Trigger

I'm willing to bet that there would have been a lot of support for LVG on this board before he took over at Man Utd.

Well looks like we can drop Mourinho from the list. Someone braver than me can replace him with LVG for votes ?

For me I would work this the other way. I'm not so interested with who is on the market and available, but work out what we want from a manager, develop a hit list of who fits the criteria and start from the top of the list and work our way down. For me the key things are in priority order. 1) Tactical Mastermind in the context of the English Prem I think this is where we get carried away with thinking that foreign managers are always tactically great. I don't believe there is another league in the world that is as tactically diverse as the EPL from teams that concentrate on holding 10 men behind the ball simply to try and nick a goal all the way to free flowing tika-taka and everything in between. We need someone with a key philosophy (just not the same slow build-up one as Martinez) that is astute enough to adapt it when necessary. 2) Man Management Very difficult to keep egos in check (Lukaku proving to be a great example of this and even if you have a fantastic record like LVG, it's obvious he likes to impose himself on players rather than get them to "buy-in" to what he is doing. Given we are not in the top 5 clubs revenue wise in the morning. Whoever comes in will need to keep any of the top players we have by buyng in to his system and style. A dictatorial nut job isn't going to work for me. 3) Youth Development I think we have one of the top records for bringing through young players in the EPL and we still need to get better. A proven track record is key for me with this. For note I don't thin you can say that any manager of Ajax is automatically great at this as the culture of bringing through young talent at Ajax has been culturally installed for such a long time, that any manager inherits it. So which Manager nails these three for me in the list. The answer is none of them completely although probably Ronald Koeman the nearest, but I don;t think he will leave Southampton for us at this time. I think the search needs to go broader than currently listed, but that's just my opinion.

For me it's at the point of "arrogance and philosophy" over "adaptability and change". The definition of madness is doing the same thing time and again and expecting a different result. If you were about to play an Everton/Martinez side you would know the following and be able to train to counteract the style for a whole training week usually. 1) we will play 4-2-3-1 2) we will play possession football deep in our own half 3) we will look to push up our fullbacks whenever possible 4) we are weak at defending set pieces SAF used to have a philosophy and a favoured formation, but if it wasn't working he'd change it. Then other managers find it much more difficult to plan to how you're going to play. And I don't mean a knee jerk change. I mean a well planned, fully trained selection of back up formation and plays that can be utilised when Plan A clearly isn't working. Could you imagine if Martinez put out a 4-4-2 Direct Ball team just for one match? Do you think the opposition would be ready for that as they try to pressurise us high up the pitch only to watch it go sailing over their heads in to the spaces behind? Next match it keeps the manager guessing as to what we're going to do. By all means have your core philosophy to play to, but this should be augmented by other styles as a Plan B and C. We keep going out to play exactly the same way in the same formation, with nearly the same players every time and when we lose, do the same all over again as though it was a one-off and it'll be better next time if we just keep plugging away and work harder at the same things. Very Frustrating!

Seriously... The lads hardly been on the pitch yet and he's already written off! I'm sure if I go research the Lukaku thread to it's beginnings he was written off completely by some and now look! Can't we give him some time first before we start the "-he'll never make it" conversation.

In the first half of the England match against Switzerland he did look a little "lost". In his defence though, he did come on with very little warning to replace a teammate that I would say plays a very different midfield role. I don't think he was helped by Shelvey who looked even more out of his depth (which is a shame as I was expecting him to play well). I'm still of the opinion that Milner is an England bench player at best and should never ever ever be playing in a pivitol role as he was against Switzerland. We have much better players that can play the advanced midfielder role 10 times better than him. Ross being one of them, even though I think Ross does play better in a deeper midfield role. Ross instead of Shelvey would have worked well, or instead of Milner would also have worked. I think he can play both those midfield roles very well. The box to box role that Delph and McCarthy play...? which is what it looked like he was asked to play in the first half. No, not for me.

To me whether £38m was bid or not isn't too important. At the moment Stones is contracted to us for another 4 years at £30k per week. At the moment we can keep him for 4years and sell completely on our own terms. Great! If Stones (and probably more his agent) want to renegotiate the deal for higher wages and to set some "buy-out" conditions for European Football etc. then this is a negotiation where BOTH parties get something out of it. Ultimately Stones and his agent want more money. The contract was only signed last season and Stone's isn't struggling for first team or International football time so money has to be the main motivation for the new contract. If the main motivation is not money and is to negotiate a "way out" for Stones on Stones and his agent's terms, there is obviously absolutely reason to have any re-negotiation or discussion. Not going to happen. If it about wages then in return we get: -1) extended Term of Contract given his youth and this makes him harder to poach. -2)massive buy-out clause that is at a significant premium to the £38m odd. I would suggest in the region of £50m. We continue to set the standard that if you want an Everton talent you are going t pay well over the odds for it. Full Stop. This is non-negotiable if a new contract is wanted by Stones - 3) large loyalty bonus to incentivise Stones to stay with us throughout the full term of the contract and to 2) is non-negotiable, but 1) and 3) should be directly linked to the amount of wage increase. The more money per week and outside the Everton Wage Scale, the more draconian we are about 1 and 3. You want £100k a week. No problem. That will be 8 year contract with no buyout clause then.

I would driven Naismith down to Norwich myself for that fee. I cant believe he's rated that highly. I just don't see it.

I'd quite like to see us try Gerry in the No.10 role since we couldn't land one during the window. I think he has all the attributes to play the role and can be our most creative player on his day. I'd then move Ross in alongside McCarthy. Obviously this would move Barry to the bench and this seems to be about as likely Nigel Farage standing for head of amnesty international, but I would give this a go. Get to see Lennon on the right and Mirallas on the left.

Apart from some of his shooting, thought Barkley was outstanding when he came. Gerry did great to, but not a lot of tracking back. Don't know what was up with Naisy today. Usually he's running round like a headless chicken after everything, but he seemed pissed off half the time and a bit disinterested?

To me in Martinez's first season the playmaker was very much Barry but from a deep position. The Center Backs would split, Barry would come back and pick the Ball up from Deep and then we would look to play it quickly down one wing or the other. Usually a pass to an advanced winger with the fullbacks then overlapping to receive the ball and either cross or cut in to shoot/short pass to edge of box. This then seemed to get sussed by the opposition by pressing us high up the pitch, forcing in to mistakes at the back and in defensive midfield. Barry also seemed to lose the ability to pick a pass from the back in season 2 as well. The few games that Darren Gibson either started in place of Barry or replaced him as sub last year I thought he picked this role up very well and we looked a lot better. Since getting sussed, Martinez seems to have pushed the playmaker role up the pitch to the AM/No.10 role and on to Ross, which has seemed to result in slower build up play and less overlapping by the Fullbacks. Unfortunately I just don't think this is Ross's best position. I think he plays I'm hoping that Martinez is looking for a more creative No.10 so that we can set ourselves up to play both ways, depending on how the opposition are set-up. If we are pressed high up the pitch, we look to play up to the 10 to exploit the space left behind the players pressing us. If we're not being pressed high up the pitch we look to play more from deep via the wings and overlapping fullbacks with Ross playing instead of Barry. If we are to continue playing the way we do currently we most definitely need a full on creative no.10 to play in the hole and they are rarer than rocking horse poo.

Personally I think it's too late in the season to sack Roberto now. He does need a kick up the backside from the board though. Last Season was a joy for me watching Everton play football "in the right way" and do well in the league. I genuinely believe that Roberto's tactics have been found out and we are struggling as a result. Typically we've played a high up Playmaker with Barkley or Naismith playing in the hole with the wingers and fullbacks bombing on in a pretty rigid not much movement other than to try and get in behind to place a cross. I thought that when Darren Gibson came on in the last Europa league match that we'd found a different way to play with a deeper lying Playmaker more in front of the back four with then lots of movement and interchanging of positions up front. I really thought we'd cracked it as the deeper lying playmaker was doing all the orchestrating and had loads of space and no pressure (not the case with Ross playing the role higher up the pitch). I was baffled when we played on the next Sunday against Arsenal and we'd gone back to the same old formation and tactic.... I really do think Roberto needs to learn to mix up the formation a bit more, he can still keep the same passing philosophy, but have 3 or 4 options to switch to given how the opposition have set-up against us.

Thought Romey was my wife for a sec.... She says I'm wrong all the time! (especially when i'm right )

I think it's Distin and not Stones.

I've been trying to think of some examples (but can't) of: - players that played really well for club, - Left the club in a high - didn't play or play well for the club they went to. - went back to the club they left and most importantly went on to play really well from that point onwards. Any examples you can think of? Duncan Ferguson perhaps? Despite him being a legend I'm not sure if when he returned after Newcastle he was as good as before he left... I'm sure there must be some...

You're right Brett, but I do think we'd struggle against Spurs, Citeh, Manure etc. with a few key individuals out. If we were to win anything (European spot, Carling Cup, FA Cup) we are more than likely going to have to play a top club. Our squad players can definately get us through with wins/draws against the usual bottom half of the table teams.

Will all depend on Injuries to me, especially in the Striker role. I think we have a great first 11 and some good back-up in some positions, but if Lukaku or Baines got injured for a medium to long period as an example I think we would start to struggle to win key matches.

Seriously, This is the best 3 they could shortlist? Pathetic. Voted for 2 as best of a bad bad bunch.

I thought Fellani had a £750k loyalty bonus (according to SSN). When Felli handed in his transfer request, the £750k is no longer due to be paid to him by Everton. If I understand it right, if Felli hadn't handed in the transfer request then he would have been due to be paid £750k by Everton on him leaving. Of course Everton would try and get the buying club to cover the £750k one way or another.

Amen Brother!

See link below. Clear as mud innit http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/eimanual/eim64115.htm "In the English Football League, transfers between clubs entail the new club paying the League a levy of five per cent of the transfer fee. Signing-on fees are payable to the player at the discretion of the new club and will normally have been agreed between the player and the new club during transfer negotiations. The signing-on fee payable to the player is stated in the contract and is normally payable by equal instalments over the period of the contract, which may sometimes include the period over which there is an option to extend the contract. Where the player is subsequently transferred at the request of his club, any unpaid instalments of the earlier signing-on fee are payable immediately. But where the player requests a transfer he forfeits any such unpaid instalments unless the management committee is satisfied that his transfer request was made on reasonable grounds. Instalments of signing-on fees are chargeable to tax on receipt."

I'm happy for Fellaini and Baines to go, but has to be for the right price, which for me £45-£50m. We have to be realistic and understand our business model is based upon making large profits on players brought in. We should be able to find the next Fellaini, Baines and then some with the money raised. I don't like not being able to fight on the same financial level as the top 4, but we are where we are until we get a major funding vehicle of some sort.

Although their maths are wrong, just bear in mind that that if we sell a player for £15m, we do not have the directly to buy one in £15m. The tax man takes a share when you sell a player and no doubt there are a load of other costs e.g. Legal, Admin, twatty agents etc. that will also get covered.

I'd quite like to see us push Miralles forward to play upfront with a partner and bring in a right winger. Given we're looking for a 20 goal a season forward and Miralles is excellent in front of goal and has an excllent scoring record previous to Everton, I can;t see why we wouldn't to be honest.

I voted Coleman mainly because the way he has come on as a player this season has been a complete surprise to me and therefore more of a "revelation". Mirallas has done brilliantly, but was rated highly before joining us. Anichibe has also improved, but has still has a lot to go yet in my opinion.