brittoncarl

We outclassed the current champions, away, when they are an improved side, playing attractive football, and still the moaning continues. It beggars belief.
 
I ran a regression analysis, and the correlation between the strength of emotion and the incredulity of comments is very high, so I suppose it's understandable.

It's not that we don't see it though...or me at least.
I'm just looking at the bigger picture.
I don't think football is all about patterns, I think it's more planning and then luck.
At the moment we are playing well enough to win points. But luck is against us.
 
Now if like a few of you say, we end up mid table and still toothless at the end of the season then I will agree.
 
But if we can drag ourselves up to top six and do well in the cups, then maybe we can say
...ok maybe we have turned that corner.
 
Getting to score goals wad the first step.
Playing to win against top teams is another step.
Getting the defence in order needs to be the next step.
 
Will it happen overnight? Of course not.
Will it happen at all? Maybe.
I'm willing to give him the rest of the season to try.
 
So for now Roberto....you can stay.

This was the Chelsea of last season... Chelsea played as good as I have seen them in a long time.  
They same as man city in second half last week... at their best.
 
The same as spurs in first half week before.
 
 
We have played some bloody good footballing teams.

Major over reaction! You obviously are quite young because in the 90s we went through many games struggling to even get a point with dire football. last 5 games win against City and Daganham and Redbridge. Draw against City, Chelsea and Spurs. These aren't bad results in anyone's book. The fact we can go to Chelsea (current champions) and outplay them and were robbed of all three points shows how far we've come. Some of the football we play is mouth watering. Some defending awful but things don't happen overnight.

Would you rather go back to the last ten years of Everton?
Massive underdogs, boring football, not much in the goal department other than set pieces and still an average team?
 
No, for me we have taken a step forward.
 
I much prefer being able to score goals, play great entertaining football, and the knowledge that if we cam start defending better we can make big things happen
 
I suppose at the end of the season I may end up in the vault haha!

Totally agree. Nothing like a good agenda to lose sight of what actually happened in the game...  
Chelsea actually played well today. Costa was the Costa we all hate because he was horribly effective. Fabregas showed what a twat he is by getting mourinho the sack... as he is a bloody good player.

Last two results.
Point away at probable champions
Point away at current champions...cheated out of a win.
 
If you cannot see the difference in those two matches compared to earlier results then i really aren't qualified enough to explain.

Some fans have no fucking clue. Any chance to criticise the club.
A lucky deflection.
An offside goal,
That was past time.
 
Managers fault!
 
Oh ye, and away to the champions.

I was just about to say how immense Jags has been.
 
 
...Then that happened.

Not how I read into it. Criticism of stones has been sensationalised into people think he is shit... which clearly isn't accurate. That was my take anyhow.

He's type of player I'd be looking at if managing any of the top sides, similiar to last year with Schniderlin, although I thought he would do better than he has been doing at United.

Didn't Martinez say in an interview recently that he encourages youngsters like Stones to just play how they naturally play and encourages their mistakes as a learning curve? Something around that anyway?
 
Anyway, I see Stones taking a couple of risks and understand why, if Martinez is allowing him to express himself and learn from it. And I understand Martinez point of view that youngsters like him will only learn from their mistakes and become better for it...although I see that as a bit risky and wonder where the line is drawn?
 
Either way, Stones does take risks and has made errors. The now infamous 6 yard dribble was edgey and heart stopping, but it led to a free kick for us. The inbox tackle vs city was daft, but lead to nothing. Equally, I've seen him do plenty of well timed blocks and saving tackles in and around our box. I've also seen him dribble the ball out past 2 or 3 players, turning defense into attack. And these moments are awesome. But you can't have one without the other.
 
And if he is bollocking other players, which I've not noticed tbh, then good. Because, just like with Besic, plenty of us have been crying out for someone to bollock the players.
 
Like every player and person, he has faults. But overall he's a good package.

He's type of player I'd be looking at if managing any of the top sides, similiar to last year with Schniderlin, although I thought he would do better than he has been doing at United.

I've always maintained this is a 5 year plan. We've had the gung-ho first year, 2nd year trying to be more measured (which failed, bring with it it's own lessons), this season we've abolished the boring nonsense of last season and I imagine this season we'll continue to entertain and frustrate with results. With some of the talent we've accumulated, and if we can keep them, we're in for one hell of a season next year and future after that

10/10 for sensationalism Steve.... I think the fact that we mostly rate him as a 50m player says we don't think he's shit...
 
His decision making, uneccessary over elaborating and finger pointing at other players has indicated a player who has got a little too big for his boots...

He's prone to the odd head rush due to being young. Still one of our hottest property's though.
And we would be making one hell of a statement if we kept him.

No not really.
 
Every player gets critics. No problem. Buts it's all the arrogant stuff, too big for his boots, wants to move etc.
 
It's the same as last year with Lukaku (for you personally, it follows the same pattern...you criticise, make an assumption on personality, refer to another player in a 'if it was...' scenario, then refer to your own playing days as if this actually backs it all up!!!)
 
He makes a mistake, fair enough. But then gets a barrage for it. The criticism isn't balanced in my view.
 
He's a defender who is amongst the top in the league for full on blocks made...as in throwing himself in to block shots...but no, he's arrogant and thinks he's too big for the club?! I wonder how many of his mistakes have lead to a goal and how many of his blocks have stopped a goal?
 
I'm not trying to argue. I just think some of you guys tend to hone in on one player and rag the shit out of it.
 
Each to their own I guess.

He's only 21 afterall
 
 
 

Need someone to moan at.
 
It'll be a long time before we see more than 2 £50m+ players in our first team again. John can do all the turns he wants, slides he wants AS LONG AS it doesn't cost us goals or games; which at present it hasn't done (through luck and bad reffing), so i'll leave him be. When he costs us the 90th min pen against City in the cup, then i'll jump about but for now, I love you John Stones. You sexy, silky, mother fucking, beautiful man you.
 
Do what you want with me on the pitch.

No... you adjust according to the situation. We went toe to toe with a quality side... have a look at the last time they failed to score at home... city threw their men forward, what are we supposed to do? Not track back?

youre as blind with a player you don't like as you are with Mirallas. Stones played out of position and, first half at least played very well. Average second half. 
Anyway, Mo. Special shout out to Howard.

I think I mentioned the other day that Barkley could probably do with less upper body weights. I think it's affected his fitness a little.
 
From a personal perspective (as an amateur), I was 20 years old and 11st 6lb at 5 ft 10. I wanted muscles and bulked pretty well. I went from being a player that could sprint and run all game to one that needed breathers.
 
For me core strength is the biggest factor in football. Bulking doesn't equal strength. If they do weights in the very heavy range for up to 5 reps they will get strength gains but less of the muscle hypertrophy which is around 8-10 reps.
 
Stones has the perfect physique, he will get a bit bigger naturally so we don't need him to push on that one if it affects his acceleration and aerial ability.

Navas is a more expensive, Spanish Aaron Lennon

Maybe we should take a step back a moment and not just react to this game or that game. Knee-jerk reactions never lead to wise decisions.
 
1) We're building a very strong young team for the future. Can you think of any other team that is so well stocked with young talent? In a year or two's time, we're going to look back with delight at some of the current transfer dealings. And these young players could be together for a decade. Just think of that.
 
2) We're developing talent by offering them the freedom to make mistakes. As others have posted in another thread, do we honestly believe that David Moyes, or many other managers, would allow Stones to do something that costs us a game? They'd have received a tongue-lashing, not encouragement. Long-term view is so much more important that short-term. Every one of us learns the most by making mistakes - and having our peers support us during those times.
 
3) Another part of developing young players is allowing them to play alongside older, experienced players. Stones is learning from Jagielka. McCarthy and Besic are learning from Barry. Yes, Lukaku is learning from Kone. This is a team in transition.
 
4) We're also allowing young talent to play in the lower leagues. That didn't happen previously to anywhere near the same extent. And this provides us with visibility, and maybe first dibs, to potential diamonds in the rough at those clubs.
 
5) We have a great working relationship with Barcelona. Would we have secured the signing of Deulofeu with any other manager? And I can see this beginning to happen with other European clubs. (Just look at the praise heaped on Grasshopper by Martinez for their "professional dealings.")
 
IMO, we should be looking more at the long-term, less at the short-term. Do we really want to throw all these benefits aside in a quest for some sort of quick fix? Not at all! Martinez' direction is long-term as much as it is short-term. This is what it takes to build a legacy. And a little patience.

Am i officially getting old but don't these two look like they're in PE at school?