MFK Ružomberok

[EFC-Paul]

It's always much harder than people give it credit for to beat and break down sides like these

 

First competitive game with plenty of rust to shake off and cohesion to be built but I'm happy with the majority of it

 

Keane didn't really have a great deal to do, Davy looks a very intelligent and quick thinking player as does Sandro but much quicker in his movement

 

I think Sigurdsson will be key (if he signs) tbh with how quick the likes of Rooney Sandro Davy think and make snappy quick and intelligent runs/turns

 

I really don't mind Martina as cover but I really don't like the idea of him being a main stay he looks lost tbh

Edited July 27, 2017 by EFC-Paul

[Ghoat]

Williams, Martina aside, and Stek, meh, but I thought everyone played well individually. However, as a team, it looked like a bunch of strangers, which it is.

[Gwlad]

Keep calm! It's the first match in anger. They'll be a week fitter by next Thursday.

Edited July 27, 2017 by Gwlad all over

[Newty82]

Nothing special there. Was always going to happen with the amount of hype.

 

I felt the new boys were, at times, a bit too keen to impress. Especially Rooney, who looked like he really wanted that goal so fluffed his shots...as they do!

 

Like the look of Klaassen. He will be that midfielder that attacks the box.

 

Sandro is lively. His feet move at some pace.

 

Not an easy game. But in the plus side it is a good hard 90 minutes. With the return leg to play, we should be ready for the Premiership to kick off.

[markjazzbassist]

pre season match but it mattered. glad we won. we have a week to get more fit and learn how to work well together.

 

standouts - gana, klaasen, sandro, keane

[markjazzbassist]

Sandro will score some goals this season. I think he is going to set the league alight this season.

 

agreed, he looks excellent.

[nyblue23]

Nah. Pretty damn sure it was Martina.

For the record, around 6:38, 99% sure that's Gana. Martina's off further along the side making a run down the pitch like he did the whole game.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twfAz9MV4ao

 

Edit: Correction, 100% sure that's Gana.

Edited July 27, 2017 by nyblue23

[chalkpie]

Stream I'm watching is in Arabic. Commentator thought that Lookman was Niasse. Hahahaha

Wow.

[nyblue23]

That said, Martina was awful and I'd be happy to never see him in a blue shirt again. Below replacement-level quality; much rather give Holgate and Kenny matches.

[Newty82]

For the record, around 6:38, 99% sure that's Gana. Martina's off further along the side making a run down the pitch like he did the whole game.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twfAz9MV4ao

 

Edit: Correction, 100% sure that's Gana.

The white wrist bands give it away.

 

Gana was wearing them.

[nyblue23]

The white wrist bands give it away.

 

Gana was wearing them.

Yep. Can also just tell by his movements. Very distinct. Regardless, kind of silly and moot argument, but I like to be correct.

[Aidan]

That said, Martina was awful and I'd be happy to never see him in a blue shirt again. Below replacement-level quality; much rather give Holgate and Kenny matches.

Seen him in one competitive game and doesn't want him to play in the shirt again. Bullshit fans like you are the reason Barkley is fucking off too.

 

Grips my shit. Get behind the player.

[Cornish Steve]

This was the first real game with so many new players. Someone nailed it above when they wrote that there was much individual promise but little in the way of a cohesive team. That's going to be the case for maybe the first third of the season: We can't expect to make wholesale changes and for everyone to gel right away. Cuco looked suspect (would he on our team if he hadn't played for Koeman and Southampton?). Unfortunately, Mirallas was anonymous for most the game - which happens far too often. The game came alive when Sandro ran on the pitch, rather like it used to when Geri first played on the team. He could become one awesome player. Overall, though, not a good result. Surviving this first round is most definitely not a cert.

 

I wish we'd use Lookman more and stop trying to force Rooney into the wrong role. Personally, I'd like to see DCL, Lookman, and Sandro play together more.

[nyblue23]

Seen him in one competitive game and doesn't want him to play in the shirt again. Bullshit fans like you are the reason Barkley is fucking off too.

 

Grips my shit. Get behind the player.

Wasn't happy about the signing to begin with. Wasn't good enough for Southhampton and isn't good enough for Everton. Not showed any promise at 27 years old, almost 28.There's a reason he was released by Southhampton, and I don't at all like that he's stealing time from our youth players who could stand to improve a lot from Coleman's injury.

The one complaint I have with Koeman is his loyalty to a couple of former players who have never been good enough. Stek and now Martina have no business in being in a squad which just spent 100m pounds on improving.

 

It's different when you have a player who came through the youth team like Barkley. Barkley was never bad. His talent has always been there and I've never slagged him off. He's always been young and needed to grow. There's a massive difference between the two. Calm your shit.

[markjazzbassist]

Wasn't happy about the signing to begin with. Wasn't good enough for Southhampton and isn't good enough for Everton. Not showed any promise at 27 years old, almost 28.There's a reason he was released by Southhampton, and I don't at all like that he's stealing time from our youth players who could stand to improve a lot from Coleman's injury.

The one complaint I have with Koeman is his loyalty to a couple of former players who have never been good enough. Stek and now Martina have no business in being in a squad which just spent 100m pounds on improving.

 

It's different when you have a player who came through the youth team like Barkley. Barkley was never bad. His talent has always been there and I've never slagged him off. He's always been young and needed to grow. There's a massive difference between the two. Calm your shit.

 

he's not a starter, he and stek are simply squad players. he knows them so that "getting used to each other" and tactics phase is already done. They were both free (stek might hve been cheap or free, i forget). Kenny was terrible in the Genk match, Martina looked fine adn assured. Which means kenny isn't to his level yet. you want an even worse RB in there? i don't.

[Romey 1878]

Flashes of what is to come from us but it wasn't great for big patches of the game. It was far too slow the majority of the time. And I wasn't too enamoured with the starting line-up. I know it was a potential banana skin of a game but there was no need for Schneiderlin and Gana tonight, it stifled us. Davies should've been in for either one of them, not really bothered which one. DCL as a wide-forward just isn't for me. I can't fault his effort, he gives his all, but I'd have had Lennon in there. We don't have a lot of pace in our side and he'd have been invaluable.

 

But we came out of it with a lead, it's more minutes under the belt and fitness will have improved.

 

Special mentions for Klaassen and Sandro when he came on. Klaassen was so silky and Sandro looked a terrier.

[Hafnia]

That said, Martina was awful and I'd be happy to never see him in a blue shirt again. Below replacement-level quality; much rather give Holgate and Kenny matches.

Give it a rest. Explain what he did so wrong?

 

First game for us... he actually put in a great ball and will be a back up. Fucks sake one game and you are roasting him.

[Bailey]

The most worrying thing about that game for me is that it was a lot like lasthma season. Same tempo, plenty of posession but few chances of our own and enough chances to the opposition.

 

We were too slow, too predictable. Only Klaassen and Sandro were doing anything outside of the box. DCL did ok too but as people said he is a striker, not a wide man.

 

Stek was poor, how is starting a competitive game?

 

Baines and Keane were solid.

 

Williams was panicky and looked out of shape and Martina isn't good enough for the Championship. He can cross though.

 

Schneiderlin was superb, Gana decent but lacked something although I can't put my finger on it. Klaassen is going to be superb for us and will get us some important goals this season.

 

Mirallas was his usual streaky self, DCL should have been playing centrally and Rooney was half decent half wasteful.

 

Sandro lookEd a real player when he came on. Absolute livewire. His impact was instant.

 

The introduction of Sandro has me worred about our pursuit of Sigurdsson and Giroud. Sandro brought pace, his movement was unpredictable. The targets mentioned are for want of a better word, boring. You know what they are going to do and when. You add that to Rooney, DCL, 2 x DMs, and a fairly unadventurous back 4, you only have Klaassen or Sandro who do something different, and if both players mentioned are signed there is a chance one of those two won't start either.

[Bailey]

Give it a rest. Explain what he did so wrong?

 

First game for us... he actually put in a great ball and will be a back up. Fucks sake one game and you are roasting him.

He was poor Haf. Positioning was poor, defending was average, looked completely out of place. Put a couple of decent crosses in but I fail to see what he brings. Holgate is better.

[markjazzbassist]

Give it a rest. Explain what he did so wrong?

 

First game for us... he actually put in a great ball and will be a back up. Fucks sake one game and you are roasting him.

Agreed haf, it seems there is a mob at the ready ever since he signed. The new boo boy it seems

[nyblue23]

Give it a rest. Explain what he did so wrong?

 

First game for us... he actually put in a great ball and will be a back up. Fucks sake one game and you are roasting him.

 

He was poor Haf. Positioning was poor, defending was average, looked completely out of place. Put a couple of decent crosses in but I fail to see what he brings. Holgate is better.

I really don't see what I said that's so controversial. All you need to do is look on Twitter to see that Everton fans and neutrals alike seem to be in agreement on this one.

 

What Bailey said above holds true, and I'd go further and say his defending was below average the way that a Slovakian side was able to dominate him in possession. He did put in one, maybe two, good crosses, but saw Coleman-like time on the ball, and did absolutely nothing else with it. Made poor giveaways and looked clueless as to what to do when in possession.

 

I get that Koeman doesn't have to explain the system to him, but in other threads several of you have argued that we shouldn't care who we're replacing if we bring in players; we need to always be aiming for the top and not squad fillers. I'd love to support him now that he's an Everton player, but he's simply not good enough to wear the badge.

 

And for those of you that say it's one match; it's not. He's been in the Premier League for two seasons previously, managing only 24 appearances for Southhampton in the league, and by all accounts looked shit in those, too.

[nyblue23]

Agreed haf, it seems there is a mob at the ready ever since he signed. The new boo boy it seems

Just disappointing that we brought in a player who is clearly not good enough. Stek bothers me, too, though less because Pickford will definitely come good.

 

If Koeman sees Martina as the number one replacement for Coleman, that worries me to no end, because we have no idea when and if Coleman will be back to his 100% best.

[markjazzbassist]

Just disappointing that we brought in a player who is clearly not good enough. Stek bothers me, too, though less because Pickford will definitely come good.

 

If Koeman sees Martina as the number one replacement for Coleman, that worries me to no end, because we have no idea when and if Coleman will be back to his 100% best.

The only team spending 25m on a backup fullback is man city with Danilo. We have other positions that need more money. Martina stand in until Coleman is good or Kenny becomes good enough. If not? We buy in winter window or summer window.

 

Many articles have been written about how in the modern game fullback is the least important position. Seems every team except man city ascribes to that.

[nyblue23]

The only team spending 25m on a backup fullback is man city with Danilo. We have other positions that need more money. Martina stand in until Coleman is good or Kenny becomes good enough. If not? We buy in winter window or summer window.

 

Many articles have been written about how in the modern game fullback is the least important position. Seems every team except man city ascribes to that.

We already have Holgate to fill that role. If we're still playing with two fullbacks, amounting to one-fifth of our outfield players, it seems important that they at least offer some promise of getting better.

[markjazzbassist]

We already have Holgate to fill that role. If we're still playing with two fullbacks, amounting to one-fifth of our outfield players, it seems important that they at least offer some promise of getting better.

Holgate just showed up a week ago. He had extra vacation due to the World Cup. That's why he's not starting.

[Aidan]

Just disappointing that we brought in a player who is clearly not good enough. Stek bothers me, too, though less because Pickford will definitely come good.

 

If Koeman sees Martina as the number one replacement for Coleman, that worries me to no end, because we have no idea when and if Coleman will be back to his 100% best.

Clearly not good enough? You've seen him play once mate.

[nyblue23]

Clearly not good enough? You've seen him play once mate.

He played against us once in 2016 and I've watched one or two Southampton matches against other Prem sides.

 

Regardless, my opinion is not the only one. Southampton fans were pretty shocked by Everton's interest, too, and remember him only by his wonder goal against Arsenal:

https://www.saintsweb.co.uk/showthread.php?58540-Martina-to-Everton-on-freebie#.WXpzO9MrKgQ

[nyblue23]

Holgate just showed up a week ago. He had extra vacation due to the World Cup. That's why he's not starting.

Fair enough, there. Would still have rather seen Lennon and Baines as wingbacks with a back three, even against an inferior opponent like Ruzomberok, than see Martina start.

 

Point is, we never really needed to sign him in the first place given our options, and now he'll get game time just because we did.

[chalkpie]

That said, Martina was awful and I'd be happy to never see him in a blue shirt again. Below replacement-level quality; much rather give Holgate and Kenny matches.

Little harsh, no?

[chalkpie]

This was the first real game with so many new players. Someone nailed it above when they wrote that there was much individual promise but little in the way of a cohesive team. That's going to be the case for maybe the first third of the season: We can't expect to make wholesale changes and for everyone to gel right away. Cuco looked suspect (would he on our team if he hadn't played for Koeman and Southampton?). Unfortunately, Mirallas was anonymous for most the game - which happens far too often. The game came alive when Sandro ran on the pitch, rather like it used to when Geri first played on the team. He could become one awesome player. Overall, though, not a good result. Surviving this first round is most definitely not a cert.

 

I wish we'd use Lookman more and stop trying to force Rooney into the wrong role. Personally, I'd like to see DCL, Lookman, and Sandro play together more.

Great post. Agreed 100%