Martinez insistent that summer window was a success

Whether it outweighs some of the transfer market failures is a totally different matter.

If he can get what is more or less the same squad of players to perform the way they did two seasons ago then fine but, otherwise, the summer business was merely adequate in maintaining the status quo.

You can't expect him to say it was a great window but sometimes the spin he puts on it drives me nuts.

Why can't he just say he was satisfied with the business done, and that the aim is to get back in Europe, without all the hyperbole?

I love optimism, but not blind optimism.

Never thought I would see a manager who is a carbon copy of Billy liar.

How can we have any optimism when we are constantly fed bullshit.

I just pray and hope that this bunch of clowns are changed out as soon as possible for an honest, forward thinking management team.

This is his squad and he is trying to build it his way with what money is available. It has been his plan right from the start. Putting together a squad of reasonably priced individuals who would play as a team and compete for a place in Europe. How long it will take to achieve this is anyone's guess but I hope he succeeds.

Personally, I think the odds are against it happening any time soon. Present form probably puts us around the middle of the table and the teams below are improving hand over fist. Quite frankly, I have no idea of how we will fare against these vastly changed sides. Home or away, every match will be hard fought and we'll definitely need better luck on the injury front. Happy days.

Our manager is saying just that.

He can be frustrating, I for one would have been happy to see him sacked, but I do agree the squad has improved.

He has pointed out how it's improved and it's hard to argue with him.

Del boy and Cleverly improve the first team, the 3 young lads give us extra hope for the future and Mori has to be an improvement on Alkaraz no matter how he plays.

And signing 2 other players that we already had last season isn't progress.

So we've signed 2 first team midfielders for an already packed midfield, a back up centre back / replacement for Stones / Jagielka and 2 for the future while not addressing the key position the manager identified as a priority.

I know that Martinez likes to paint a rosy picture but it's hardly been an inspiring window.

So now it's down to the manager to play these players in a manner that translates into success on the pitch.

I'm just fed up watching our workhorse central midfield. I want some class in there! Probably no chance getting him next window as he is closer to the end of his contract and more big clubs will be after him.

Let's see what happens with their C/L progress and if he becomes available in January.

Otherwise we have brought in some good young players and two experienced Premier League players in Cleverley and Lennon and so far, Cleverley has impressed me with his energy and intelligence. I think Lennon was a reasonable buy and getting Gerry in plus the two young South Americans is a bit of a gamble but better that, than getting someone in a rush.

We all accept the requirement for some positivity BUT he didn't achieve his primary and publicly stated objectives so overall it was a failure. If Lukaku gets injured or loses form, we have no proven goal scorer (Austin could have helped).

If Stones or Jags get injured or lose form, we have no established centre-back (Evans could have helped).

We don't have a consistent No 10 (yes, Barkley has started the season well but most on here are starting to see his best position as coming from deeper).

There's FUNDAMENTAL issues with the squad that haven't been addressed.

We may beat Chelsea today and beat some teams above us BUT over the course of the season, the squad is ill-resourced to make a genuine attempt at top 4 (which again is the stated ambition). In which case, the window was a failure. And to perceive it as anything else is nonsense for the reasons I've given.

The fact is that is bullshit because for one there is no strategy in place at Everton; they are a plodding football club taking each day as it comes. Yarmolenko was clearly not identified 6 months ago and neither was probably any other Number 10.

He goes on to say that the next step in Stone's career is 'Champions League with Everton'. Again, is that an open door for Chelsea? Doesn't sound like it. I think he was actually trying to point out again, in the clumsiest way possible, the inadequacies of the whole transfer window system, using Stones as an example but as usual, his feeble use of the English language has allowed the press to open their own door and begin a new 'Stones to Chelsea' saga, when a dignified silence on the matter after the summer's hullabaloo would have been the thing to do.

As I said at the beginning, when will the man learn when to keep his mouth shut. He didn't need to say one more word on the Stones affair but here he goes again, opening his mouth and sticking his brown-shoed foot right in it! Well done Roberto... not!!!

The whole saga is typical of plucky little Everton when we should be showing some ambition and only time will tell where our policy will get us.

By changing the manager, or at least the system, maybe, but it's usually better players, that improve a team. Surely?

Steven Naismith is an important member of our squad, who gives his all in every game, and most importantly HE SCORES GOALS. I cannot for the life of me understand the people on here who don't seem to appreciate the contribution Naisy has made to the overall squad in the last two seasons.

After Rom and Mirallas, he was our third top scorer last year, and if four of his 'goals' hadn't later been chalked off due to deflections and been judged to be own goals, he'd have been second behind big Rom.

Anyway, HAPPY BIRTHDAY for tomorrow, Steven, and your hat-trick couldn't have happened to a nicer bloke.

On an even brighter note... it would be nice if we could afford a marque signing every other window and get some quality to back the team up in-between.