Everton Banter Archive February 23 2014

23 Feb 2014 22:05:08
reading through the most recent posts I find it amazing that negative posts out-weigh positive one's to such an extent. your recent away form versus 3 top sides has not yielded any points but your home form and overall seasons form has been pretty good with some lovely football played on many occasions. a new manager with new idea's will take more than 2/3 of a season to get the rewards you are hoping for, but you are still 1 of only 8 teams left with a chance of the f a cup and plenty of points in the league left to play for and your remaining fixtures look (on paper) quite appealing compared to the teams around you with your 3 biggest games against man city, arsenal, man utd, all at home. everybody notes the 4-0 loss against us at anfield was a complete thrashing,, but what I saw was a game which in the 1st quarter was very even with chances at both ends, and as we all know the 1st goal in any game is of huge importance especially when your playing away from home plus on that day our finishing was very clinical. yesterday a very good point was lost in injury time against a team who almost every time they play at home 3 points is the norm for them. I would not rule anything out this season with more than a quarter of it left to go, and would not be at all surprised if the top 4 does not consist of the curent sides occupying those places at present. good luck for the remainder of a very good season and with a bit of luck maybe 2 teams from merseyside may be dusting down the passports!

{Ed025's Note - cheers mick, I wish all our posters were as optimistic as you mate, we have played great this season, even though we have not got what we deserved all the time, I'm telling you, if we had your attack, and even if you had our defense, one of us would be 12 points clear now!..

23 Feb 2014 20:25:46
The last few weeks haven't been great but we all knew how weak we are up front if lukaku is injured or out of form which was bound to happen at some point. The fact is unless we get really lucky and find a goal machine for very little money were always going to be the outsiders in the race for fourth. But I believe we have a far better chance of achieving something playing possesion football and being positive like we have this season. I know there's a lack of cutting edge at the moment but bobby's only 8 months in to this and I believe he has a vision and a plan how to get there. With the Newcastle game being postponed and the palace game set to be announced this week, the next 4 league games should be west ham palace Cardiff and Swansea all at home with virtually a fully fit squad barring Gibson and kone. The rs have Manchester United and spurs, spurs have chelski and the arse and Manchester United have city and the rs. Things could look completely different by the end of march and a chance of Wembley too. As for raz I suspect your a man u fan or one of them across the park. If your not you should be. We get behind our team mate glory is what we all want but glory hunters we are not.

That's the best post I have read for some time, getting quite fed up of all the doom merchants we sill have a very good chance of climbing the table, c'mon let's get behind our team, and you never know, c'mon you Blues GuernseyBlue

23 Feb 2014 21:26:07
Ed I have said before on this site that we need to get a quality keeper as Howard has again cost us Yesterday. He is a liabilty and if as was rumoured he heading to MLS and we get 3m for him well and good.

Foster of Celtic would be a top class replacement. IMO he should be England number one. I am also a celtic fan and have been to a few Champions league mathches where Foster was outstanding. He is imo a world class keeper and we should try and buy him in the summer.

{Ed025's Note - bit harsh on Tim that ray, I too feel he was at fault for the chelski goal, but I believe he is a quality keeper mate, it could be worse...we could have mignolet in goal.. :)

23 Feb 2014 22:29:06
i like tim, has everything a keeper needs, but he is a liability from long range, doesn't leave his line and always has a mistake in him, forster is a class keeper, really like him, but all in all is he better than tim? I don't think so

Mike-Ox Long

23 Feb 2014 18:01:47
At last, some goods news - spurs just lost to Norwich meaning if we win our game in hand against palace (well that's assuming we actually manage to put the ball in the net), there will be just 2 points separating us & 5th place which means Europa place still very much up for grabs. no way we're going to get champions league place now so we just need to concentrate on getting that 5th spot.and I personally think we will.with a bit of help from old moyes too, lol.

23 Feb 2014 15:49:44
Whats with all the negativity? Remember when Roberto was appointed everyone was saying we're going to get relegated?

'Remember when Roberto was appointed everyone was saying we're going to get relegated?'

Did they? I admit that I am the most negative poster on here, and even I didn't think that.

Love to hear your posts The Real Mike, cheer me up like mad, a lot of people don't agree with you because you say it as it is. good on you man.

23 Feb 2014 13:25:46
At the beginning of this season I got really slagged off when I showed some caution to our signings and new manager. I pointed out that Moyes had done a terrific job for us for 11 years and that some of our new signings by Martinez were not up to scratch. In particular I pointed out that Kone as replacement for Anichebe was short sighted and bad business. I also stated that although Barry and McCarthy were fantastic as a defensive holding pair, they scored precious few goals and it worried me that this lack of goals could be a problem. I see we are now linked to Joe Allen.yet another none goalscoring midfielder. I hope this is not true.
As the season developed, I was pleasantly surprised to see us performing as good, if not slightly better than in Moyes days. In one or two games, Martinez made bold substitutions and turned the game our way. Arsenal away is an example. Yesterday, I think he got his substitutions totally wrong. He disrupted the team with 3 attacking substitutions at a time when the game was very finely balanced. If we had got a goal, I swear everyone on this site would be saying how brilliant Roberto is. How we were much more attacking than under Moyes. In fact I think Moyes would have brought on John Stones and tried to see the game out. I would have been happy with this. My point is guys, you can't have it both ways. If you want free flowing attacking football from a manager, it will sometimes go wrong. I personally think we played brilliantly yesterday and should have had at least a point. We had similar games at Chelsea under Moyes. remember Arteta being fouled and left on the deck whilst they scored a winner a couple of seasons ago? Anyway, back to the point. I think our next two or three signings will need to weigh in with a fair share of goals or we will be in trouble. I see precious few goals coming from: Osman, McGeady, Pienaar, Barry, McCarthy, Jags, Distin. and only a couple from Barkley, Coleman, Baines.so that leaves us Lukaku to get the majority.what happens when he goes back?
Degsypulford

Sorry. meant to say Mirallas will likely bag a few. Del boy one or two. Traore one or two and that's about it. With Barry and McCarthy as a the central pairing, we need goals from other areas of the pitch.
Degsypulford

Degs, not really sure what a lot of that's about but dare I say let's forget about David Moyes since he manages Man Utd. A lot of mangers would have brought on Stones. I would have brought on Stones. But Martinez didn't. You get to the point which is goals. We aren't scoring enough. And I agree. So WHY are we not scoring goals? We were at the start, everyone seemed to be getting in on the act.

Your expecting Barry and JMac to be scoring goals? I'm not expecting them to do that. I do expect them to be everywhere and to pass the ball well to allow our front 4 to score goals. I also expect our full backs to run tirelessly up and down stretching the pitch. Again, to allow our front 4 to score goals. I expect the team to press as a team, and not in ones and twos. But all this relies on energy and that's what we are missing. We are stale, predictable and one paced. Barry is blowing after 30, JMac can't be everywhere, we have noone else to play those two roles, the front 4 keeps changing every game, there's no cohesion. There's no striker, Jelavic was sold for an injured replacement. Jags doesn't look fit, Coleman and Baines look knackered, Barkley doesn't look fit, Delboy is underused. The pace in our game that made us so feared at the start of the season is gone so the goals and the performances have dried up. Finally, the thing that annoys me more than anything: Set Pieces. It's a shambles. Attacking and defending. Costs us in almost every big game.

The Ginger Gargoyle did not do a terrific job for 11 years. He is, (and always will be) an average manger, as he is currently proving at the biggest club in the whole universe.

Martinez is a much better manager than the trophyless one.

You are right about Anichebe being better than Kone, but that is only because Kone is completely useless.

We won't be getting Joe Allen and that just seems like a stupid link from the media.

I agree that we badly need more goals throughout the team.

Oli is right about the set pieces. I made that point yesterday mate. We must be one of the worst in the league with attacking and defending them. It doesn't help when martinez admits that we don't even practice them.

Oli, what it is about is as follows:
1. All of a sudden there is a load of gloom and despondency. This after all season everyone was saying, "Martinez is the man and we are playing much better football."
2. I said all along that I was worried about some of the signings. Particularly Kone and the fact McCarthy and Barry score less than 2 goals a season between them. Look at their records. They really have scored an average of less than 2 between them last 4 seasons. We have been solid defensively. more so than under Moyes. I think we have scored 3 more goals at this stage than with Moyes last season too. This is mainly because Lukaku has chipped in with 9. I firmly believe most teams play with a single holding midfielder who does not score too many. We now play with 2 who do not score many. Therefore, goals MUST come from other areas of the pitch. Yes Lukaku has done it, but he will be leaving us next season. I hear rumours we may go after Joe Allen. He is another non scoring player. Moyes (yes our last manager I know) signed players who scored goals. Roberto seems to be signing players who do not score goals. It is a real fear for me and only time will tell. But right now, I am really worried.as I was at the beginning when Kone, McCarthy, Barry and Alcaraz were signed. I hope Gibson is back soon and I hope we have a decent forward lined up to replace Lukaku. because if we don't, I will be really worried.

The Real Mike. I agree about set pieces. In particular I don't think we have scored from a corner since the first derby? At least now we are varying them. 2 games ago we continually threw in out swinging ones that were so easy to defend against. I didn't know Martinez admitted we didn't practice them. FFS Manchester United won the league last season from corner kicks. They scored more from these than open play.

I can't remember the exact quote Degsy, but it was along the lines of

''we don't practice set pieces as I think a goal from open play is much more pleasing and rewarding''

It was something like that anyway.

23 Feb 2014 08:34:27
I'm getting sick to the stomach of having to put up with blatant and embarasing so called expert analysis from ex reds players when ever I sit down to watch my team play a game of football. First we had that second rate joke David James on bt talking complete rubbish as always, so much so he actually smirks when he comes out with this stuff. Then what I can only describe as an onslaught on our captain and Englands regular centre half. It was nothing short of shameful. He then went on to mention we were 'battered' in the derby but failed to mention the fact we were completely decimated with injuries and once again totally outspent in the summer by Brenda and co. Its getting to the point were i'm going to be watching these programmes with the sound off.

Feel strongly about this and totally agree. It's an absolute disgrace, someone at the club needs to do something about it. Make a stand. As you say James and then Hansen on MOTD with hateful comments towards Jagielka. We have to put up with Carragher and Redknapp and then Lawrenson and Hamman. It's an absolute joke. It's actually laughable. I challenge any other club to take it. Always watching your team on TV with bitter and distasteful remarks constantly being aimed at you by pundits who support your closest rivals. We lost 1-0 to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the 92nd min. Sorry, how many teams have won their again? I forgot, Stamford Bridge is such an easy place to go. We should be applauded for that effort. I can't believe most Evertonians just take it. They listen to it and it's water of a ducks back. But what they don't realise is that these comments ultimately effect our team. They damage our brand, they ruin confidence, they create unwanted headlines. That's why we will never get back to our glory days. It'll always be scrap for 4th at absolute best. As long as we are being portrayed as this mediocre club by a biased media we won't attract top sponsorship deals or top players and any decent ones we do grab we are just a stepping stone for the same media to then sell them on to their favourite 'Big' clubs

Don't know if you saw, but I did post a long rant about this last night. Hanson's analysis on MOTD was nothing short of disgraceful and James has absolutely no idea what he's talking about. A few, like Danny Murphy, aren't too bad, but the vast majority of pundits are ex-liverpool and horrendously biased and misguided.

Just been down to my post and saw that you clearly have seen it, Jennings! I agree that we should stand up against it. I am very tempted to start a petition to have Hanson removed from MOTD. If enough people sign, surely the tv will have to acknowledge how unpopular he is

23 Feb 2014 01:13:47
For how many years have I heard us saying we're unlucky, yes we are unlucky, unlucky we haven't got the cash to flash!

23 Feb 2014 00:40:53
Did anyone see match of the day last night? The defeat: fine. We played well. Alan Hanson's analysis: absolutely disgraceful. I usually aim my MOTD pundit hate directly at Mark Lawrenson, but Hanson truly outdid himself there. Comparing Jags and Terry and making out like Terry is the greatest player of all time and that Jagielka is sub par? Terry is two footed, Jags is 'all right'? Jags is positionally poor? Saying that Chelsea were bad, not that we were good, and we didn't deserve to win? Their goal was a definite free kick? It should be terry and Cahill for England?

Why do MOTD insist on employing this arrogant, smug, deluded and bias t**t? I enjoy MOTD, just like soccer Saturday, but they need to keep Kopites like him, Lawrenson, Thompson and co. as far away from them as possible. End of rant.

Yes we've seen and heard it for so long, so biased, always ready to stick the knife in, also so many commentators seem to get over excited when the opposition are attacking us noticed that a lot too . hey ho, what can anyone say? Will only change when some over rich patron comes along and we morph into Barcelona

Just posted something above on this. I totally agree. It is a disgrace. Evertonians must take a stand. Our board must demand to these people that we will not tolerate this bias anymore.

It's hard enough watching my team lose. But the mood I am put in time after time by listening to these people. I have to switch it off. But I don't want to have to switch it off. I shouldn't have to switch it off.

There are at least 6 regular red pundits on the major networks, all ready to stick the knife in at the first sign. There are zero blue pundits. Gary Lineker is the only one who actually fights our corner. He wasn't on last night and would never have allowed Hansen to speak of Jagielka this way. He'd also have mentioned Distin was MOTM and it was a blatant trick to win the free kick.

Carragher, Redknapp, Thompson, Hansen, Lawrenson, Fowler, Hamman, Murphy,
Souness, James, Mellor, and Owen.Have I missed anyone else off the list of annoying ex reds?

Mcmanaman said against spurs on bt Gary Naismith instead of Steven real expert pundit

23 Feb 2014 16:38:36
you forgot rush and alderidge mate, hate the pair of them

Mike-Ox Long

Forgot about them three.But yes its a disgrace the way these commentators ex red sh**e or not are loath to give us any credit or praise at all.Its never that everton are or where great today or played well and deserved the win or draw.its always the other team not getting started yet, and they haven't hit the heights of previous games today.And you can sense everyone of these P****s are willing any team we play to score.Drives me up the wall seriously the wife thinks i'm going to have an heart attack the way I scream at the telly .

23 Feb 2014 00:05:42
Very unlucky not to get appoint today but that is it. We have now played Man City, Chelsea, Spuds, Gooners, Red rubbish and Manchester United all away. So we have played all top six teams away. So as an Everton fan I don't expect us to lose another game in the league this year. Now while there is a heart beat there is still life and its too early to say we still can't get that 4th spot as remote as it is. Beat West Ham and Newcastle with the home game against Crystal palace still in our back pocket and you never know!

Cheers

{Ed025's Note - i like the way your schooner is always half full aussie, makes a nice change from the doom and gloom merchants mate..