Kant

Probably Deulofeu is going to start the next few years there, but I think Martinez is giving him and Stones a good lesson: Work your socks off or there will be other almost as good player willing to do it while you warm the bench. Stones = Funes Mori. Deulofeu = Lennon. Both were not as tough and as professional, Stones due to some off-the-field antics and soft defending and Deulofeu for not tracking back. Funes Mori was there, and Lennon is there, training every single day and giving their all, and they are delivering good performances and goals. We criticise Martinez when he sticks with the same, we criticise him to rotate and we criticise him to buy / sell almost every player. But at least I think he's fair and right with Lennon. Lennon has been watching Deulofeu play for half a season and now he looks like he's on top form so why would not he deserve his run on the side? Last week he was great despite the loss (2-3) and yesterday he was again working well.

If Martinez wants Stones to stay he better give him some chances, I'm sure he thinks Funes Mori and Jagielka look great but Stones is the 3rd and will want play time. An injury to Jagielka should not mean a huge crisis anymore.

He was supposed to be very good when he was young but never got the chance to play regularly early in his career. He's got the frame and the looks of a decent keeper that can become very good, but he needs to be more commanding. Let's see if there is something in there of that alleged potential.

Pepe Mel has never been the hottest managerial property anywhere. He got promoted with Betis, the 2nd team of the city of Seville and the 8th historically in titles, then he always gets them to play well but at some point the team implodes and he gets the sack. I was shocked to hear that he signed for WBA, he barely spoke English and he has no record of achievement. Quique Sanchez Flores has some degree of success, Benitez was very successful, but not Pepe Mel. Even Juande Ramos had some success, although it is important to say that in Spain the manager is a Head Coach, and there is always a Spoting / Football director that signs the players. They work with what they have most of the times. For example: Simeone does not sign players, neither did Guardiola or does Luis Enrique. They may suggest but it will be another person deciding and negotiating.

What journos seem to miss is that Guardiola is obsessive in his pressing (extremely high up the pitch) and it's the most important rule. The game played on the opposite half. Martinez is definitely not doing that, and I don't recall BR doing it either. The other manager that does it is Pochettino and it works wonders for him.

http://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2016/3/6/11168678/everton-west-ham-united-tactical-analysis-roberto-martinez-aaron-lennon

I don't say he doesn't offer a lot. I like Baines as a player. What I say is that the three attributes you mention are excellent to use on offense. If you consider running the bulk of play through the right, the left side suddenly does not need this style. Oviedo is faster, more mobile, and is also quite decent with the ball. Deulofeu is also a Martinez Player (brought here and given confidence here after a dismal loan spell at Sevilla) and he's being benched lately.

I think TC is playing because he reinforces the CM. He is a solid player, but he adds to CM instead of having wing play on the left. Our game is pretty much sided to the right now. Lennon is leaving Geri out on form purely, he's everywhere and doing well. Why should it not be the case? It helps as well that Coleman bombs forward as much as he can. I also think that's the reason why Oviedo is playing ahead of Baines: without a special focus on the left side of the attack, Baines doesn't add that much and he's a worse defender than Oviedo because he's getting slow.

There are many more than decent players with lack of technical ability, for example Eto'o comes to my mind. He was lightning fast, though, and improved superbly with playtime, but still, to put it in a soft way, technical ability was not his main strength. As long as he know where the goal is and how to contribute to a team, I'm happy. Let's wait and see.

Not really, for example: for Spanish teams not Real Madrid or Barcelona, if any PL team comes knocking the price for them is £10m. For any other Spanish team the price would be €3m (as no one else can afford £10m). The PL teams, the top teams in Europe and the Chinese league are very wealthy compared to the rest of clubs, and the markets adjust to that.

I can see the logic on the idea of bringing a second striker to attach the long post from the left while you overload the right side. However, when that chap is Kone, we should change the idea. I like the idea of a dangerous passer with great close control to open the defense with nice split pass. However, when that option is Osman or Pienaar, we should reevaluate our options. I like the idea of inserting a dribbling maverick in Deulofeu to try to get a pen on tired legs. Lennon was playing well though and perhaps he should have done a different sub? It is like the talent evaluation happened at the beginning of the season for Martinez and he can't look how poor Kone has been lately... Mirallas must have missed that day too, because he is a peripherial figure at best.

Keeping Kone out of the side is a net positive impact on the side, it's hard to be worse that Kone.

I love how some people always get it right after the game. WBA is one of those teams that, if you manage to break the lock, the goals flow and they get tonked easily. If you don't, it is hard as nails as the players get impatient. Of all the discussions we have had on previous games, today we did not score because of the post and because it is actually hard for any team to break down 10 man in the box. Another no. 10 on the team could help, though.

Have the feeling that Martinez's concept of loyalty will make him stick to Howard until the end of the season, then do the required changes. I don't know why he only changes his perception of players from season to season, and I'll be very happy the moment Howard is out of town. Of course, if Robles plays I will be delighted but I have the feeling that the players accept Howard is No. 1 and Robles is No. 2 and Martinez fears the dressing room effect of a switch in the pecking order. I feel the effect will be positive, instead of the negative Martinez imagines, but to be a young coach he's quite conservative on this aspect.

He needs to add goals to his game, then we can start talking. Up to now he's more of a very good one trick pony. I think Deulofeu can be really good in a few years, but at the moment Lennon is leaving him out of the side with his excellent workrate.