The Football.....

[MarkF]

Einstein’s definition of insanity: Keep on doing the same things time and time again and expect different results. If Martinez continues with his naive tactics, we will continue to have the odd great win, but also the same catalogue of debacles when we dominate games only to shoot ourselves in the foot. As a neutral that is great to watch but as a fan who wants to see results as well as entertainment it is soul destroying - almost enough to drive you insane!!

In fairness, perhaps he will change, some slight signs of that recently after he has come under pressure, but only time will tell and each time we seem to have turned the corner, we end up reverting to type - you made a similar call re my Martinez scepticism after the Chelsea game in September as the one after we beat Carlisle and Newcastle, hopefully you will be right this time.

You can spin stats and league finishes many ways, but it’s consistency that matters:

Moyes: 12 PL seasons, 2 bottom half finishes, 1 CL qualification, 5 top 6 finishes, 10 top half finishes (agreed 1 very poor 17th finish and 1 poor 11th finish) = 83% top half

Martinez: 6 PL seasons, 1 relegation, 5 bottom half finishes, 1 top half finish (top 5) = 83% bottom half

I understand the view that people like me should be more patient and I hope to be proved wrong about Martinez, I would love to see that attacking football every week, combined with competent defending to enable the team to fulfil its potential, but what I have seen at Everton and his previous record do not bode well.

0-3 away at Stoke at HT..................

Tonight you'll be 7th (maybe 8th!), the position Moyes had you in, averaged over all his reign, but with the possibility of progression, you never had that with Moyes. Players Martinez has brought wouldn't have come to Everton and Barkley would still be coming on for the last 10 mins when the game was already won or lost................

 

[MarkF]

I watched the game. Im in shock even I can't believe how good we were
We are top of the league . The defence were brilliant
The fairytale is still on
Go foxes

Credit to Ranieri, they were 100% positive and after the first goal they ramped it up chasing a second, amazing!

 

[Glow worm]

Dreadful day for Norwich - making Villa look like worldbeaters while Newcastle, the Swans and Sunderland all pick up points.
At least there's more games in a season to look forward to in the Championship!

 

[Andrew_P]

So Leicester fans any kudos at all to Nigel "madeyes" Pearson? Strikes me it is essentially the side he put together and the run started under his reign?

 

[13 rider]

So Leicester fans any kudos at all to Nigel "madeyes" Pearson? Strikes me it is essentially the side he put together and the run started under his reign?

Yes Nigel is massively respected still in Leicester . He built most of the squad and it was his million pound gamble on Vardy that now is paying massive dividends and the ball starting rolling under him . The cleverest think Ranari did was not to tinker too much at the start . I for one thought he would try to change are up and at them style but if anything hes going for it more

 

[Dec66]

Good day to be an Evertonian today.

3-0 away; I don't have anything against Stoke, or their fans, but Christ their manager is one graceless whining plum. And he used to play for us.

The icing on the cake; Liverpool chucking away a two goal lead after 10,000 Kopites left, allowing us to leapfrog them in the table.

 

[Accy cyclist]

The forty million or so that Walker pumped into Blackburn in those (Not so) far off days was a jaw dropping amount which massively outstripped what other clubs had back then.

Forty million?! Are you including the ground redevelopment in that?

 

[Mrs M]

Mr M is "singing"
"We're top of the league".
Tragic, he's only had one glass of red and a wee bit out of tune.
"Come on you reds" (not the red vino either)

 

[Mrs M]

My team, East Kilbride Thistle are playing Celtic tomorrow .

 

[Roadhump]

0-3 away at Stoke at HT..................

Tonight you'll be 7th (maybe 8th!), the position Moyes had you in, averaged over all his reign, but with the possibility of progression, you never had that with Moyes. Players Martinez has brought wouldn't have come to Everton and Barkley would still be coming on for the last 10 mins when the game was already won or lost................

Blimey, you were quick to pounce there, did you decide to get in quick at half time in case we pressed the usual late game self destruct button...lol....

Tremendous all round team performance today, it could easily have been 7 or 8, it really could, we were all over them, and when they did attack our defence was superbly organised - well done to Roberto, he got it right today!!! I will be celebrating with a few beers very shortly. Hopefully Roberto has spotted things and is putting them right. One swallow doesn’t make a summer though, we have been here before only to go backwards.

I wish I shared your optimism and faith in him, I want him to succeed, I want to see that superb football every week achieving good results like today, not just occasionally amongst spells of the best squad we have had for years underachieving as a result of sheer naivety and sloppiness. I would love him to genuinely resurrect “the School of Science”, and I would love to have to eat my words, but I don’t think I will have to because I think the naivety and sloppiness will always be there with Roberto, it always has been. I really do hope he proves his doubters, including me, wrong….but if exceeding Moyes’s achievements is the yardstick, that can only come if we break into that elite group to consistently qualify for the Champions League.

P.S. Which players do you think wouldn't have come to play for Moyes? I agree he was too cautious with youngsters though.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

My team, East Kilbride Thistle are playing Celtic tomorrow .

It's what the cup's all about.

Good luck to EK. Having watched Celtic on TV recently I reckon you've got a chance.

 

[Roadhump]

Good day to be an Evertonian today.

3-0 away; I don't have anything against Stoke, or their fans, but Christ their manager is one graceless whining plum. And he used to play for us.

The icing on the cake; Liverpool chucking away a two goal lead after 10,000 Kopites left, allowing us to leapfrog them in the table.

Yes, like many others have said, it seems that Joel in goal instils more confidence in defence, and an all round great performance.

As for the Kopites, it helped make a great day a little better still, but much as I enjoy a giggle at their expense, as a football supporter I have some sympathy for the general principle of highlighting the rampant greed of clubs and the footballing powers that be.

 

[claudbutler]

Is it just me or has the premiership got a lot more interesting UP THE CITY

 

[Levo-Lon]

Just watched the Foxes on MOTD ,outstanding..

 

[Dec66]

Yes, like many others have said, it seems that Joel in goal instils more confidence in defence, and an all round great performance.

As for the Kopites, it helped make a great day a little better still, but much as I enjoy a giggle at their expense, as a football supporter I have some sympathy for the general principle of highlighting the rampant greed of clubs and the footballing powers that be.

You see, I agree with their not being had off by their owners; the TV deal coming in means that the money handed over by the supporters to Premier league clubs is neither here nor there.

But then they dress it up with stuff like this, in The Guardian:

Today felt like a flag had been planted, and maybe things will never be the same again. I expected sadness but there was mainly stoic pride. The Kop, defiantly mute for an hour, roused itself with trademark angry majesty on 75 minutes and cheered the faithful home. Never so literally.

Come on, chaps, you walked out of a football match a few minutes early, you didn't witness the Second Coming (or your team chucking away a two goal lead).