Shift in mentality persuaded Mirallas to stay

Maybe embarrassing Chelsea on and off the pitch was just the start.

'It's possible last season, or the season before, that Stones goes to Chelsea, McCarthy goes to Tottenham, and I go to another team. But now it's changed'

Yeah right, 'another team.'

But who Kev?

Real Madrid maybe?

Barcelona?

Dynamo Eggandchips?

Because the thing is, I don't remember any bids for you and maybe because there wasn't any bids, your arse started to go, you realised at 27 your best bet was to shut the fuck up and sign a new deal with us.

Seriously, just get your head down, shut your grid and do what you're incredibly well-paid to do.

The point is a team's ability to bring in better players. And if that's how the transfer window is to be viewed then we didn't do very well. But luckily for Kev, that is the case, and he and his Mrs will be very happy.

This sort of tripe works with elections because most voters only half-heartedly listen to the news and they have short memories – but fans take their sport seriously.

If his contract was signed before the Stones affair how could that have influenced him.

However, I remain convinced that Kev is one of our most lethal players and as such a very valuable member of the squad, despite some of the abuse he gets on here.

Mirallas signed his new contract on August 7th, by which point Chelsea had seen two bids rejected, Everton had set their 'not for sale' stall out and everybody was already bored off their tits by the whole saga.

Surprised you don't recall it though, Eugene. Seem to remember you advocating a 'you can shove your mucky melons and muff money' stance at the time!

Not sure Martinez has his number at all. Still not entirely sure Martinez knows his own number. Can't criticise Mirallas when he isn't played; so far this season he has 1 goal in 2 starts.

Although we missed out on the number 10 the window was very successful for the reasons Kev has outlined. It sends a message to players that we mean business and aren't just a feeder for the CL teams. If we can maintain our current form and reinforce in the January window who knows what we can achieve this season!

It's that kind of attitude that wins games on a cold wet winters night.

After Saturday's game there is renewed optimism, even on TW.

Super Kev will need to step up at least a couple of gears in the Premier League this year to be worth keeping hold of.

Still, at least his wife "is happy".

He can score a goal or two. He is a good player. He's just not as good as he thinks he is. He's too one-dimensional. When Mirallas has the ball any where near the 18 yard box, head down, he's going to shoot. If he could only have a look for the open man beforehand, and slip a teammate a pass once in while, my opinion of him would rise considerably.

He possesses great skill and good pace but his decision-making can let him down. However although Darryl (#24), is correct in Kev's selfishness, it is a trait I don't mind in him, as over the last year we have lacked a player who just takes a pop instead of shirking responsibility and moving the ball on sideways for a mate to try.

Kev should be grumpy on the bench, waiting, hoping for an injury, I mean that is the only way he is going to get a run-out, as the wingers only seem to get on in the last 6 minutes.

This season, they look solid on those fronts and are now working on incisive play in the final third. It will be interesting to see if Kev plays with his head up and improves his decisions. Just saying like...

I'm not saying that Naismith is the best footballer in the world, just of the opinion that I'd rather have him in my squad than moody Kev. And for what it's worth, I've held that opinion long before last Saturday afternoon!

But... acknowledged by who?

I'm not saying there definitely was no interest, but where did the figure of ٤m come from if there was no bid?

(Answer: the Sunday People.)

John (#18) – "Surprised you don't recall it though, Eugene. Seem to remember you advocating a 'you can shove your mucky melons and muff money' stance at the time!"

Well, I remember a thread that mentioned West Ham and a figure of ٤m but again, I don't remember any actual bids.

To be honest, though, even if there had been an actual bid of ٤m, my outrage would more likely be outrage at the amount (or, to put it another way, if they offered 15 million nicker's worth of mucky melons and muff money, I'd have their arm off).

I am made up he signed a new contract, before this season ends, people will be singing from a different hymn sheet in regards to Mirallas, his time will come, when it does, be thankful he signed a new contract.

I doubt it to be honest, but if he could just shift his own mentality, then this thread would be all about what a fantastic player Kevin Mirallas is.

Moody is absolutely fine with me. (My all time favourite player was Alan Ball and his disposition was hardly sunny.)

I also have no problem with greedy, in fact if you have the ability, the greedier the better for me (most of the time).

But before I'm going to regard him as 'a class player', I'm going to have to see some consistency and for him to show he gives a shit about the club/team (something other than him – it's a team game for ffs).

I remember watching Ryan Giggs for the first time live (at Goodison).

From the highlights I'd seen of him, he just looked like a traditional, slight (very good!) winger.

Jesus, when I got a good look at him, his work rate was incredible (and he was so good, they'd probably have played him if he just stood on the line with his hands on his hips waiting to be played in).

You both say that he only plays well when it suits him. Well, let's face it, he sits next to one of our coaches who only played when it suited him.

Before Suarez put him out of the Goodison derby, he was ripping their defence to shreds,

It's very rare he gets more than 60 minutes, I am sure I would be pissed off as well being taken off, when the likes of Osman and Barry are on their knees after 60-odd minutes, and kept on.

Until Mirallas is given more game time, we will never know. But like I say, if Mirallas starts, you can guarantee unless injury elsewhere, Mirallas will be the first to be subbed.

I think the reason he gets subbed a lot is partly him and partly tactical. Partly because forwards get subbed more in general, and partly because there are limited alternatives to Barry and McCarthy (I think we should try and sign a DM in January if possible, else next summer, or maybe bring one through from the U21s? - Barry is approaching his sell by date and cannot play 60 games a season, which is what we should be hoping for from this team; not wholly convinced by Besic just yet, although I like him).

If KM has more confidence in the players around him, he could take his great ability and workmate, and be very very effective for us, either from the start or off the bench, and most likely a mix of the two. He also needs to be a bit smarter in terms of dodgy fouls and leaving a foot in, as he gets old that's going to get himself more injuries ...

But against certain opposition, he's the reason we will get 1 point instead of 0, or 3 instead of 1 (or 0). Glad to have him in the squad, now it's up to him to prove himself and demonstrate he's as good as he thinks he is, and can be.

I've never seen such an anonymous performance, but when I watched bits of the game he didn't look like he was lazy or sulking. He just wasn't in the game at all. I don't know if Martinez or anyone else has figured out why this happens, and why in some other games he's near brilliant.

So many of our lads have looked like different players from last season, when playing one the counter at pace.

Perhaps the Chelsea game would have suited him? I remember away at West Ham in the Cup, when he was amazing. Cup football, end to end, jumpers for goals isn't it?

The reason why he is still here is because no-one of any note came in for him. Tail between legs, he signed a new contract.

He is a good player and can be a game-changer but he is a lazy get and will not enforce himself into games; he is more than happy to sit on the wing and let the game pass him by.... occasionally spooning the ball over when a nice pass would have sufficed.

At the moment though, Kone is keeping him out of the starting XI... How many of us would've predicted that?

Still, Mirallas just is one of our best players and one of the few who can change a game. He did it on his rare start against Barnsley and I was bloody grateful. He also works hard (maybe 'when it suits him' but you don't get many levelling that against the Golden Vision, which is a stretch of a comparison I know but still).

Goal aside, Nais didn't have the best of games against Barnsley so we can all find faults when we selectively remember bits and pieces. Compare the two over time and it is obviously that Mirallas is better for the team no matter how top a lad Nais may be.

His supposedly over-inflated ego must be the reason he pretty consistently turns it on in the games against the so-called big clubs. Sure, they are all doing now but how many over the last few years?

And now I learn he has a golden Bentley too. Good. He deserves it.

When players with less ability, get in the team before you, you can act in one of two ways. Spit out your dummy and sulk, or work harder, to prove the manager wrong.

I said I don't think he will learn, I hope I'm wrong, but usually players like this, learn when it's too late. Ask the coach Brian, and ask him if his place was ever under real threat when he played for Everton?

I guess there's a reason why the likes of Giggs, Beckham et al played for the champions on numerous occasions and why Barcelona win so much. It's because their work rate off the ball is immense in tandem with their obvious talent.

I really hope that Kevin finally can understand this so he is able to showcase his obvious talents. Having him here at the club is such a plus, as others have alluded to; on his day, he can win a game on his own. If he can finally show desire without the ball, then we really will have an asset on our hands.

Moyes (if memory serves me right) made a comment about his head not yet being right in his first season and I haven't seen anything yet to show that it's now right. That said, I would sooner have him in our squad than not as he's one of our few genuine goal threats.

Very much seen as an impact player but his biggest problem may be that he will end up competing with Deulofeu and Naismith for that impact sub role.

We finally have decent wingers, but Martinez selects not to use them.

I would prefer Mirallas and Deulofeu or Lennon as wingers going forward this season.

I understand where you're coming from and certainly take the point regarding Alex Young. I think my frustration is that I get the feeling that, no matter what Naismith might do for the team or achieve individually, he just isn't going to get the credit that he deserves.

Take Saturday; a perfect hat-trick and a game changer but nonetheless doesn't even get a mention on the post match analysis on Match of the Day! And I bet he hasn't got a gold Bentley! Good.

So, we have a situation where our top goalscorer either isn't in the starting eleven or, as Brian correctly points out, is always the player hauled off to make way for a substitute, regardless of his performance.

For my money, any professional worth his salt would be and should be unhappy with this scenario. Play KM either as a No 10, as a striker or as one of a strike pair.

Match of the day, with three great strikers and they didn't say how well our Nais has done. The perfect hat-trick, and as a sub to boot!

It sums those three up really. Little insight, and all too obvious. Shearer has to be the dullest dude on TV. And Wrighty thinks that Arsenal are Barca. As for Lineker, he is all filler — no killa.

I haven't watched Match of the Day for god knows how long, but how can a player score a hat-trick and not even merit a mention? That's just bizarre.

If you had only listened to Alan Shearer's report you would be forgiven for thinking only one team played in this game... and they played very badly. That he never mentioned Naismith should come as no surprise at all. What a gormless twat.

"Wrighty" was a lot nicer to us. In his thirty-second account of John Stones's performance he managed to mention him along side two all-time greats (Cruyff and Coldoaldo [Who? — Ed]).

If that superb passage of play, where John Stones came out of defence waltzing past three Chelsea players, had ended up with an Carlos Alberto type strike, Shearer would still have concentrated on how the "out of sorts" Chelsea should have prevented it.

Fuck him. I hope he spends the rest of the season bending over backwards to point out how poor our opposition have been.

It's simple. He scores GOALS!!! I don't care if some think he can't go an entire match. He scores GOALS!!!

The Blues can't reach their potential without proven goalscorers and the only two on the squad that fit this bill are Lukaku and Mirallas. Checking previous seasons in the Premier League bears this out.

He's worth a new contract where others (my opinion) aren't. I'll never go negative on Lukaku or Kevin, cause they are proven GOAL SCORERS!!!

Cheers (from the yank that lives in North Carolina).

I was hoping we got rid of this odd- ball; he doesn't care two fecks about being a team player... get ride in January. We have better performing wide players who appreciate being at our great club.

In an age when defenders and defensive midfielders were generally rated by how high they could kick the forwards, this cheeky bastard would regularly send out dummies or dribble with the ball in and around his own penalty area.

Those who were not born, or haven't seen it, should do themselves a favour and YouTube "greatest goal". The name Carlos Alberto will almost certainly spring up. Right at the start of the build-up to that famous goal is some mesmerising play from Clodoaldo.

When Ian Wright compared Stones to Clodoaldo after his dribble out of defence last week, he was paying him the highest compliment.

Maybe that's the problem, he's being played out of position, he was a centre forward when he was top scorer in Greece.

Meanwhile, keep on knocking the goals in, Kev; that will add to his value and our league position.

You may be right about that, although Robbie seems very reluctant to play him there. Which has surprised me due to his obvious offensive attributes in that position high up the park; but it doesn't change the fact that the guy want's to move!

His body language stinks with it; his performances stink of it. When you play the game, your performances tell you much about the player's attitude and desire for the club he plays for... eg, Jagielka. He doesn't deserve to be playing along- side players like Jags, whose attitude and desire for the club must be embarrassing for the guy.

This guy should have been sold before now... big mistake!

Maybe the problem is that what you write isn't actually true.

Better performing wide players at the club? Name them.

His body language stinks of wanting a move? Qualify that.

His performances stink of wanting a move? No evidence of that; he has hardly played and when he did (at Barnsley) he got us back in the game. Even gave a roar to the fans to boot.

I hate to use the word, because obviously we all have our opinions, but Colin, yours appear to be shite.

So in that respect, Harold is spot on and Martinez clearly has Mirallas's number.

Haven't you been involved playing for a team, when there was a player who wanted to leave your club?...moans, attitude changes on the pitch, performances become inconsistent, talks himself up, etc? I have! And this stinks of it!

Better players! Anyone who plays there! ANYONE! Why?... The guys not worthy of a place! Why? Well, just looking at his performances as a team player, it stinks! Even as an individual he does feck-all when he plays!!

Also, he has been so piss-poor when he plays, even Robbie has had a titfull!...

So, from being a regular every game to a constantly unused sub... "I wonder why this is?" Maybe it's because... Kevin he wants to give everyone a game? Maybe, he's tired? Yea right!...

Dave, as much as I hate the word it seemed the best fit at the time. This is a poster who has referred to the man as a 'big headed fucker' no less. One who doesn't deserve a place in the team, presumably because there are 'better' wide players available, like McGeady ffs.

Nonsense doesn't quite do it justice.

Colin, still not sure your argument holds water. Do you honestly think anyone deserves to start ahead of him simply because you think he wants to leave (based on your reading of his stinking body language)? Ok, fair enough, who should we be playing instead of Stones? Anyone I assume, but who specifically? Browning? Barry? Should we recall Jordan Thorniley from Stockport?

Btw, do you think Deulofeu has been 'piss poor' when he plays? Because I haven't seen much of him so I guess I should conclude Martinez has had a 'titful'.

Maybe you should conclude Martinez doesn't want to play him because he thinks Kone and Barkley are better options out wide as we saw today. Not sure many would agree.

ps: I am aware Mirallas got sent off today but that doesn't change anything.

Buy the way, what's all this about Stones..ect what are you on about?

Also, looking at the players Robbie chooses to pick instead oF Mirallas in wide positions... it shows the manager has very little faith left towards this player. (Actions speak louder than words!)

Myself, looking from the outside in... It's just what I see and feel about the way he portrays himself in the public eye. Now, Robbie and his team see the player day after day...

So, after hero to zero status... there are some major issues about this guy's overall performances in which Bobby will keep to himself! Which is understandable. Look, Robbie does not trust the guy anymore, very obvious by the time he is giving him on the pitch.

You obviously think Mirallas should be playing? Fair enough... I think he's a fecking liability! And it seems like Robbie's swaying to my opinion... and even if he didn't agree with my point of view!! Who cares a feck! I still believe he's a massive liability for many reasons.

One point that sticks in my chest is... I feel he's disrespecting our great club. IMO, he's someone we don't need and someone we wouldn't miss.

a) Stones handing in a transfer request and how you feel a player such as him 'disrespecting' the club should be handled. I mean, if Mirallas's body language is enough to condemn him, how about Stones and his fax machine? Is Stones alright by you because he is still playing for us? If so, should I point out Mirallas has signed a new 3-year contract?

b) Martinez, by your logic, not rating Mirallas because he doesn't play him. It seems he doesn't rate Deulofeu or Lennon either since they also can't get a sniff of playing time. Do you actually believe this is true? Do you believe old Robbie thinks Kone, Barkley and even Mo Besic are the best wide players at the club?

Actually, scrap that last question, I wouldn't put it past him.

Penalty incident last year, miserable face when we go 2-0 up against Chelsea... and now this. Shame really as, on his day, he is an excellent player.

However, as others have pointed out, and as I argued during the summer, Mirallas is our biggest goal scoring threat from midfield. His goals and assist ratios per minute played is great, and better than anyone else in that midfield and possibly our side. Him and Deulofeu are very dangerous and explosive players, and when our fixtures ease I expect we will see them appear more and more often.

However, there is a clear issue. Barkley, Mirallas and Deulofeu all hold onto the ball too long (Barkley has improved in that respect this season). We can't accommodate all three, and Kone and Barkley's form has left only one spot, which Martinez often likes to accommodate with a central player, especially in harder games. I expect that we may see Kone dropped more often when our run changes, and one of the central places also possibly displaced by one of the three wingers.

Whatever happens, Mirallas is an incredibly dangerous asset (no pun intended) and him staying is good for this football club.

Attempting to read body language re a player is pure baloney in my opinion. Colin - do you watch Ronaldo much? His body language suggests he doesn't want to play for Real at points, but is that the truth of it? Robben too? Not all players are the same. Jagielka gives his all for the club and, like the likes of Tevez, Vidic, Terry etc, is a completely committed player whose loyalty is connected with the effort he gives.

But it's bullshit. Suarez played in such a fashion, but wanted out of Liverpool. Anyone watching Stones playing for us would never have inferred that he handed in a transfer request in late August. But he did. You are simply looking at Mirallas play as he always plays. He is a flair player, who plays in spurts, like plenty of players in world football.

I feel he needs to step up but feel his attitude will be that of a teenager. When his attitude is right, he can be a game changer.

A big pay rise, Kev... start earning it! Oh after the three-game ban of course!