MC11

If you're happy with a 6th place finish great. It's called stagnation and I crave more.

I think Martinez has done a good job at sustaining what Moyes left. Albeit a better brand of football. But the same cracks are there. They were just covered up for 5 months.

There's a difference between your desired expectations and the expectation of a new manager coming in and guessing how he will perform. It's crystal, yes.

From everything I've read and listened to Martinez seems happy to role with the current financial status. Use of the loan market seems to be a big incentive of his. This all points to him going with the flow under the current board. A bit like a puppet. So I just don't see how it gets better over a longer period of time? There's going to be no money again. Even if we do spend a bit in the summer. Come the following summer we'll be scratching our arses for funds again. It's a vicious circle.

What agenda do you sense?

I'll clear it up for you.. I've always expected this side to press for top 4. Let's have it straight. The side finished 6th last season and the squad was improved. Dead wood such as Hitzlsperger and Neville were gone. Young blood was given an opportunity. On the flip side I didn't have a clue which way the season was going to go as this was a new manager, probably like 90% of fans we didn't know what to expect it could have gone either way. But in terms of what I'd see as a good season would be Champions League football. That didn't change.

Wrong thread

Both Charlatans IMO. I think LCAB's source is big Nev. They get very little correct. That THT made me laugh last month. He tweeted something along the lines of knowing Traore and Mcgeady would come in weeks before but was told not to say nothing. Comical.

Why are you basing your opinion on previous seasons? It's irrelevant. This is the season, this is the points tally and we are 6th. 8 points of 4th. It doesn't matter about previous seasons.

You're basing his goal tally on 2 seasons. I'm basing it on the business end - for us! It's ok but it's nowhere near prolific and could be a lot better. I also don't agree he runs his socks off. There has been many a game this season where he has been crap. His link up play is nothing like you describe it's crap.

I keep hearing this "we'll get there in the end, doesn't happen over night, Rome wasn't built in a day" I've been hearing the same shite for 12 years.

The expectations from me have always been the same "Champions League qualification". The squad was improved, dead wood shipped out and decent younger talent brought in. So I suppose I expected more once I'd seem what was on the books. The first 3 games where shite. I remember West Brom at home and thinking this is going to be a long season. At present Martinez hasn't eclipsed Moyes for me. It's all very similar, except the football seems to be a lot better. That's not to say we didn't play good stuff under Moyes.

Lukaku seems to be under a 2:1 striker which is ok but not good enough for top 4. You need someone with a better ratio. At least 20-25 goals a season leading the line. I find him more than not "static", very lethargic. Very rare you see him make opportunity for himself. His link up play is non existant. His touch and passing ability is atrocious. I would not be putting a £20m egg towards that basket.

He won't make it here. Sold on a permanent in the summer. Nailed. Championship/League One ability.

That's tripe mate. How many assists has Eriksen given Adebayor? How many has Barkley give Lukaku. Lukaku just isn't all that!

Adebayor has 8 goals in 10 games. Lukaku has 9 in over 20. Fucking huge difference. How on earth can you say Lukaku gives it his all. I've seen him stink the place out numerous times this season!

But how does it get better with no additional transfer funds via champions League qualification? Who's to say we will have a substantial amount of cash available in the summer? The squad needs adding to with quality to oversee future injury problems. It's the same old scenario. The problem we have is that our direct challenges for 4th and 5th both took 3points of us and are picking up points and starting to open a gap. It's so tight you can not afford to open 5 point gaps upon ourselves. I think we have to go for the cup now. 4th is looking far fetched. Without 10 wins from the remaining 13. I doubt we can do it. Can't see Liverpool getting beat more than twice.

To answer the question, my expectations at the start of this season did not exist. I didn't know what to expect to be honest. However the form and play by December had me thinking a top 4 minimum was very very achievable. However the injuries hit and our squad looks paper thin once again. Top performers aren't performing and the same old Evertonians fall back on... "It's his first season, I wasn't expecting much" grow a set FFS. If we finish 6th again it's nothing but stagnation and Moyes achieved it with players that aren't as talented!

Completely different kettle of fish these days. Money matters. Look at City's climb and Chelsea's. Comparing something that happened 30 years ago to the modern game just doesn't add up.

Barkley is a youth player that comes along every 10 years comparing his value and how much we spent on him is ridiculous. We paid nothing for him. Saying you wouldn't want a £20m+ striker is ridiculous. When was the last time someone won the league without a £20m striker?

But keane played on his own. We have two sitters and Barry for me is the busier of the two, he's a much more important cog. I just haven't been completely convinced yet. It's all very simple and ineffective for me.

To be honest it's probably just the frustrations of the other sides rolling on whilst we have been very stale for weeks compared to the first half of the season. Unfortunately this is the business end and I'm probably trying to see where it's going wrong. Without Barkley ticking over we lack a link between midfield and striker. We just haven't been great. It's all good saying the teams playing good football but it's achievement that matter and finishing 6th again is just stagnation. I really thought we'd mix it up right until the very end. It's looking a long way off now. That's basing it on the performances of the turn of the year. We just haven't been convincing. It's worrying.

Not just goals Duncan, he lacks creativity, can't beat a man. Seems to drop in and out of games. You look at Barry who's always involved. Always looking for the ball. Always looking to pass forward. I'm just not convinced by him. Btw Reid is before my time.

I just don't feel McCarthy, maybe I'm wrong because a lot of Blues like him. But I don't think he is a special player. He's not an important cog IMO. His work seems to be simple and very little cutting edge about it.

Why.... because we were in a great position (the same as last season) and we go and blow it. What's the incentive of catching Spurs? It's 4th we want not 5th.