irrespective of their sprightly youth or seniority in the squad.

As for Mourinho getting Everton top 4? Perhaps he could, but it sure as shit wouldnÂ’t be with these current players. First thing heÂ’d do, after a short period of time to assess this squad, would be to fucking gut it and get rid of at least half of them.

Not sure if you all have forgotten Moyes, but I sure like a manager that wants to learn from his mistakes and keeps on trying to evolve (not Moyes). I donÂ’t know, however, if it will be enough or if it’s just big words.

Just taking into account Premier League games from start of season to end of November, they played 13. Won 5 drew 5 and lost 3. So 20 points from nearly a third of the games.

Arsenal fans probably thought that was poor. I think many draws were against so-called lesser teams.

I assume whether that is a good points total for Everton after a third of the season would depend on perspective and whether itÂ’s all about grinding out points (eg, Chelsea in the second half of the season) or do we want to see entertaining football, win or bust (like KeeganÂ’s team, Score more than opposition).

It may be that, in our current position, taking most of the things at the club into account, the way it appears to be run etc, (and I am not for one moment advocating we all settle for average performances throughout the club, including management, board, commercial side) we as fans may have to re-consider what we would like in the short-term and slightly lower our expectations. And then hope for a better outcome on the not too distant future.

I get the impression that Martinez's style of play in the first season totally surprised many of us. Second season was far too cautious. So do we advocate watching win or bust football and not much care for draws.

Win 7 lose 6 out of 13 games gives you 21 points. Over a season that gives you about 60 points.

As long as we go down fighting in the games we lose, it could be fun to watch. But I guarantee there would be some tears watching us play.

The same folks who also hated Moyes for his defensive counter attack play now hate Martinez for his possession play. My personal favourite comment today is ’he bottled it by going all out attack’ – genius! All we need now is Tony Marsh!

Roll on a summer of unambitious/not good enough/big time Charlie/some other problem transfers and a campaign of Robbie out from the first dropped point.

Nil satis nisi optimum!!!

What do you mean Â’then what would he doÂ’, Ian? Was I supposed to outline an entire imaginary reign for the man?

Ok. I suggest that the Â’I dream of JeanieÂ’ version of Jose would probably bring in players of his own choosing, with the capacity to to least consider actually achieving something as being within the realms of possibility. Players who he believed wouldnÂ’t surrender meekly and whose idea of a fighting response isnÂ’t basically to front up to some reporter from Everton TV and promise to make amends in the next game...Â’for the fans!Â’,

Wait! WhatÂ’s that you say? "..But he wouldnÂ’t have any money, dickÂ’ead". Really? Well he wouldnÂ’t fucking be here in the first place then, would he?

However, letÂ’s just roll with it....say he was feeling paticularly generous and game for a right good laugh, and agreed to get into bed with Â’Titan of the boardwalksÂ’ Bill and make do with a more miniscule budget than heÂ’s used to.

Maybe a manager who has been around as long as Jose has, has heard hushed whispers of something called... Â’player tradingÂ’?

He obviously doesnÂ’t rate Lukaku, so he wouldnÂ’t be long for this brave new world. 㿅-㿊m there, if heÂ’s lucky.

Maybe Barkley would be out the door for a lack of work ethic? 㿀m plus of your imaginary pounds right there.

Oh, what about the keeper? I canÂ’t see him trusting Howard as his last line of defence, what with him having floppier hands than that fucker who got melted by toxic waste in Robocop and looking like a younger version of Â’BlueÂ’ from Old School whenever he bends down to pick the ball out of the net. So heÂ’d be going bye, bye, to some MLS outfit for a couple of mill.

Maybe heÂ’d put Kone through a mincer and flog the pieces to whichever wanker comes up with new Pot Noodle flavours? They could come up with new packaging and everything....a pot shaped like a cone and made out of cheap imitation plaster cast so all the contents seep through when wet and whoever was daft enough to buy it can exclaim "what a waste of fucking money that was". All the proceeds could go towards a new ground and, just to show weÂ’re not ungrateful for his sacrifice, we could do a play on his name and call it Â’The Piss Pot ArounaÂ’.

How the hell am I supposed to know and why would I spend more than 60 seconds even thinking about it?

Poor preparation last year is surely down to RM, his role in media in particular. Exactly how many players did we end up with from his summer excursion? One, in Besic. Last summer transfer activity was lazy at best, signed players who were on loan and failed to strengthen in areas that needed it, all the while going into European Competition to boot.

I posted many years ago about the lack of quality in our friendlies and got shot down by MK in the first comment as we were playing Athletico Madrid (if memory serves me right). This for me still holds pure as the better the opposition the better the preparation. I fail to see how playing at a 50% capacity against a lesser team helps, when playing the likes of Real Madrid and Juventus has the players at their max.

The tournament we're involved in is piss poor, our likely opposition being fellow Premier League teams. I appreciate the US tournament in 2013 was an invitational but itÂ’s these kind of things we need to be in at the very least to raise our profile and play better sides. I appreciate it was never going to be frequent event as weÂ’re probably deemed unfashionable and a small club, if not by third parties but by certainly in the mentality of those running the club and in particular the so-called commercial team.

Every year we seem to screw up one way or another pre-season. I donÂ’t put that solely at RMÂ’s door but at the club in general.

IÂ’ve said all the way through this difficult second season that what Martinez needs to do is learn from the mistakes. HeÂ’s unusual in that when he talks, the things he says seems to suggest that he hasnÂ’t learnt at all, but there is a growing list of things that he is actually doing differently that suggest he may yet get things right.

I also agree that the pre-season fixtures themselves are important. I want our players to go out on August 8th having been involved in high profile matches against the worldÂ’s (other) biggest clubs. I think this is not only better footballing preparation, in terms of having high standards, but it also boosts them psychologically, and gives them a sense that they belong at that level.

Perhaps a new rule might be to ignore what Martinez says and look at what he actually does. The different pre-season, no Europe and, just maybe, a realisation that he needs to get results first and win the pass count second, lead me to believe that we still have a chance of having a third season more like the first one than the second.

Think your treatment of Kone seems a bit harsh :)

Apart from that, canÂ’t find fault with your reply.

Thanks

"Wendell - IÂ’d like full and docile co-operation on every topic."

That would be interesting to listen to.

IÂ’d see Rogers buckling long before Roberto.

The Premier League has altered drastically within the last two years and we are now facing teams which have strengthened enormously.

As for the back four. When Moyes was here we had a cracking defence with Distin and Jags working well together, Pienaar helping Baines and Fellaini in midfield. Sadly those days have gone and hopefully things will improve. Martinez says he has learnt a lot and was forced to change his methods. We can only hope there are brighter times ahead.

Sadly, these days, a Manager like Mourinho wouldn’t touch a club like Everton if excessive money for buying new players isn’t there.

It would be more of a challenge and probably more satisfying but if they failed.....

As far as other top managers go, how would they cope without their double squads of international players? They panic now when a top player gets injured. A manager has to get the right player to suit the team, get the best from a not as gifted individual get extra from a veteran and blood the youngsters too.

I think there is only a few coaches with this ability, Laudrup, Bilic and Hughes spring to mind. If we had mega bucks... different story. Just not a guy that is blinkered for ¾ of the season.

I would like to see us actually win some pre-season games rather than get turned over by the likes of Paderborn. Losing is a dreadful habit in any sport and you never take the field with the intention of losing.

One other point I would like to make is that we have lots of talent at the club already. If the answer is the transfer market then we are not going to improve considerably with the likes of Scott Dann and Cleverley, good pros that they are.

Howard, Coleman, Baines, Jagielka, Stones, Besic, Barry, McCarthy, Barkley, Lukaku, Naismith, Mirallas, Osman, Pienaar and Oviedo are all top pros and Martinez needs to get some togetherness and some consistency of performance out of them.

Last season was in my humble opinion, the worst Premier League ever. It is there for the taking. Liverpool, Man Utd, Newcastle Utd, Aston Villa all pants – only Chelsea and Arsenal anywhere near previous seasons.

Martinez has until December in my book to show substantial progress or he should go. DonÂ’t get me started on the board, they have done nothing.

Being positive, I am hoping for the best.

You donÂ’t mention Gibson, a potential lynchpin of midfield if fit, so I can only assume youÂ’ve written him off? I wish it were otherwise, as he has much to offer, most notably an eye for a forward pass.

Surely, the answer lies in turning to our youth to see if they make the grade? The likes of Browning, Galloway, Garbutt, Ledson and now Henen should either be given their chance selectively with some game time, or be sent out on loan to gain experience, or sold.

This Under-21 set up is not really serving itÂ’s purpose. As other contributors have mentioned, sadly, we can no longer compete for the very best players , and we are swimming in the same pond as the likes of Stoke, Newcastle and West Brom for the players we can afford.

Is it not possible that a top coach who has won loads of stuff might not buy into the idea of reviving a giant and taking on the task of winning rather than buying success. If Mourinho won the league with Everton it would eclipse any challenge he has faced.

I accept that we are limited in buying players but I cannot accept that Roberto Martinez is the best coach our money can buy.

Moyes left a hardcore of serious professionals some recruited for a song. I think IÂ’m right in saying Moyes recruited Stones! Martinez needs to improve his recruitment. I like Cleverley, he would be a good start at the right age.

Your point about age is well made. Osman is brilliant for half an hour against teams that park the bus or when you want to keep the ball. Pienaar, well, I for one would love to see him come back to form, he can be poetry in motion.

The goalkeeping is a concern, Howard showed clear signs of deteriorating last season but when he plays well the team does well and he deserves some loyalty (I didnÂ’t feel that after Leicester or Crystal Palace mind). I have renewed my season ticket and I travel from Grimsby to see the games, itÂ’s a long way to watch the boring tripe I watched last season but I do believe we can have a right good season with a good start. COYB.

But so do a lot of people on here. What does Â’the proof is in the pudding meanÂ’?

ItÂ’s as stupid as El Bob

The proof of the pudding is in the Eating makes sense

We get the manager we deserve...

I think Martinez was a lazy appointment on recommendation from (BillÂ’s pal?) Dave Whelan.

BK hasn’t got the time or the inclination to run EFC – he just basks in the fact he is chairman and comes North to watch the games every couple of weeks.

We do not have the resources of the top 4-5 clubs financially and we have to find a way to blend youth and development with opportunistic buys and one or two older experienced heads.

We are starting to see the youthful future coming through and this season ahead will be a big bounce. Those that have insight can see the green shoots of a very good passing team which does not come overnight.

Next season, we will see a big bounce back and a strong pre-season. The banal cliché ridden negativity needs to be ignored for the green shots of something special. Howard Kendall was in the ditch with a lot worse squad situation but he focused on green shoots and it came good... something similar would be nice!

But all the talk, the manager’s, his critics’ and his admirers’ counts for nothing when the ball starts rolling come August.

This time round I’d be hoping to hear less from the manager, win or lose. Just leave us to judge him and his team on the figure in the ultimate right-hand column. S’all that really matters, eh ?

As regards the youth players coming through, one of our top young players is about to leave (Garbutt) and Barkley has gone backwards under this manager.

As regards passing. If you count passing backwards and forwards along the back 4 ad infinitum as progress, then Yes, you are right.

Is this the kind of football Evertonians want to see? Obviously not from the reaction of the majority of posters.

Every successful side is well balanced with a sprinkling of world class players. Where do you see that in a Martinez side?

I have done nothing but be negative all season...but I have to take exception to your post(s). Â’One of our top youth playersÂ’ Luke Garbutt. I cant take it anymore! Is he better than Baines? Is he better than Oviedo...who, also a youngster, given the opportunity of first team football did far more than Garbutt has done.

At least our guy blamed his failings on the World Cup when so many on here thought HIS staff were found very much wanting on last yearÂ’s poor pre-season preparation!

My point was in respect of Steven posting that we should be optimistic because RM had a lot of young players coming through.

I agree with you about Bainesy; not so sure about Oviedo because of his injury record and I also happen to think we could play Garbutt and Baines in the same team given our left sided problems last season.

At least our manager has reflected on last season. No World Cup, no Europa League... and no excuses!

Martinez has always stated when he first arrived that full out fitness wasnÂ’t important as it wasnÂ’t realistic as you were not running with the ball. Moyes didn't have them touch a ball for half the pre-season as he felt fitness was the key whereas Martinez cut back the fitness and concentrated on ball skills more. Much to our detriment the season just past.