From My Seat: Leicester (H)

Dave Cooper, you encouraged me to be optimistic for once regarding Everton. I took heart from your comments and also thought we would win – idiot that I am.

"The players may not feel it, but we certainly do and there lies the rub." I wonder what they do think?

The most worrying aspect is the constant poor defending. Leicester were organised and well coached and put their bodies on the line time after time.

We are underachieving: 5 wins all season is pathetic and the teams above without doing much are starting to pull away.

I've no faith in Martinez to turn things around despite all his ramblings. Another mid-table finish will see an exodus of players.

I got tired watching the subs warming up! It took so long to put them on... and Deulofeu, what is up with him? Ken you are so right he wants a foul every time he is touched, but what is worse is he stops playing. I hope he gets a whistle for Christmas with instructions to play on until he hears it.

Cannot see us getting top 4 and top 6 is fading fast with the results. The same old, Leicester where good but there was no way they were going to score three goals – until the early Christmas presents from Everton.

RM keeps saying they have to learn; I just hope he's not saying the same with a couple of games to go as we hang onto 15th place.

All the best to all ToffeeWebers.

Dave, I went for an optimistic 2-1 win, but we really did shoot ourselves in the foot. A slippy ball, tough conditions, lots of possession, but silly errors cost us again. When will we outplay a decent team?

Geri's emergence has been Rom's best hope of a goal, and as teams wise-up to his threat, and cut off that supply line, we see Rom come deeper, looking for the ball, and only Barkley looking to play him in, and usually getting the pass wrong.

We had to wait for the overdue appearance of Mirallas to look more dangerous. Why, oh why, didn't Martinez put him on earlier (ie, half time)? Also it would have been good to have Deulofeu and Mirallas posing problems on both wings, as nothing had been coming from our left-hand side.

Kone was awful again: slow, ponderous, poor lay-offs and indecision. Why does Martinez give him so much leeway, when he fails to produce?

A left-sided player is a must; Oviedo could be the answer, if he ever gets fit again.

Most of the players' heads slumped after the third goal; as you say, Barry was one of the few who kept going. I thought Cleverley matched him as well.

What's next for this club? Martinez will stay, that's for sure, but many will wish him gone, including me.

Interesting that Kenwright was present on the day the plane flew over, thanking him for his efforts towards Everton... thanking him for what exactly?

Merry Christmas, Ken, and thanks for your excellent reports throughout the year.

Regarding the events of yesterday, how long is it since we kept a clean sheet, the Villa game? It's time that this mid-table team got a bit of a shaking up on St Stephen's Day. Robles and Mirallas and McCarthy to start.

With two games to go to the mid point in the season it looks to me that we won't finish ahead of any of the teams occupying the top 4 at present and are unlikely now to finish ahead of Manchester United and Crystal Palace.

Given our relative lack of injuries, it's very disappointing.

Galloway is the only good defender we've got who sticks to the basics of man-marking and doesn't lose his man often, like others do. I want to see a good defensive performance now; enough is enough.

This was the period of games where we were supposed to get back in contention for top 4. The next 3 games should decide Martinez's future: 7 points is a must.

We are just not hungry enough, and that was plainly on view yesterday. Mirallas is the best finisher at the club. For god's sake, get him off the bench and use him!

Martinez's ego will not allow him to change.

Remember last season he refused to change until the supporters frustration pushed the players to change tactics.

There has been no reason for weeks why Mirallas should not have been starting in place of Kone apart from Martinez's ego.

His obsession to play it on the deck at all times is so frustrating. Sometimes the ball needs hoofing and that's a fact.

If allowed to continue his ego will do us in

One looked at Leicester who provided a huge contrast with every player working their socks off as though playing for their lives, never mind a top-of-the-league placing. They sat deep, made sure the game was disrupted when necessary with players lying on the ground waiting for the referee to halt play and by taking an age over goal kicks.

Our players got drawn into pushing too far forward with the result our back line was badly exposed once Leicester chose their moment to break out. They were clinical and incisive while we looked hesitant and slow. We were fortunate the final score was not 5-2.

Too many of our players are under the illusion they are a good team. It is time they and their manager woke up to the fact that in this league teams can only be successful if they at least match the effort of their opponents.

Good luck to Leicester. They are showing what can be achieved if players operate in a simple structure and work hard.

All the talk of top four or even Europe seems way wide of the mark to me, it'll be all we can do to finish in the top half this season. Martinez needs to get the best out of this squad of players otherwise the best will move on & he'll have to rebuild from scratch.

If we can cast our minds back to Martinez's Wigan days, the current style of play is exactly the same with the end result being relegation staring us in the face. The way forward for Everton is to get 40 points as quickly as possible ensuring survival in the Premier League and then a recruitment drive for a new manager.

This is not a gut reaction as I was one willing to give Martinez a chance to turn things around this season; however now it is obvious the change has to be made.

Two penalties and a handball, they have had 8 penalties this season I think they are having enough luck already!

To be fair, after the Sunderland and Aston Villa games, our manager's stock was high and the quality of football provided was being lauded to the skies. Only after a loss does the tide turn – so a couple of wins over Xmas will see peace on the blogs restored and his reputation intact.

We are a fickle lot!

The world and mother (seemingly with the exception of Roberto) we play some great stuff attack-wise and defensively we're a shambles, despite having top drawer defenders, with the full backs at one time considered the best pair in the division and was part of the best defence in the division.

Sadly Roberto has previous; Wigan's defence was shambolic so he's not learning from his past mistakes, and worse still he's got better players to work on. So what can be done? IMHO the answer lies in yesterday's opposition-Ladeees and gentlemen, I give you 4-4-2!!

Yes people criticise it as 'too rigid' and 'old fashioned' but there's little doubt that two banks of four gives defensive solidity, in addition too rigid? Witness their 2nd goal Mahrez, who's a wide player, went through the middle unchallenged, despite the fact that, in the system we play, there should be at least one DM to stop the run.

Great 4-4-2 teams down the years have have always had flexibility in the system. But for me 4-2-3-1 has had it's day. However, I don't expect RM to change the system anytime soon, so it will be more of the same.

Final point, RM could do worse than sit the players down and watch yesterday's game and admire Leicester's workrate. It isn't just the Vardy & Mahrez show, everyone works for the team, and the old (dare I say it) Liverpool way of working twice as hard when you haven't got the ball. Final RS point; Leicester's front 2 gave a Daglish & Rush masterclass of defending from the front.

To state the bleedin' obvious, there's lot's to do to get on track; we've got all the right ingredients, but the cake tastes a bit shitty.

As ever a good read. For some reason yesterday we all hoped for more – we should have known better!

If Deulofeu is not on song, the rest of our build-up play is too slow ever to catch the opposition out.

That, coupled with Martinez's now customary paralysis over substitutions, mean things are looking bleak.

Ken, the editors, ToffeeWebers and Evertonians everywhere have a great Christmas and we should pray that Martinez has a footballing epiphany before Boxing Day!

Now we have a system where we have a right winger, and on the left we have a Kone??? The more I see teams playing our system, they're always vulnerable from wide. In addition, if they play with two out-and-out defensive midfielders, they offer nothing in forward play, goals etc.

I'd like us to change to a mid 4 or Deulofeu, Barkley, Barry (MacCarthy), Mirallas, with Lukaku Kone (Naismith or even Mirallas) and put Lennon or even Baines wide left. We need to stop the goals flying in; a coupe of 0-0, 1-0 scorelines would be nice and needed.

It's a great shame because, if ever there was an opportunity to break into the top four, this was the season.

Ken, thanks for all your reports, which I always enjoy. All the best for Christmas and the New Year.

Push him up 10-15 yds and he'll start more attacks, he'll drive forward with the ball but to me he is not a PL centre half, he would be in Spain, Germany, Italy but not in England with a lot of emphasis on aerial attacks and big brutes up front.

Second point is someone quickly needs to get a grip of Deulofeu, his screams when he's touched are an embarrassment to the club. He will be targeted every game and unless he can rise above it he will become useless to us, as recent games have shown once he's hit he doesn't want to know.

We all always look forward to your reports as being unbiased and interesting.

I believe that there is a new order this season with good managers such as Leicester, Watford and even Bournemouth (who have suffered some awful luck this season) working out the outdated tactic of possession football.

We are seeing teams like Swansea, Southampton, Chelsea, The RS, us and even the mighty monied Man City troubled by much lesser teams who play with intensity and aggression and a clear sense of purpose while our BS manager makes statements like "it's a squad game" and "We must defend better" and then sends out exactly the same team and formation with the same tactics and expects a different result.

His view is that Moyes's availability carries a threat to the Catalan in that if the New Year sees a dip in our fortunes similar to last year, BK will turn to him as a very safe pair of hands...

Gives new resonance to the much used saying "Be careful what you wish for", doesn't it?

He is easy to read, and so his ability to bring it out is less effective. He rarely plays a definitive pass anyway, he normally beats a couple of players and then slides it to Barry or Barkley anyway. So why bother?

He would be better suited to Spain, France or Italy where the pace is slower and teams tend to sit-off and let the opposition have possession. Your idea of using him in midfield could be good, I wonder if they have tried it in training? Personally, I think he can make a great centre-half. He has age on his side, is tall and can play a bit.

I wasn't that impressed with his partnership with Jags, and think Jags is better with a monster (Distin, Lescott) to take most of the headers. I imagine Stones is hard to play with, as no-one knows what he is going to do next.

Perhaps when Jags returns, we could see him with Funes Mori, and see how two no-nonsense centre-backs get on?

Souness (yeh I know) made the same point after the Swansea game, as Swansea had, I can't remember the exact figure, 380+ passes with not a goal to show for it whereas Watford had a 80 passes less and scored 3.

It seems that RM & Co have forgotten the object of the exercise is to score more than the opposition.

Up the Blues!

He is not going to change. He may temporarily adapt when the pressure builds as it did last season, but his ego will prevail. Some people are hoping for the "Kendall" scenario where a touch of good fortune will change everything, but Martinez is no Kendall, a man who won as a player, saved us from relegation as a player, learned from mistakes as a manager then won trophies and devotion from his players. A manager who knew the value of defending, surprising us when he axed players most of us thought were satisfactory such as Bailey and Mountfield, bringing in stronger replacements in Van den Heuwe and Watson.

I would love us to win a trophy, the League Cup would be great. But should that happen I have to confess there would be some unease in my celebrations as it would prolong the tenure of Martinez, who has it in him to get us relegated over the next few years if he remains.

Thanks for your reports throughout the year Ken, I always look forward to them. Very best wishes to you and yours, and to Lyndon, Michael and everyone out there.

We then have Stones putting his foot on the ball, rolling it about a few times trying to look classy before walking slowly forward wondering why everyone is now tightly marked. Never mind, he passes it across to Funes Mori who passes it to Baines who passes it back.

All the best for the New Year, Phil, and to everyone else who reads this.

John Humphrys: Roberto, when your centre half has the ball in a dangerous situation, what should he do?

RM: pass

JH: If Ross has a great shooting opportunity, what is the best option?

RM: pass

JH: When any of your players has the ball, what should be foremost in their thoughts?

RM: pass

JH: Roberto, you scored no points, but you did break the record for the most passes! Phenomenal!

"I sometimes wonder which way we are playing. Lukaku's very first touch of the ball was a 30yd backpass."

Harold, I normally associate your posts with common sense but the above seems to be a bit unfair to Rom. It's not that long ago that most of his first touches were backpasses but he really seems to improved on that part of his game. Unfortunately Kone (changing the subject, not the mention him) while having good ball control (still), seems to have lost any sense of shooting for goal - that frustrated me no end on Saturday.

Agree with your point about Stones. I did post elsewhere that after that age of ambling about with the ball he often passes it to a winger now tightly marked. I remember you stressing weaknesses in the guy's defending in his early days playing first team football for us and my thinking that a bit harsh (I'm a glass half full guy!). But those weaknesses you highlighted do seem to occur too often for comfort.

What do you think of the possibility of Stones in a creative midfield position, as a few have suggested?

"On other days we'd give away soft goals and draw – or even lose – matches that we should have won easily. Sometimes it left us bewildered. If we had a problem, it was a lack of ruthlessness."

How pertinent, it could have been written about the current Everton team. I remember well what happened the next season!

Over the years we've had Arteta, Osman, Naismith etc playing on the wing and now we have Kone stuck out wide but systems are irrelevant when the goalkeeper fails to command the penalty area. The major problem we have though is the lack of tactical nouse exhibited by the manager.

I don't believe you can play two attacking fullbacks as well as two wide players who lack defensive instincts against the top teams without exposing the centre of the defence.

Everton's strength lies in midfield, at fullback and with a striker in form. 4-4-2 would be the ideal system.

The first signing Everton need to make is an experienced goalkeeper who bosses his defence. The back four picks itself. The fullbacks should be encouraged to attack the opposition fullbacks at every opportunity BUT they shouldn't forget that their first responsibility is to defend.

When we have everyone fit we have six good midfielders and all six should be utilised to keep things fresh. Their duties would be simple, win the ball and use it wisely, their first instinct must be play the ball forward, support the strikers, cover the fullbacks and run the legs off the opposition. Lukaku up front with one from Deulofeu, Mirallas, Kone or Naismith depending on form and the opposition. Deulofeu is in the driving seat at the moment.

My team would be:

Anyone but Tim Howard;
Coleman, Stones, Jagielka, Baines;
Cleverley, Barkley, Barry, McCarthy (with Gibson or Besic ready to replace anyone under performing);
Lukaku and Deulofeu (with Mirallas ready to come on if necessary).

Everton have to stop losing games from winning positions, be ruthless in attack and uncompromising when defending. Row Z is there for a reason.