nogs

It's not about one result though, is it? It's about Bournemouth, Norwich, Leicester, Stoke, it's about one win in two months, it's about not being able to do the basics at the back, it's about being 11th in the table with a squad that has every fan more excited than we can remember. It's about this being Everton Football Club and this, right now, not being good enough.

Yep and City were robbed of a penalty on Wednesday after being camped in our half for 45 minutes. No one can control bad refereeing decisions, they happen to everyone. We can, however, control how we defend and it is that side of our game that I cannot find excuses for.
 
Bad luck, poor play - we still can't buy a win and I'm fucking pissed off with it!!

Im not suggesting we'll get relegated! I'm saying that in a table of mental strength we'd be right down there. I'll say it again, how many points have we lost from winning positions this season? More than anyone else I'd be willing to bet.

I'd be willing to bet good money that our worst runs this season and last have coincided with McCarthy being out injured. Besic coming in has given us something of what we miss when McCarthy is not playing. Looking forward, I want to see Barry eased out and Besic and McCarthy run the centre of the pitch for us for years to come, with Barkley just in front.

Sorry but that was a stonewall penalty. What the fuck is Stones doing going to ground?? Lucky, lucky boy.

I'd be willing to bet good money that our worst runs this season and last have coincided with McCarthy being out injured. Besic coming in has given us something of what we miss when McCarthy is not playing. Looking forward, I want to see Barry eased out and Besic and McCarthy run the centre of the pitch for us for years to come, with Barkley just in front.

I'd be willing to bet good money that our worst runs this season and last have coincided with McCarthy being out injured. Besic coming in has given us something of what we miss when McCarthy is not playing. Looking forward, I want to see Barry eased out and Besic and McCarthy run the centre of the pitch for us for years to come, with Barkley just in front.

Fantastic performance. Energy, passion, intensity, skill, we deserved to beat one of the supposed big boys. Besic was immense, Barkley showed he's a final decision away from being frightening, Lukaku even before the goal showing why he is currently perhaps the hottest property in the country. And we even defended pretty well! (Bar a break away goal, a stonewall penalty not being given and Aguero missing a sitter...)
 
So the question is... if we can produce that in a cup semi final, why aren't we taking the Premier League by storm? That's the benchmark now, anything less is unacceptable.

Fantastic performance. Energy, passion, intensity, skill, we deserved to beat one of the supposed big boys. Besic was immense, Barkley showed he's a final decision away from being frightening, Lukaku even before the goal showing why he is currently perhaps the hottest property in the country. And we even defended pretty well! (Bar a break away goal, a stonewall penalty not being given and Aguero missing a sitter...)
 
So the question is... if we can produce that in a cup semi final, why aren't we taking the Premier League by storm? That's the benchmark now, anything less is unacceptable.

Fantastic performance. Energy, passion, intensity, skill, we deserved to beat one of the supposed big boys. Besic was immense, Barkley showed he's a final decision away from being frightening, Lukaku even before the goal showing why he is currently perhaps the hottest property in the country. And we even defended pretty well! (Bar a break away goal, a stonewall penalty not being given and Aguero missing a sitter...)
 
So the question is... if we can produce that in a cup semi final, why aren't we taking the Premier League by storm? That's the benchmark now, anything less is unacceptable.

Fantastic performance. Energy, passion, intensity, skill, we deserved to beat one of the supposed big boys. Besic was immense, Barkley showed he's a final decision away from being frightening, Lukaku even before the goal showing why he is currently perhaps the hottest property in the country. And we even defended pretty well! (Bar a break away goal, a stonewall penalty not being given and Aguero missing a sitter...)
 
So the question is... if we can produce that in a cup semi final, why aren't we taking the Premier League by storm? That's the benchmark now, anything less is unacceptable.

It wasn't even all about quality. It was about drive, desire, energy and organisation. Pochettino will go on to be a top manager because he gets his teams fit and hungry, they press hard and high to win the ball, and move it with pace when they have it. They just looked a much fitter, better drilled team than us, and there really isn't much of a defence for Martinez that that should be the case.

Two very interesting articles Dunc has posted above. In the first, the stats on where we rank for defensive play is damning - worst in the league heading, 19th for winning the ball back from the opposition. 19th! If Martinez has taken his football philosophy straight from La Mancha, he has missed a crucial point - Barca thrive when they press high in packs and win the ball back early.
 
The second just underlines what I have been posting the past fortnight - our results have been dreadful for 18 months. This is not a blip, it is systemic underachievement. I for one hate the 'great entertainers' tag, we've become like Newcastle under clown Keegan, but even they had a tilt at the title!
 
Again, we don't press because we aren't coached to do so. We let teams out run us because we aren't coached to work hard enough. We can't defend crosses because we aren't coached to do so. This is Martinez's 7th season as a manager, can you see him changing his philosophy in the next 5 months?

I don't care if he touched the fucking ball or not. Once again, we get ahead and throw it away, our game management is amateurish at best.
 
I seriously do not believe Martinez is the right man to take this team forward. We did exactly the same last season, he has learnt nothing. And for those of you who are saying he can't be blamed for individual errors at the back - yes he can. That is what coaches do, they coach players to improve and cut down on mistakes. We are a liability at the back under Martinez, he hasto carry the can for that, plain and simple.

Story of our season. That and defending like muppets.

One win every three games says it all. Martinez talked about making us a Champions League side when he came here. His win record the last season and a half is the kind of form that has you looking over your shoulder at relegation.
 
I've got two points. One, Martinez has assembled a young, vibrant, exciting squad, he has them playing attractive football and has earned us a lot of admirers. He deserves credit for that. But unless he can add a bit of steel and nous, unless he can get this young, exciting side winning, the best players he has at his disposal will leave and we will be looking at a situation like the early 90s again when a very good squad fell apart before it had a chance to do anything.
 
Second, Martinez is five years behind the pace tactically. His mantra about possession just isn't true - teams have worked out how to counter tica-taca and are winning without bossing possession (look at Leicester). The most effective teams are playing a high energy pressing game in their own half and moving the ball with pace going forward. We lack bite and organisation at the back and look pedestrian with the ball. We have the players to switch style - Barry and McCarthy are perfect for squeezing space in front of the back four, and we have more than enough pace to play much more direct. All that is lacking is Martinez's unwillingness to evolve, underlined by his flat refusal to play two wingers.

One win every three games says it all. Martinez talked about making us a Champions League side when he came here. His win record the last season and a half is the kind of form that has you looking over your shoulder at relegation.
 
I've got two points. One, Martinez has assembled a young, vibrant, exciting squad, he has them playing attractive football and has earned us a lot of admirers. He deserves credit for that. But unless he can add a bit of steel and nous, unless he can get this young, exciting side winning, the best players he has at his disposal will leave and we will be looking at a situation like the early 90s again when a very good squad fell apart before it had a chance to do anything.
 
Second, Martinez is five years behind the pace tactically. His mantra about possession just isn't true - teams have worked out how to counter tica-taca and are winning without bossing possession (look at Leicester). The most effective teams are playing a high energy pressing game in their own half and moving the ball with pace going forward. We lack bite and organisation at the back and look pedestrian with the ball. We have the players to switch style - Barry and McCarthy are perfect for squeezing space in front of the back four, and we have more than enough pace to play much more direct. All that is lacking is Martinez's unwillingness to evolve, underlined by his flat refusal to play two wingers.

I said Norwich and Leicester were 'must win' if we wanted to stay in the Europe hunt. We're lucky that other teams have dropped points too so I'm foolishly letting thoughts along the lines of 'if we can just beat Newcastle and Stoke...' enter my head. Setting myself up for an epic festive downer...

One win every three games says it all. Martinez talked about making us a Champions League side when he came here. His win record the last season and a half is the kind of form that has you looking over your shoulder at relegation.
 
I've got two points. One, Martinez has assembled a young, vibrant, exciting squad, he has them playing attractive football and has earned us a lot of admirers. He deserves credit for that. But unless he can add a bit of steel and nous, unless he can get this young, exciting side winning, the best players he has at his disposal will leave and we will be looking at a situation like the early 90s again when a very good squad fell apart before it had a chance to do anything.
 
Second, Martinez is five years behind the pace tactically. His mantra about possession just isn't true - teams have worked out how to counter tica-taca and are winning without bossing possession (look at Leicester). The most effective teams are playing a high energy pressing game in their own half and moving the ball with pace going forward. We lack bite and organisation at the back and look pedestrian with the ball. We have the players to switch style - Barry and McCarthy are perfect for squeezing space in front of the back four, and we have more than enough pace to play much more direct. All that is lacking is Martinez's unwillingness to evolve, underlined by his flat refusal to play two wingers.

One win every three games says it all. Martinez talked about making us a Champions League side when he came here. His win record the last season and a half is the kind of form that has you looking over your shoulder at relegation.
 
I've got two points. One, Martinez has assembled a young, vibrant, exciting squad, he has them playing attractive football and has earned us a lot of admirers. He deserves credit for that. But unless he can add a bit of steel and nous, unless he can get this young, exciting side winning, the best players he has at his disposal will leave and we will be looking at a situation like the early 90s again when a very good squad fell apart before it had a chance to do anything.
 
Second, Martinez is five years behind the pace tactically. His mantra about possession just isn't true - teams have worked out how to counter tica-taca and are winning without bossing possession (look at Leicester). The most effective teams are playing a high energy pressing game in their own half and moving the ball with pace going forward. We lack bite and organisation at the back and look pedestrian with the ball. We have the players to switch style - Barry and McCarthy are perfect for squeezing space in front of the back four, and we have more than enough pace to play much more direct. All that is lacking is Martinez's unwillingness to evolve, underlined by his flat refusal to play two wingers.

One win every three games says it all. Martinez talked about making us a Champions League side when he came here. His win record the last season and a half is the kind of form that has you looking over your shoulder at relegation.
 
I've got two points. One, Martinez has assembled a young, vibrant, exciting squad, he has them playing attractive football and has earned us a lot of admirers. He deserves credit for that. But unless he can add a bit of steel and nous, unless he can get this young, exciting side winning, the best players he has at his disposal will leave and we will be looking at a situation like the early 90s again when a very good squad fell apart before it had a chance to do anything.
 
Second, Martinez is five years behind the pace tactically. His mantra about possession just isn't true - teams have worked out how to counter tica-taca and are winning without bossing possession (look at Leicester). The most effective teams are playing a high energy pressing game in their own half and moving the ball with pace going forward. We lack bite and organisation at the back and look pedestrian with the ball. We have the players to switch style - Barry and McCarthy are perfect for squeezing space in front of the back four, and we have more than enough pace to play much more direct. All that is lacking is Martinez's unwillingness to evolve, underlined by his flat refusal to play two wingers.

We've been a joke at the back fora season and a half. That's why we are yet again a mediocre midtable team. That is why Martinez is not good enough for the Premier League.

Geri has to score. That's three big chances, you don't get anything wasting all of those

Why, why, why do we need to go 2-0 down before we have a go???
 
We look like a team that doesn't know whether to stick or twist. If we're playing counter attack, why are we so slow moving the ball when we are in possession? If we're playing possession, where is the high press to win it back? The players look caught in two minds. And that comes from the manager. Then when we're 2-0 down and don't have a choice we start having a go and look like a team again! Fuck me this lot will be the death of me...

When Martinez going to wake up to the fact that you cannot tolerate these kinds of defensive performances in top flight footbsll? Its like he doesnt care. This is all down to poor preparation, Coleman and Stones come into the back four after injury and it all falls apart. Shite like this undermines a decent start to the season.