thoward18

He's no Victor Anichebe

Let's just worry about a Top 5 spot right now. We'll see where we are in March. Maybe then we can become super ambitious.

Poor 45-65 or so. Really, really poor. However, we have to acknowledge that it's a 38 game season and you're not going to play brilliantly for 90 minutes in all 38. Credit to the team for not getting demotivated and instead rallying to get the lead back in convincing fashion. If a "poor" performance for us is a 4-1 win against a decent side like Fulham then we'll be just fine. Obviously, though, what happened today is not going to work against a top side.

His slowness and general lack of mobility made me think he was older than 26!

 

I'd rather have Ossie being the slow mo for us than him.

I did the same thing. Not only that, but he LOOKS like someone pushing his mid 30s. Receding hairline, somewhat weathered skin. I was about to say, "hell no" because I assumed he was in his 30s.

Still, don't want him. Doesn't add anything that we don't already have. I'd pick him up on a free but I'm not paying for him.

Didn't know where else to put this so I guess it fits here. Our assistant manager here for Red Bull New York, Robin Fraser, apparently has spent the last week here with Everton. He's our tactician so it appears that Bobby and co are viewed as great mentors from a tactical standpoint, and it also seems that we're forming a nice little relationship between the Cahill transfer and this. Cool to see for me

Fuck selling him. Baines' days are numbered, whether because he's being sold or because he's getting up there in age. That makes him even more important. He'll be needed even more in the future.

You sure they didn't say Champions LEAGUE?

I don't think 3rd or maybe even 2nd is completely out of the question, but I'll be happy with 6th and/or any sort of European football that gives us a bit of prestige and extra cash.

Distin is truly a bizarre but pleasant case. He's 35 so he should be slowing down. Instead, it seems like he's caught a second wind. He's playing some of the best football of his career right now. nobody is going to mistake him for Thiago Silva or Vincent Kompany but Distin has been rock solid. Such a nice surprise.

Lets get this out of the way: I'm biased. Tim Howard is the reason I became an Everton fan. Cool, that's out of the way.

There was a lot of talk about needing to replace Howard last season and during the summer. I think an upgrade on Mucha was sorely needed and obviously Howard is approaching the climax of his career. That being said, he's been an absolute rock in the back and a much needed leading voice for the backline as the team adjusts to Martinez' tactics and young guys like Oviedo & Stones have had to step in. He doesn't have the same athletic ability that he did five years ago but his soccer IQ is through the roof, he's a natural leader, and those instincts make up for that loss of dexterity. Maybe I'm being ridiculous here, but I'm hard-pressed to find another goalkeeper in EPL that I'd rather have for a given game right now than Howard. At 34 years old I don't think it's unreasonable to think he can give us 2-4 more quality seasons.

Went McCarthy because he just shut down Arsenal's attack for much of the game. However, the defense as a whole was very good and TImmy was brilliant. Kudos to Barkley and Deulofeu as well.

A win would have been lovely, and certainly wasn't a pipedream, but I think realistically we have to be very content with four points in two away matches against Man U and Arsenal. We've shown that we can compete with the big boys, and perhaps even outplay them for long stretches. Let's hope that they can now live up to the other end of the spectrum, which is to put away lesser teams. Getting results like this will mean nothing if we put together shitty games against the Aston Villa's and Norwich's (no disrespect) of the table.

When did he fight the temptation to leave? No one ever made an approach for him.

Maybe not fully, but the rumors had been circulating forever. Especially with German clubs. He never explicitly tried to get out.

Martinez won't last the season because he might be bought for an absolute fortune by Man United or Real Madrid or maybe Bayern Munich in January - hehehe -

bad news for them is he wont take the offer like some other ginger gaffer did - because he truly loves Everton -

Roberto is a man who turned down the attentions of voluptuous Liverpool while still at little Wigan - this is a man with old fashioned principles -

Roberto you stay just where you are - we Evertonians love you more than you love us - now you should know how much that is ......

I don't blame Moyes for leaving us for Man U. He gave us a number of years and fought the temptation to leave for greener pastures multiple times. Objectively speaking, the Man U job was the biggest one on the market and a once in a lifetime opportunity for Moyes. I have no qualms with him making that move.

I do have qualms with him acting like a massive twat ever since.

Two games from Oviedo vs seven years from Baines. Happy that Oviedo is having some success but let's wait a little bit more before we start planning the exit of our best player.

I didn't think Martinez was ever in danger of being sacked this season, but I was hardly in love with him being appointed. Happy to say that he's slowly convinced me he's the right man for the job, with today being the breaking point. I'm officially sold on the Martinez Era.

Mourinho is such an egotistical douche. He has nothing to gain from a media battle with Lukaku, yet he's doing it just because he can't handle the thought of swallowing his pride. He'll sacrifice his relationship with arguably Chelsea's top young player as long as he gets to be "right."

 

However at the cost of one of the best midfielders Liverpool have had in years in Alonso was pure madness... They never recovered from losing him.

Well they had to find the funds for the eventual Andy Carroll transfer somehow

Can we close this thread now? Pretty please

Nope. Seems to be a bit of a tug-of-war battle. Los Angeles manager Bruce arena is playing hard ball, but it seems like Landon wants to come to Everton. Get ready for a winter full of rumors. For what it's worth Landon just put this out:

http://instagram.com/p/hbDIYyLBok/

"I love winters in Europe with good food, good people and good reading #europeanwinter"

Happy to say I was one of the people fully behind acquiring him from the first day the rumors started

Frustrating at first today but slowly became less selfish as the game went on, and every time he got the ball I was on the edge of my seat. I hope he tears Evra a new one in our next game.

I don't know if "selfish" is a fair word to use, though I understand what you're getting at. What we need to keep in perspective here is:

1. He is 19 years old.

2. He's used to comparatively shitty competition in the lower Spanish divisions.

I don't think Deulofeu goes on runs thinking he needs to do everything himself or to be a ball hog. He's a young kid who is used to being considerably better than any defender he's going up against. The EPL is a major step up from any sort of competition he is used to. Thus, he's still trying to figure out how far he can push things. Some things that worked against vastly inferior teams in Spain won't work against EPL teams like Stoke, and the only way for Deulofeu to learn what will and won't work at this level is through trial and error. He's still not perfect and definitely held onto the ball a touch or two too many in some instances this game. I do think he's getting better at it, though. It's a learning process, and I think he's shown progress. Every game will only educate him further and eventually he'll be a much more mature player.

Martinez needs to take off Lukaku. He's struggled in recent games because he's been forced to do so much. He shouldn't be needed in a 3 goal game, and some time off would benefit him.

That was his weaker foot. Jesus Christ. Both fullbacks with goals today.

The Daily Mirror is claiming that Landon is coming on loan, for what it's worth.

 

I have no idea why this has been shortlisted for goal of the year.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AwL6lAcvMw#t=108

 

It was the game-winner (and only goal) in the Gold Cup Final between the US and Panama. The Gold Cup is our equivalent to Euro. So basically its there for its importance rather than it's face-value skill.

Mirallas. Goal, two assists, and cleating that shithead Suarez while getting away with it.