Boss pleased by 'extra significant' victory

No Howard in goal.

Howard - 6
Robles - 4

I was watching Robles this evening while the ball was up the other end of the field – whistling, shouting, organising. He was taking control of the back four.

Let's hope for another step in the right direction at the weekend. I'm happy after a home match for a change!

We have beaten the piss poor Newcastle united side that everyone has gone to town on, now all of a sudden we have turned some sort of corner.

I don't mean to sound like the voice of doom, but let's get realistic, our back to back clean sheets are Newcastle and Carlisle, and we are in the month of February.

This is after the whole of season 2014-15 for Roberto to kick start our season, something he managed just in time to keep us up.

This season Martinez says clean sheets are not part of his phylosiphy in January and now in Febuary we claim to be trying to keep clean sheets.

Martinez is just to stubborn to take things onboard in a timely fashion, resulting in another season being wasted.

We can get goals, and if Roberto keeps clean sheets we will become a force to be reckoned with, but why is it he seems to do this type of stuff when its far to late.

Obviously Robles was an enforced changed but the lad performed well wothout really doing to much, more than anything it seemed the defence look more assured with him there at present.

I was surprised to see Lennon and Oviedo still in the team after Carlisle but it was the right choice both are heading into decent form, especially Oviedo who is keeping Baines out of the team on merit at the moment. Who hasnt really looked his normal self sonce coming back.

Id like to see Lennon continue on Saturday against Stoke with Gerri maybe down the left, allow them to seitch wings every so often.

Im not sire we will see Noasse against Stoke, I think he maybe on the bench but not used unless needed, the lad hasnt had a hame for 8 weeks now. A home could suit him better to start anyway.

I hope tonight the second half of our season begins. We had a decent Jan window and if reports tonight are true then the take over looks like its progressing another step.

Onwards and upwards!!

I honestly can't believe this guy the shite he comes out with, is he trying to patronise everyone in football stating simple obvious facts like we were all oblivious!

He want's to have good long look in the mirror before he starts next season which he will as Bill won't sack him!

Clean sheet's win football matches, win's cup's and even win's league's ask George Graham, Sir Alex, Jose Mourinho not the suicide football he promotes which actually kill's confidence and breed's doubt and insecurity in the back four!

It's Martinez who need's to get up to speed not us, John Stones is a class act and is being made to look a fool by being stitched up by his own manager who is telling him it's ok to overplay at the back and take unnecessary risks!

For me Martinez is the root of all our problem's it's his coaching method's which have made us a soft touch, less fit and a calamity act in front of our own goal.

Lennon and Barkley very good but I was also glad to see Cleverly back.

Also good to see us win convincingly without Lukaku contributing much.

Our best youngster on form right now is Barkley though.

Ross had a pretty torrid time for most of thr first half when tightly marked but finished very strongly and will hopefully form a good partnership with Niasse when our new boy gets up to speed. Kone did a good filling in job but Lukaku is our main man and I wish him a swift recovery from that nasty bang in the back.

I don't know why we drop so deep when the opposition are having a good spell. For a start it completely blocks the keeper's view and increases the chance of a deflected shot. Something rarely suffered by Barcelona, who can't get out of the box quick enough.

With McCarthy and Lennon on the right, Cleverley and Barkley on the left with Barry watching the middle, we were very well balanced. Not a hole in sight but the heavily marked Lukaku was not enjoying himself out there and we need to get back to using him properly.

Oviedo, Cleverley and Lennon showed the kind of graft and zip required for the task ahead. Three under-rated lads who love wearing the royal blue shirt. I'll be surprised if all three feature in the next match but much will probably depend on fitness problems we never hear about.

All in all, a satisfying result against the worst Newcastle side I've seen in years. Difficult to see them avoiding the drop.

I also think it wouldn't have made a difference who was in goal last night. Howard is competent when he has defenders in front of him who.... defend. In saying that, he's lost the crowd and needs to go. The negativity he receives is a distraction.

I believe we will have a strong finish to the season and finish 6th or 7th. It will be a season where we scratch our heads and wonder how we missed out on the top 4.

For all of Martinez's faults, I still see a lot of positives in what he is trying to do. I actually think he is learning, but the process is labouriously slow!!

Keeping in Oviedo and Lennon at the expense of 2 of his regulars, plus dropping Stones indicates that perhaps he is going to start making the difficult decisions that he has previously shyed away from. He has also moved on a couple of players who many on here never deemed good enough. In their place we have an exciting young prospect and a pacey striker.

The fact is our best defensive displays have come with Funes Mori and Jags paired together. It has nothing to do with who was in goal. Hopefully he'll stick with these two for the remainder of the season. Although it may knock a few million of Stones's selling price.

Politics shouldn't affect team selection, but too often it has.

I'm all for playing good football but I'm not interested in this new age walking the ball out of defence, your defenders don't need to be playmakers, they need to stop the opponents scoring, that is the priority and the bread and butter of being a defender.

No Howard in goal also did seem to bring an air of comfort too, it's like you almost felt the defence knew last night was about change for the better and for common sense purposes, it showed even against a bad Newcastle team.

Lennon showed everyone too why it's been ridiculous to have underused him all season. I haven't forgotten that he transformed our season last year even if a lot have.

Again it made a change to not see Gerry puffed out after 50 minutes, don't get me wrong I love watching Deulofeu but he's not for every game yet.

1) Despite the disappointment of this season and the fact that despite the manager's opinion that the team have not underperformed, we need to be realistic and 'accept' that he is going nowhere and will be in his current post for next season. There has been no vote of confidence/communication or comment from the owners or board, so we can only surmise they are satisfied with the current situation. Unless we are on the verge of being sold, I don't see any changes afoot.

2) Robles should remain in goal for the remainder of the season. It is likely that Tim Howard will leave in the summer as his age and performances this season make his situation untenable. Therefore stick with Robles and give him a decent run in the team. At seasons end the manager will /should know if he is good enough to be our goalkeeper for next season or whether we need to buy a new first choice.

3) Keep Jags and Funes Mori as first choice centre backs so the latter can learn further about playing in the premier league and playing alongside an experienced centre back. We have spent large parts of this season with two inexperienced centre backs (I know they are international footballers) in front of a hesitant and mistake strewn goalkeeper who doesn't command his area so its no surprise our defensive record is chronic.

Stones needs to earn a place on merit, not reputation or valuation. If someone wants to make a bid for him in the summer, then so be it, if not then he stays and plays for a place. I don't want him in the team purely because it may add to his value (recent performances suggest if he is in the team his value will reduce). For every couple of million on his valuation, his mistakes may cost us the same financially in league position or a cup run. His summer valuation (if there is an offer) will likely be influenced by his performances in the Euros rather than how he plays for Everton.

Imagine the media backlash if he cocks up for England or the clamour for him to join a so called 'big' club (terrible expression, it should say rich club) if he plays well!! I was happy he stayed in the summer but that was not only because of his potential but also because it stuck two fingers up to Chelsea/Mourinho and the press putting out stories each day. In fact our stance on Stones last summer has probably been the highlight of the season!

4) Give the new man up front Niasse as much game time as possible by playing 4-4-2 in all home games. Whether we like it or not Lukaku will not be in an Everton shirt next year. The lads goalscoring record is fantastic over a 3 year period and one of the rich European clubs will take a punt on him. No Champions League = No Lukaku,. I don't see how we can criticise a player for wanting to play at the highest possible standard so we need to be making plans for a life without him.

Chris 12, with all due respect I do know what Martinez is telling them because it's plain to see since he took over and it's exactly what Barca and Pep do split the two centre halves, push the fullbacks out wide and drop your centre mid in between, use the goalie as a sweeper and pass it out from the back vwithout hitting it long!

And it's a load of shite unless everybody and I mean goalie included are good footballers who can pass and move under pressure! And even then it's shite because if the opposition press quickly and hard enough and force a mistake they are in on goal!

The reason John Stones will not put his foot through it more often is because Roberto Martinez is telling him not to! He's blew that much smoke up his arse to give him the confidence to play his way that the lad had started to think he is Lothar Mattheus and is making ridiculous decisions a school kid wouldn't make and Martinez had took way too long to pull him out the team!

You are right in the centre-halves splitting to allow Barry to drop in. That system does not result in Stones not being aware of space around him, it does not cause him to allow players making simple runs to lose him. The system you mention causes the problem when we have the ball, not defensively when the opposition has the ball.

John Stones may well learn to be a top class defender; he is far from that at the moment.

And as Harold says, although a lot of the passing was down to the weather, it wasn't a great performance and more evidence is needed that the manager is improving the team, against better teams than this terrible Newcastle team.

It's a step in the right direction but we now need consistency and a run of results against better opposition than the last 2 games.

COYB

I'm so old fashioned that I expect coaches/managers to apply a style that best fits the players available. Martinez applies the style and expects his players to adapt to it. Some are not up to it whilst others never buy into it.

It's a battle of wills, really. And one which can have very painful consequences. Roberto expects his players to play through them. Hence only seven wins from 24 games.

I suspect we shall gain another four wins, probably against bottom half teams.

The shape of the team was much better with Jags and Funes Mori staying more central and the full backs only moving forward when the opportunities were right, plus they had better defensive cover from Lennon and Cleverley. It is also worth noting that our improved defensive work occurred with McCarthy back in the team.

That said, by all accounts the Magpies were atrocious, so the big test is Saturday at Stoke, but at least that win last night takes just a little bit of pressure off, so let's hope that translates into the performance?

I agree with the comments on here about Aaron Lennon, he has shown both last season and this, that when given a chance to start, he has the drive, skill and athleticism to influence a game, I do hope he is given a run, he still has the pace to devastate defences on the break.

Would an option be to play Gerry in a central role in attack on Saturday? He's played in that position for Spain U21s I think?

How come Funes Mori and Jags aren't making the same mistakes with the same system? Stones's positional play is awful. Martinez is definitely not responsible for him losing his man time and again.

Don't get me wrong, Stones has every chance to become world class, but right now he's too immature. It was fine to allow Barkley time to make his mistakes as he had players behind him to bail him out. Stones's mistakes cost us goals.

John Malone... are you taking the piss?

Keeping a clean sheet doesn't win matches...

Think before you write.

WE win 3-0 and people want to pick fault and slag our manager off.

Even the commentator said it could have been 8 without Elliot's saves and last ditch blocks.

Marvel in Barkley's performance please not slag off our great club...

Are you telling me Stones would be playing that way under any other manager in our league? No he wouldn't he would be bollocked and told be told in no uncertain terms get rid, clear your lines and get out!

Could you imagine what Moyes would say if he put his foot on the ball and stood still waited for all his options to be closed down then passed back to the goalie who was being closed down!

Could you imagine playing competitive football yourself with someone who done that? You'd be grabbimg him by the throat and be telling him don't ever do that to me again!

Like I've said before it's suicide football and the stats prove it since the manager's took over, I believe in freedom to play passed the halway line I do not want to see my centre halves knocking the ball round like it's five a side!

People who think that John Stones isn't a proper defender or a very good footballer are forgetting that defensive minded players don't reach their peak until their late 20s and John Stones has a long way to go before he gets there, but he will get there a lot sooner than most, unfortunately we as a club won't get the full benefit of it - transfer fee aside.

As for the game last night, I'm always at a loss to understand why people often say that the teams that we beat are always much poorer than was expected, I'm too busy watching Everton to notice how poor the opponents are to be frank, and last night I thought it was a good all round team performance where every player was willing to do the dirty work for most of the match.

A very important three points in the context of a disappointing season in our overall points haul, but this team is far more capable than the results have suggested so far, but only if they apply themselves like they did last night.

I doubt they will be poor, especially after getting tonked Old Trafford there is likely to be a bit of anger and we know the Britannia is very much the Alton Towers of the Premier League is terms of getting a rough ride.

We will need to be defensively sound and not passive in front of goal.

Let's be honest, we are due a bloody win against Stoke especially at that place.

Hopefully the next run of games will be without both and the proof will be a reduction in our goals against column. We shall see.

A 3.0 home win is very nice but let's not forget we were playing one of the worst teams in the league, who were also woeful last night.

The other 'great' clean sheet was against Carlise!

It's a small step in the right direction but let's start patting ourselves on the back when we get a few more results like this.

Of our now 7 league wins all season, 4 have been against the bottom 3.

At least the three points last night pretty much puts the R word to bed.

On the other hand, I am HOPING that Mr Niasse Guy will prove to be a gift from the gods and that once he's up and running we shall win EVERY game!

Martinez has had 3 seasons; this season was set up perfectly – no Europe commitments, big squad with plenty of talent and arguably the in-form striker in the league... and it's been a mess.

Martinez, nice bloke but talks so much nonsense and must go. An example last night, he said the the second goal changed the game and we were able to control it from there. That was in the 88th minute!!

I am not in any way defending Martinez's defensive record. It's indefensible!! But I don't believe Stones's poor defending entirely down to Martinez. However, it is his fault that he kept picking him!

It doesn't actually make me 'feel better' either way. Strange that you suggest it would.

If you watched the match and both teams, you would have noticed that Newcastle were woeful, and it took us to the 85th minute to make the game safe.

The philosophy which crucified Distin into leaving the club who even though was in the twilight years of his career was one of our best most consisitent performers over the previous couple of seasons, fast, strong and good in the air!

I totally agree with you he is not telling Stones to make the wrong choice or the wrong pass but he he is teaching him to try and run before he has learnt to walk and not teaching how to defend properly! In turn losing the team valuable point's and making Stones look bad!

The commentator during last night's match made the comment that a Wigan defender came out and stated that Martinez gives you the confidence and belief that you can pass the ball about anywhere in any situation on the pitch which for me is very wrong and contradict's the way our defenders and team played last night when it was paramount not to get beat!

I also agree the mistakes are less when Jags and Mori play but they are a lot longer in the tooth than Stones and have already learnt their trade where as Stones is a sponge and open to taking on the fashionable concept of PIATB without nailing the fundamentals of being a defender!

Would you teach a striker how to play with his back to goal before you he learnt how to finish?

Valid, if we think that all learning as a footballer happens after they turn professional. A striker has been practicing finishing since age 4-5.....

What we're often left with, with stats like this, is a question about the direction of causation. My guess is that an increase in the number of years of civil war is caused by an increase in the number of yellow cards issued. Jeez, football has a lot to answer for!

Martinez will be telling him to play from the back no doubt about that. He won’t be telling him to leave oceans of space.

He won’t be telling him to allow players to make simple straight runs off him. He won’t be telling him to not compete physically.

I sincerely hope he learns the basics of defending,saying that he has the ability of a top class midfielder.

In my opinion that could be the future for him, as a holding midfielder.

If Stones can't play the Martinez way because he's too green, then he needs to warm the bench. Martinez won't change the system for him. Galloway is a young defender, but we haven't seen him take the same risks.

It's very unlikely that he is giving Stones directions and coaching that he isn't giving to the other defenders. Stones hasn't learned a thing from playing alongside Jags or Funes Mori and that is worrying.

My point is, you can't blame Martinez when none of the other defenders are taking the risks he takes. If they were Martinez's orders then we'd see it from all of them.

Guess we'll have to agree to disagree. Nobody knows what goes on at the training ground.

For me, these guys were the reason for the win and clean sheet. Energy, passion, desire.

(Can you send me what you're smoking?)