Barkley: League Cup glory is our aim

Wish they'd say nothing or just "we're looking forward to the game against Fulchester/whoever and expect a tough game"

Our boy spoke his lines as best he could, said he wanted minutes on the pitch and described his missed chance with great honesty. Exactly the way I saw it myself. Three defenders blocking the left, the keeper blocking the right and no time to gain proper control. Maybe a higher shot but it wasn't really on.

Galloway before the Arsenal game and now Barkley.....what's happened to the senior players? Or are they too embarrassed to speak anymore having come out with this all too often in the past only to then put in a damp squib of a performance?

8 wins in the last 25 league games at Goodison!!! It's obvious where our main problem is. We only score on the counter attack, so if teams defend well we are struggling. Tippy tappy shit in your own half only invites the opposition to sit back.

How often do we ramp up a spell of concerted pressure like, dare I say it, under Moyes? And even if we do, our corners and free kicks are wasteful ( but hey they don't really matter apparently??? ).....

Just have the resolve and determination to do their best during the games. Anyone can talk, and they can talk all they want to, after they have won something.

I don't wish to have a specific dig at Barkley, I've loads of time for the lad, but will criticise the general blabberymouthness of players.

Before just about every Everton game of any significance in the last 20 years, I've read some player giving it 'We're all up for the game and there is a real belief in the squ...' etc blah waffle.

Result?

No parsnips buttered in just about all of those big games.

Conclusion - talk is cheap (and meaningless) and as it can be used as a stick to beat players (should things go wrong), surely it's better for them to say as little as possible.

By the way, we should be able to assume there's a 'desire to win' every game from every player, without them having to verbally convince us.

Paid to play not talk.

General blabberymouthness - love that one by the way.

Does no-one understand that players have a) got media commitments they HAVE to fulfill and b) they are media trained to within an inch of their lives.

They're always going to talk, they're always going to come out with generally positive platitudes about results or looking forward to games or winning cups.

There's no answer to it - because we just love to have a little moan - it's what we do! That's why we Brits love a queue and a message board...we can moan to our hearts content!!

I tend to just ignore what they say and watch what they do and hope that come Saturday, I don't have much to moan about.

Re your first point, you may be right re them (players) having 'media commitments' but is this something you know (ie: is there a rule?) or are you guessing?

I'm fairly sure managers are obliged (by Sky/PL) to do a press conference before the game and an interview afterwards, but (wisely) no one ever appeared to say to Everton, 'Duncan Ferguson must speak to the media.'

As for your point b), well If they are 'trained to within an inch of their lives', imo they're either not very well-trained or they're not listening.

Did a media expert hear "It's about getting it going on Tuesday night, getting the crowd behind us and our focus is going into that game lively" and think "yeah, can't see any situation occurring where that could be used as a stick to batter you with"?

If he/she did, I'd say get rid fast and get a media expert trained in the art of speaking without saying fuck-all, eg: "We're looking forward to the game but Norwich are a decent side so we know it will be tough. It's a cup game so the idea is to be in the hat for the next round and that's what we'll be hoping for, cheers." (Shoot off quick, media commitment sorted, you've said fuck-all.)

I should say that I'm not against players or managers saying anything they want, but the reality is, with 24 hour sports channels/news etc and shitty-arse tabloids looking to fill space, any innocent casual utterance can now come back to bite you on the arse.

When Herr Klopp was doing his first press conference a couple of weeks ago, after a few mins I was thinking 'he's doing quite well', then he informed the press 'I am ze normal von.'

Immediately the Family Fortunes wrong answer sound-effect went off in my head and I thought 'Yeah they're laughing along with you now soft lad, but a few defeats and there'll be a bulging-eyed pic of you dancing about on the touchline, looking like a complete barm-pot and headlines along the lines 'Normal? The Kraut's gone Krazy!' (Sun) etc.

I repeat, loose lips sink... Wavertree skins.

There are definitely rules about players being made available for media – I for one cannot be arsed to find the page that this is on, but it is definitely in here:

Premier League Handbook 2014-15

You can safely assume that as those rules apply to the league, they will surely apply to the cups as well – they may not be exactly the same but you get the idea.

As for being trained, they all are – trained in speaking in paragraphs that mean very little – looks like you've had a bit as well!! I take the "getting the crowd behind us" comment as just another one of those. There's a difference between training and monitoring – there's every chance the media expert heard those comments and held his head in his hands as he bemoaned the fact that training had not been followed – doesn't mean he wasn't trained at all though.