Boss: Now is the time to show what we can do

I also agree with Roberto's comments. Far better to target 70 points than the previous state of mind of "let's get to 40 points first and see were we end up". It's not long since Martinez accrued our record points total in Premier League history.

I'm genuinely excited by the next 10 games. Former 'prospects' (Deulofeu, Besic, Barkley, Lukaku and Stones) are now maturing and with that comes consistency.

I've been taking a YouTube trip down memory lane recently and was reminded how young most of our '80s team were. That 'no fear' youth coupled with skill, a positive manager and some experienced old legs in the team... well... can't win anything with kids? We have and we will!

But if Roberto says it can be now, I'm in.

Till we eradicate the slow tempo, the lack of intelligent movement and the loss of possession in vital areas, we will never be a banker bet to beat anyone. Oh yes, we'll win games but not as many as we should.

This will suit us down to the ground, when teams like Aston Villa try to play football against us, I'm always confident of winning.

It's when teams come to Goodison for a point, with 11 men behind the ball, that's when I become concerned.

Get Rom and Gerry in your fantasy teams this week because I think we are in for another goal feast.

4 goals minimum for the Blues I'm predicting – and I'm not going to hold my breath for us to keep a clean sheet.

I want to see Ross step up and get the crowd excited we have the talent the players and supports need to believe. Martines is right on our day we can beat anyone.

I'm happy with 3 points against anybody. But, would like to see, 3 points against everybody - home and away.

Not asking for much - I know! But, that's my personal ambition - LOL.

Please, don't make me laugh. On paper, yes; in reality, out on the pitch, with the squad we have... No, most definitely not.

Most of those teams were there for the taking, only Man City weren't; Arsenal just got their tactics correct (unlike our boss), ie; not practising crosses/set pieces, and after writing that last point I'll stop going on.

Just stop making excuses for a tactically inept out-of-his-depth charlatan.

As for them being there for the taking – I wonder how many teams looked at us, with a decimated back four, and thought that Everton were there for taking? With players with next to no Premier League experience (Browning, Funes Mori and Galloway) deputising in place of some the best defenders in the league over the past few years (Jagielka, Coleman and Baines). Or a team reeling from an upsetting transfer saga which threatened to derail us before the season had even begun?

But don't worry, it makes utter sense to look at other teams but ignore our own situation. (I also like the idea that Man City were not there for the taking, but that Arsenal, joint on points with them and in form, were... as was a Man Utd side 2 points off Man City. Spurs, unbeaten since the opening day, were also evidently there for the taking for some reason).

Before New Year we have Aston Villa (h), Bournemouth (a), Crystal Palace (h), Norwich (a), Leicester (h), Newcastle (a) and Stoke (h). Now unless these teams have suddenly become better than the ones we've played, I'm going to suggest that we've had a hard start! Unless of course you are labouring under the woefully misguided assumption that we are a top 4 side playing massively under potential.

Martinez scares me because I do not think he can set teams up defensively. But we will be favourites in all of the games we play before the New Year. We should be aiming for 15 points from those games, and if we can get them or thereabouts, we will be in the top 6 ahead of a home game with big rivals Spurs, and ahead of a second half of the season in which we have not labored in European competitions.

With Leicester going into a tough schedule and West Ham Payet-less, we can expect to be looking at a different league table then. We could also find ourselves in the last stages of a League Cup competition, in a season where multiple young players have demonstrated their potential.

I wonder if this season might not be so bad.

Most of those teams could've been beaten but, week-in & week-out, we have the same shit setup, mind-numbing football I've ever had to witness in my years at Goodison. That idiot in charge is not much better than Walker or Smith. At least I had optimism in the former two; nothing now... same old turgid shit, week-in & week-out, while professional athletes aren't practising the basics – or doing it on the pitch for that matter.

As for last season's top 10, THEY WERE LAST SEASON'S TOP TEN!!! Look at our own finish after finishing 4th if you're going down the stats route...

And just to piss on your chips: Palace, Norwich, Stoke and Leicester are all above the current champions, but they shouldn't beat them because they finished higher the previous season! Your logic, not mine.

Yes, Jim, clearly the sides from last season are teams who are quite often up the right end of the prem. But clearly, Liverpool were miles off their best hence they sacked Rodgers, a draw at home to them was not good enough. Chelsea are crap, but we won that anyways. Spurs away, a point wasn't bad.

Man Utd, slightly out of form, with Rooney unable to hit a barn door, absolutely hammered us. Watford and Swansea draws were points thrown away. West Ham game we should have gone for the throat, especially once they lost Payet.

All-in-all, I'd say we've only really excelled in the Southampton game, and possibly the Chelsea game (although they've lost to everyone).

In my opinion, we've thrown away a big opportunity and played well within ourselves all season really. We should have at least 6 more points from our fixtures.

I'm struggling to grasp how illogical what you are saying is... I really am.

Firstly, take a look at the top half of the league; What do you notice? Take a look at the top 9 in particular. Aside from Leicester, we've played everyone of them THIS SEASON! You are unbelievable.

Only a fool would consider our second set of 10 fixtures harder than our first 10. That's already being demonstrated by the fact that we've taken 7 points from our last 3 games, ahead of a very promising run of fixtures. In the process we've scored 11 goals, but don't get that get in the way of your mind-numbing rant. Incidentally, we've scored the 3rd most goals in the division. "Turgid shit" indeed.

Again, I find it incredible how you find it illogical to point to last season's table, which as a measure of 38 games is probably more accurate than the 12-13 these games, but find it acceptable to utterly ignore our own problems. Principally, the saga involving probably our club's best player, and the severe injury problems to our first choice back 4. If any club's form and problems are taken into account, why not ours? Give me one good reason why so many of these teams are beatable, but why we are not? Give me one good reason why our start isn't hard, even though we've played all but one of the top 9. and last season's top 8?

Your post is representative of the stubborn nonsense I hate to see on this forum. I, as I've said before, and as I said before the start of last season at a time of incredible optimism, have fears over Martinez and his ability to set up a team defensively. But we are 7th, ahead of a winnable run of games, in good form and with the most impressive contingent of young players in the league enjoying themselves. We are six points off 4th, in the last 16 of the Capital One Cup, and currently scoring goals for fun.

Then we've got a post like yours. A post complaining of mind-numbing football and turgid shit, without any useful tactic insight. There is only one mind-numbing thing currently, and it is not the football.

I look forward to a reply but doubt I'll get one.

Great win today, by the way.