27 Jan 2016 23:45:19
We have no winners, bar Tom Cleverley not one of them has a winners mentality, way too nice. We have an awful mental block in big games and we need players who hate to lose, we have no one like that. Ironic the 2 players moaning about trophies and champo league football were the one's stinking the place out. Martinez now has a worse record than Walter Smith, that's amazing.
Who is there tonight desperate and willing to do everything to win? Osman yes, Cleverley yes, Mori definitely, Joel yes. Everyone else was just strolling along, Baines and Barkley were embarrassing as was Jags, not one of them trying to pump the team up.
Another issue we have is this is a lazy team, I don't mean tracking back, we make no effort to press. We don't hunt in packs and are not aggressive, Besic is the only one, as was Naismith and Mirallas and that's why we love them. Lukaku could have had a field day today against their awful defenders, wasn't arsed. He's not willing to run and it's irritating, one game, a massive game and he doesn't want to turn up. There is no press from the players, look how well Spurs do this, Barca, the club we are supposed to be copying, have a 5 second rule were they hunt in packs to win it back, we don't. Too many of them not willing to get it back, everyone just wants the finishing touch to a goal.
John Stones was atrocious tonight. Do fans still want to give Martinez more time? . Look at Liverpool, they have a dreadful team and yet they still win, why? It's been installed in the club, from the players to the board. They have a winners mentality, Gerrard had this in abundance. Who do we have like that? Barkley? The only time he opens his mouth is to spit. Embarrassing.
On the managers front, we need a winner, I don't want Karanka or Howe or any other "young upcoming" manager. The last 2 managers have been that and won absolutely nothing. Emery from Sevilla, though not sure how likely that is. Knowing the board we will get another yes man, someone like John Carver maybe.
Joel-6-Can't blame him for any of the goals, saved Barry first half.
Stones-3-Awful for Sterlings cross, the fact it was out is irrelevant when he gives Sterling the free 5 yards to run in to, got beaten in the air by 5 foot 8 Aguero.
Jagielka-5-Horrendous by him, flapped at each ball over the top and was of course, a dreadful captain.
Funes Mori-8-Dominated all over the park and actually looked arsed, unlike his fellow defenders.
Baines-5-Got ran ragged by Sterling and then Navas, awful going forward. So many sloppy passes, but, you know, he was the best left back in the league 4 years ago so don't criticise him.
Cleverley-5-Overran all game.
Barry-5-See Cleverley.
Deulofeu-6-Yes he missed a good chance, can create something from nothing, his sub was the worst decision for a substitute I've ever witnessed.
Barkley-6-Good goal, did nothing else, had the chance to play Rom in, failed as usual. 4-3 down and he's trying to beat 4 players on the left and shoot. Said it before he sees the highlight of the goal in his head and that's all he cares about.
Osman-6.5-Didn't play too bad, used his experience well, tired after a while of course.
Lukaku-4-Stunk the place out, not willing to move, touch was poor, so sluggish and slow. Never looked bothered, oh how I wish we had a better back up. Someone like Shane Long would have been perfect this game.
Never bring on Kone when it involves taking Deulofeu off, some kind of sick joke. Martin Atkinson awful as per usual against us but meh. Let's hope City beat them in the final and Liverpool don't win anything either this season. Though I know some of our fans are desperate for them to do the cup double. Why didn't he bring on Naismith, oh right, the clown sold him.
Sad, gutted and heartbroken yet again by Everton, please sack Martinez and tell him to take Stones with him.
{Ed025's Note - the only things i can argue about are that i thought clevs and barry were better than you marked them, and lukaku cant win a game on his own he needs service and support, which im sure he will get when he leaves in the summer, but a good passionate post mate..
28 Jan 2016 07:28:54
spot on swan.
28 Jan 2016 08:28:42
Bad nights sleep. Have suffered another in the long line of disappointments being a Blue. A lot of truth in Swans post which made me feel worse.
Besic for captain. Almost anyone else for manager.
28 Jan 2016 08:56:00
I know people opinions can change but you was singing stones praises as our best player not more than 2 months ago.
28 Jan 2016 09:31:47
Swan, by your own admission, you are not old enough to remember much of Walters reign. You can't really compare the two imo for the following reason. Walter had his hands tied by Johnson, was forced to sell our better players and work with an ageing squad. RM has had plenty of cash to spend and has a relatively younger squad at his disposal, according to most our best team for a long time. Walter also stopped this club from free falling into oblivion all them years ago by helping us to get rid of that chairman. Make no mistake, if he hadn't have challenged him then your childhood memories of EFC would have been of the lower leagues mate.
I never entirely agree with you on your scores for players but that is what football is about, if we all had the same outlook and opinions then it would be boring. For me, there is only one mark and that is for the manager, the players I wouldn't bother scoring.
Martinez - 1. And that's it, it tells us everything we need to know. He bottled it on all the important decisions from before we kicked off right up until the final whistle, from team selection to substitutions, the man let us all down yet again.
Couple that with having to play against a very good City team and we were up against it from the first minute.
28 Jan 2016 13:48:37
Very good post spudv. As good a post as I've read in a long time. No offence Swan, it's what spudv says about Smith and Martinez I totally agree about.