Lukaku balancing ambition with loyalty

Says it all. Can't blame the boy if he thinks we're holding him back. He's speaking the truth. Very worrying

"It has been two years of under-performing. As bad as it sounds, it is the truth. Look at the players we have.'"

That's a pretty bad indictment on Martinez. Geri and Barry have come out and said something similar recently too. Dressing room turning against him?

Everton will profit commercially from his departure if we do not make Europe, I suspect the lure of some of the elite Spanish or Italian clubs and lifestyle will be too much to resist as his star is shining brightly this season. If we win the cup he may stay, if not... sadly reality bites.

He'd be first choice for Man Utd and Arsenal. And Chelsea and Man City wouldn't have minded having him. That makes him good enough for the Champions League in my book.

I hope we can keep him... but if I were him I'd probably think of doing a runner while Martinez is in charge.

I hope Moshiri pulls some of these lads aside in the next few weeks and tells them his plans over the next few years. We are a club looking upward... not a Martinez vanity project.

It's the only thing I agree with RM on (I loathe the man), he said he would pay £100m for Rom and yes, so would I. Talk of a £50m price tag is a joke. The new TV money will push prices up so let's talk £80m plus please! He's worth every penny. Just pity RM wasn't good enough to get us into the Champions League, then he would've stayed.

Whatever you do, Rom, I wish you all the best, that clown of a manger just couldn't defend the leads that you gave us.

I fear we lost a great opportunity this season which will haunt us for years to come.

Martinez is at fault and, as Darren says in another post, the twat has ruined John Stones.

As fans, we should hound Martinez out of our club, not sit by hoping things will get better.

We can't match his ambition because of our shit showing.

Plato - no money will guarantee he stays.

If he wants Champions League then I think he owes us till at least January of next season given the new owner and the money we may have to spend in the Summer. Unfortunately though, given Bill's gushing "What a manager" quote after the Chelsea game, it will be under the stewardship of our inept manager, which almost certainly means we will under-achieve next season as well.

Anything but will be more of the same with the same results and then the inevitable will happen.

Or maybe we'll win the cup and they'll stick around for like longer.

SIMPLE!

He's a cracking finisher and can't afford to waste his time with a mid table club when he could get £150k a week whilst challenging for honours.

That said, he does have a contract but we know players move on, and I think out of respect for the club he will only move out of the Premier League, with PSG being the main suitors. I don't think throwing big money at players to keep them works, as they get paid so much in becomes meaningless.

When you retire, you need to sit back, reflect and look at your memories and trophies. If we can't provide, then some other club will have to. Good luck, Rom.

With 1 home win from 8 in the league since November it's hardly a surprise. Most of the losses from winning positions. It must be soul destroying.

The sooner he's gone, the better.

It's a huge risk signing lad's straight from overseas league's unless you are getting a Robert Lewandowski or Thomas Muller, someone of that ilk.

I'm not convinced Niasse will be much more than a fitter younger version of Kone, I know he's hardly played but you can usually tell a player from his instant control and movement.

But we already knew, these days £13 million only gets you 8-10 goal a season striker's.

The very best cost the most. Are we prepared to pay for the very very best?? If not, then I'd question the ambition levels.

Martinez has rightly been criticised the last two seasons, but these 'negative statements' are exactly what I would expect from underachieving players. For me, it's a sign that they realise they've missed an opportunity. At least they've got another one next month!

Maybe, hopefully, the promise linked to the new investment can persuade him to stick around for another season, but Martinez's comments recently smack of an agreement already made that he can go in the summer if we didn't make the Champions League this season.

All season I've cited Martinez as a buffoon, at best. I can only imagine the feelings of the players at Finch Farm every day, where it's obvious nowt's ever done differently despite the bleedin' obvious in terms of repetitive failure (and re the cups this season, we've only beaten one so-called top team, who are having their own worst season in living memory by the way).

I just hope Mr Moshiri has realised that money can buy you competence though, as a minimum, and that there's precious little of that as far as Martinez is concerned.

I do.

If it's a Martinez or Lukaku choice... there can only be one winner can't there?

I believe he'd love to have the success he craves with Everton. I also believe he doubts whether he will. Up to the new "owner" to convince him otherwise.

Semi-final or no semi-final, the tide has turned against Martinez.

I have a sneaky feeling that PSG see him as their replacement for Ibrahimovich and would think £80M would clinch the deal. Good business by OPM whose 'only' problem will be the impossibility of replacing him.

Of course, if Martinez could revolutionise his defensive record, he wouldn't need to replace ALL Rom's goals!

So, Mr Moshiri needs to get the top young players together (Lukaku, Stones, Barkley, McCarthy) and tell them what and how big his plans are and pay them accordingly to keep them with us. Then he needs to bring in like-minded players who will push this club forward. He has the money so let's use it!

If that can be achieved with our current manager, then great; if not, then that is the position that will need looking at next.

My choice for manager would be the same as it was when Moyes left – Vitor Pereira.

If you look back at the goals we have conceded, most have simply been poor defending, who in our defence would you call a very good defender?

Baines and Coleman? No. Jags... on the ground? Yes. In the air... No. Our wonderboy Stones? Ditto. Funes Mori probably the best of a moderate lot on crosses; the midfielders are again poor when the ball's in the air.

If PSG want him to replace Ibrahimovic why don't we swap the two? Ibra has itching to try the Premier League and we could offer him European football and a big wage (if we win the FA Cup).

If the above happens, I'll be first in the queue to get a replica shirt with Zlatan's name on. And then put the numbers on the lottery. :-)

Lukaku in a Champions League team will excel. Champions League teams have the hunger, fight, and bollock those players who are not putting in a shift. Who do we have to do that?

That's what we lack, leaders. I am sick to effing hell with fans and players saying we should be a top-six side. The Premier League table dosen't lie. We have lost the hunger since Moyes has gone. He demanded fight and a work ethic, it makes top teams.

Lukaku will leave and who can blame him. His dreams will not be achieved under Martinez.

I'd have the lot of them in for training tomorrow after that today.

He is a world class centre-forward and they are at a premium.

To keep Rom without Champions League football we would have to show some crazy ambition in the transfer window and fuck Martinez off.

I don't think Moshiri is here to run the football – Kenwright will still do that!