Vital point earned as Eto'o poaches late equaliser

I made Hibbo, Stones and Bainsey our mainstays and we will be stronger on Sunday.

I’ve said on a separate post that our biggest problem is not so much the personnel on the field, it’s our inability to vary the pace of play moving into the attacking third , most defenses have time to regroup . Mc Geady showed in flashes in the game how a bit of pace and directness can really trouble defenses . All said and done, decent result against a competent side, but hardly memorable.

Eto'o showed what top quality players bring and there is only Bainesy and Stones who fit that description right now.

I would much rather play our talented youngsters than them, overpaid, overhyped, won-fuck-all players. I’m pissed off with another shite display by the same shite players.

Home games are the key, we need at least one win in the double-header with Lille.

Onto Sunday.

At this time, I think the team just needs to get a run of results regardless of the performance. That’s two games where we’ve been below par but come away with some sort of result. I’ll take that. I'm not going to overly criticize the performance.

I thought Osman looked very composed in the centre, and his magic feet were important at times. Could be very important in Europe this season, very much a squaddy now. Stones was fantastic, well worth his England call up. Hibbert looked like the right back we all used to love, but unfortunately is still no where near good enough going forward and will be replaced by Coleman when he’s fit.

Atsu was very encouraging going down the right - he had me on the edge of my chair a few times before he came off. McGeady played one of his best halves in an Everton shirt in the first 45, and was solid in the second half. He’s really coming on this season. And Eto’o did exactly what we signed him on for - he got in a good position and scored an important goal exactly when we needed it.

My only gripes were the performances of Jagielka and Lukaku. Rom is looking less and less confident, and needs to get a few goals in the next few weeks in order to get going. Jagielka had his best game of the season on the weekend and I’m hoping he can carry that forward and forget today’s performance.

All in all, I cannot understand the negativity. The comment thread before the game was mostly "I’ll be happy with a draw and no injuries", and now the game’s over (and exactly that happened), everyone’s moaning! Amazing...

We’ll win this group at a canter if we keep this up.

What’s happened to our cohesion and any kind of pace to our play?

We can’t keep blaming injuries and we can’t expect to keep getting away with playing so bad and we probably won’t on Sunday and we probably won’t at home to Aston Villa when club football resumes in two weeks..

A good result tonight nevertheless from a game that could’ve been over long before we levelled.

He’s been a good servant but at times looked like he was towing a caravan and should now be gradually phased out the squad. It won’t happen, of course...

Ditto McGeady – he just doesn’t cut it either, and Barry looks quite ponderous at the minute and looks in good need of a rest. Let’s not forget, though, we were missing Barkley, Coleman, McCarthy and Mirallas – arguably our four best players – so not all bad news.

I will say this though: We will slaughter them at Goodison.

Gibbo did ok in the middle too with good stamina until the end.

Ossie is a better bet than McGeady too currently, every time the latter gets it you feel he's going to give it away and start an opposition counter attack, at least Ossie looks to create and wins a throw etc if there's no way of maintaining possession.

I thought they faded in the last 15 minutes and were defending deep and trying to hang on so the equaliser was no surprise,with a touch more composure we could have snatched the win

Apologies if that phrase causes some misinterpretation, Richard – it was more an illustration of the fact that he was a little isolated up front until the last quarter of an hour which wasn't his fault. I've altered the description above accordingly.

He did well, actually. Held the ball up and tried a couple of his trademark runs at the defence but was closed down. And the fact that he had two defenders on him for Baines' cross allowed Eto'o to steal in and score, a role he's having to get used to this season, I think.

I'm getting quite worried now about our recent performances and tonight was terrible. Stones and Eto'o shown some class but everything else was poor.

Negatives: Atsu was appalling and I don't want to see him in our first XI again. The possession football is just not working Roberto! The defenders had no out balls and worried me constantly. The spineless offence worry me, the lack of directness from McGeady early doors had me screaming SHOOT. 2013/14 was a blip, 2014/15 form is reality and very mediocre :-(

A few points:
a) I think Krasnodar actually looked a decent side.
b) Osman is too lightweight in possession but always has been - I thought some of his passing and footwork, especially in the last 20, was excellent.
c) Stones is coming on well.
d) Criticism of Lukaku is pretty harsh considering he was feeding on scraps and had sod all service.
e) McGeady can be frustrating but given a run could prove a vital creative outlet.
f) DM is a concern when McCarthy is absent. Barry and Gibson simply didn't provide enough composed cover.
g) Baines is on the way back to form.

In the end, I thought the team showed good character and deserved the equaliser.

4 points from 2 is fine.

Now let's get some PL points, too.

We were all hopeful that we could again challenge for a top 6 position, but our play suggests that we will do well to even get into the top half. I think RM needs to look at some videos of our games between October and December last year were we did attack from the start and played some lovely one touch football and not this laborious football his team are playing now.

That victory showcased a bright, attacking display from a near first-choice Roberto Martinez side to give them confidence of achieving their manager's aim of going as far as possible in this season's competition.

Martinez made five changes for the 4,800-mile round trip, but kept his defensive unit - including holding midfielder Gareth Barry - intact.

How does that make any sense? Happy with the point but performance gives more questions than answers again.

Before the season started, I thought being on the coattails of top four after a tough first ten games would be acceptable. I’m happy enough in that respect, but would really like a few solid performances now. Watching most of these games it’s only a matter of time before someone does another Chelsea on us as our defence is just so shaky.

Hibbert, pretty solid defensively, couldn't agree with ITV pundits blaming him for the goal, he was covering his man and didnt expect Jags to make such a mess of things. Made a few really good tackles.

Baines. Had a decent game particularly in final 15 mins.

Stones was excellent with some vital tackles. If I was Roy Hodgson I would pair him up with Cahill for England. Hard to see how Jage could be picked ahead of him at the moment.

Jags. Terrible mistake for the goal, cant understand what he was trying to do, caught in posession a few times too.

McGeady. Worked hard and nearly scored in first half but for a good save from keeper. He is no Mirallas but offered much more than Atsu on the other side.

Gibson. Probably the worst game I ever saw him play for Everton, his passing was terrible and turned his back on the through ball for their goal. Hope it was just rustiness

Barry. Also gave the ball away far too much, looks half the player he was since he signed a permanent contract.

Atsu. He has plenty pace but little else, got into a couple of good positions in the first half before making a mess of them. Glad to see him subbed at half-time. Hope I am wrong but I think he will offer us very little this season.

Osman. Went missing for most of the first half, got a bit more involved in the second half but overall was pretty poor.

Eto'o. Our best player along with Stones, held the ball up really well and you always felt if he got half a chance he would take it... and he did. Still full of running right up to final whistle.

Lukaku. Worked hard when he came on at half time, will never have the same touch as Eto'o but you expect him to take most of the chances he gets.

It eventually catches up with you, Bill. Mark my fucking words!!!

Yes, we have been unlucky to lose Barkley but we knew he was injured well before the window closed,

Why did we not look for a creative midfielder or could knit moves together and look different to what we have?

How about the lad playing behind Demba Ba here for Besiktas?
The lad with the beard think he's a Turkish International, he looks class.

If we are meant to believe Osman is our creative force this season then we have major problems.

Looks the part.

Secondly, in the early parts of the season it looked like corners against were our nemisis this season. We've now had 2 game's with 20 odd, and haven't looked like conceding from any.

Lastly, we are missing Ross so much. The way he drops deep, collects the ball and drives foreward dribbling would change the team's dynamic big time. This in turn pulls the oppisition player's out of position, leaving gaps for Lukaku etc to run into. As it stands our only runners with the ball are on the flanks.

We were on the front foot at the end, and looked the most likely to snatch it. We looked the fitter of the two sides in the second half. How about THAT for a change!

We’ve got the first away match done and dusted, with a point to boot. No further injuries (that we know about). Lille away should be a tad easier.

Special mention to Tony Hibbert had a good game tonight great to see those sliding tackles and no-nonsense defending.

This type of play will only create massive momentum for our young players to follow his leadership, and combined with good quality experienced pros hopefully, a brave manager who will trust youth. We may have a team to smash those red twats, plus compete with the best in Prem! Well.... that’s my dream!

He actually looks quite useful: strong and holds the ball up.

David. Lukaku still runs like he's in quicksand, no mobility at all.

The old bit was Jags looking leggily off the pace and positively lumbering when trying to play the Martinez way from the back. Also Barry looking half the player of last season, Lukaku looking his normal clumsy self and the pitiful inability to break forward with pace, something our opponents did entirely naturally.

The new bit was McGeady having a good game and Osman, bizarrely, having a better second half than first. Gibson was also new (isn), but rubbish. As was the idea of Hibbert as an attacking wing back. Hard as he tried, he isn't.

Something borrowed was Atsu and right now, it's a case of return to sender.

Something blue was the unexpected equaliser, a touch of class from Eto'o who otherwise played in fits and starts.

If we are honest, we were crap until the last 20 minutes or so when Krasnodar either foolishly decided to sit on their lead or maybe just tired (I think the former).

In the next transfer window- and to complete the song- Martinez needs Bill to give him the proverbial sixpence in his shoe. A midfielder who can transition defence to attack would help, given we only currently have one of those, and he's injured. And someone who can stop us looking so headless chicken at the back would not go amiss either.

Every time the opposition attack, our defense look in trouble and it puts the fear of god in me. I would have settled for a point away in this tie so hope it gives the lads a bit of confidence for Sunday.

Why don't we try another left footer, say Baines on the right and see how that works...? No...? Then why do it with the players further forward...

Performance wasn’t great but there were positives - Eto’o, Stones, the actual result, Baines looks better and better with each match, Hibbo was his resilient self, McGeady I thought did well.

What was a little disappointing was that Browning or Garbutt didn’t get a run out, but ultimately we got a draw from a very tricky away game, so I’m happy with that.

Safe travels back to John Lennon airport boys.

We just looked so slow and pedestrian with the ball. Gibson and Barry both playing beneath themselves and I'm certain Atsu is capable of more too.

Hope we see a little more accuracy and urgency on Sunday or it won't be pretty!

All other reserves, Hibbert, McGeady, Eto, Atsu, Besic, Robles, Osman, Gibson are NOT even close to supporting a good PL team.

We have deserved to be beaten out of site by Wolfsburg, Liverpool, Chelsea, Liverpool, and finally Krasnodar . It grates me but we are not yet anywhere at the races, too many seem lethargic, too many errors, simple mistakes and no pace at all . We are heading nowhere !

I was thinking during tonight's game that Kone would have been a good outlet for us. He's the quickest of the three forwards we have and could have been useful as an out-ball, which we didn't have tonight when Krasnodar were pressing us high up. He simply has to get involved after the international break - Roberto needs to start picking him and he needs to be in the manager's face pushing for game time. If he's still not ready by then, we should cancel his contract and send him packing - he's had more than enough time to recover and get fit.

Nothing to add to those who pointed out that Gibson gave the ball away repeatedly - poor, but he needs time and can do a job. Not sure if Atsu can get to any kind of level where he can add anything this season though.

Osman played better the second half because he had ten team mates, if anyone wanted slating it was Atsu, he may not be match fit but the games I have seen him play for us, think I would prefer Gueye and that's saying something.

Will take a point which I do not think we deserved, more performance like that and its goodnight Viena for this season.

On a final note, I hope next season Kone is stripped of the number nine jersey.

The only consistent is the team is not playing anywhere near the level as last season.

So I would expect more of the same come Sunday.

Attacking them from the off seems like Chelsea-level suicide. This strategy will require Bryan Oviedo, of course, as he is the Man Utd Slayer!!

As for today.... I followed along on TW but am now currently waiting for my wife and daughter to fall sleep so I can assess myself.

McGeady is improving good style and Stones made a couple of the best tackles I have seen for ages. COYToffeeeeeeeees!!

In order to come close to duplicating those type of results requires a thin Everton side being healthier than they are now.

John Stones has been a big positive. I didn't want him to just be given a starting spot at center back, but he's earned his place through his fine play.

It would have been better to have him start from the beginning of the season, but Disten through all his good service was given the chance to keep his spot. My opinion that's good management by Martinez.

Let's not forget that during the long Moyes era the number of points Everton finished on was often in the mid 50's.

unless the injury situation gets better I see this year's team finishing with a Premier League point total more like the Moyes era and not last year's 72.

Everton are lacking the players right now that add spice and pace to their play.

That's not the fault of Martinez. I also thought his team selection today had an eye on this weekend's big game and I was happy Everton came away with a point today.

Through 2 match days in the Europa League only Everton have a win. That's a positive and if goal differential comes into play they also have the edge.

Not sure I want to judge individual performances. Players with very little game time, players recovering from a virus, players coming back from injury, players in unfamiliar positions and with unfamiliar partners. A real rag-tag bunch with no fluidity or cohesion.

With Sunday in mind the senior regulars will have been careful not to bust a gut and Martinez will be pleased to have got 90 minutes into Hibbert, Eto'o and Gibson. ( Messi reckons anything less than 90 minutes doesn't work.)

None of these European games are easy. City are almost out, Spurs were held at home and Real Madrid needed a dodgy penalty.

The long journey severely cuts our recovery time but we can't face United with a negative attitude. Martinez is always well ahead of things and will have a specific plan which will have already been worked on at the Farm. Let's hope it all goes well.

1 point and a solid performance will also be better than nothing.

We're top of the group with 4 points, and played without a few of our first team players, yet still got a result. This was a tough assignment, make no mistake. McCarthy, Mirallas, Lukaku, Coleman all missing from the lineup and we still got a result.

Also people are freaking out about the Utd game at the weekend, but they only just beat West Ham 2-1 and have struggled for the most part in their games so far. Remember, they're no better at the back than we are and Rooney is suspended. We'll hopefully have Macca and Coleman back as well.

As for people laying into Lukaku - you have to look further at it and point the finger at the service he gets. In the derby every ball he received was fired at his head or chest at about 60mph so there's more to it than his personal performances. Strikers are only as good as the service they get and he'll come good & score plenty of goals.

We still have lots to look forward to this season. We'll be fine.

"As for people laying into Lukaku - you have to look further at it and point the finger at the service he gets." Isn't that what has been said about every striker that OFM ruined?

I must defend Atsu. He wasn't even bad! He was one of the few players in the first half (along with McGeady) that actually carried some kind of a threat on the counter and ran at the defense with pace. So he lost the ball a few times. Big whoop. Gibson probably lost it twice as much in far more dangerous positions!

If anyone should have been subbed off at halftime, it was Osman. Completely anonymous. Bobby could have brought Naismith on to sit in behind Eto'o and move Atsu wide left on his good foot. Unfortunately, as good as Bobby was with the subs last season, he's been equally poor so far this one. And I'm a big fan of the man.

Why even play Hibbert when Browning is there? The guy is, was, and always will be a complete non-entity going forward. We are a team that features attacking full back play to generate chances. What about Hibbert fits in with that? If Coleman is out and Browning still can't get a full game, when is he going to gain experience at this level? I could understand if he was some ways away from being half decent, but if you're willing to play him at Anfield, clearly there is some belief in his abilities. Nothing about his play in that game suggested that belief was misplaced. Let's work on developing those abilities rather than wasting games on old guys that are past it. Early in the Martinez reign, when has our youth failed to deliver? Lukaku became our first 15 goal scorer since who? Yakubu? Barkley is our creative fulcrum. McCarthy is the rock in midfield. Stones is our best defender. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that Browning can be a serviceable deputy. It's not really a big ask.

It should Stones first and either Jags or Distin from here on.
It’s difficult to drop the skipper but I would give the Stones/Distin partnership a go.

Thought Eto looked class all round. Surprised me how hard he seemed to work for the team even when we didn't have the ball.

Overall, I will take a point but agree the overall performances need to improve.

I don’t buy any comments about it being the same for them. They would be used to it. That’s what home advantage is all about.

Mirallas is out until December; we need Atsu and McGeady to perform right now – we can't keep giving them an excuse to hide behind.

All you ask of Atsu is get the ball and take men on, why do you need a settling-in period for that? He has just played in a World Cup for heaven's sake, surely if someone passes the ball to him in space you need need 5-10 games to start doing something exciting with it?

He is not the same as Deulofeu. Deulofeu was far more direct and far more skilled, he may have been extremely frustrating and greedy at times but that side of the game may have eventually been coached out of him.

Gerard Deulofeu was quite simply mesmerizing in some games last season, the home derby match where he destroyed Liverpool on the break with his direct running at times, and the Stoke home game a week prior; the two month hamstring injury curtailed his progress last season.

I for one would love him back here on loan in January.

With Mirallas, Barkley and Deulofeu, we had exceptional pace on the counter attack and could break at speed. Without them, we look a very average side unable to be direct and forced to just maintain the most sterile of possession which is really tedious to watch.

Atsu - I thought he looked capabable of beating his man, but on the couple of occaisions he actually did, he was too slow to get away. A winger with no pace does not fill me with confidence.

Eto'o - In my view, his goal masked a poor performance, particularly in the second half. He seemed to always either misplace a pass or take the wrong option. I was just texting my mate how bad he was playing when he scored. So I'm taking some of the credit!

We only came good in the last 15 mins when they tired.

If we can keep hold of him, he is a future captain of Everton and England for many years.

It is frustrating, but apart from our absolute best 11, we really can't replace anyone with a player of the same quality.
Suffice to say that Martinez must be scratching his receding hairline, just as much as the rest of us, trying to find the magic formula.

We have youngsters still learning their craft, and veterans trying to last a bit longer.
Guys with injury plagued careers, and loanees .

The Europa league will take it's toll on our thin squad, as it does on every team, every year.

We have to accept that unless money is spent in january on three new faces (permanent or on loan), we will finish ninth or tenth, and hope to get to the latter stages of the Europa (enjoying playing a few of the great European names), and a decent go at the FA Cup.

To write off Atsu is crazy, was this is 1st start for us? Only a handful of appearances and people are saying that he's so rubbish? I think people need to be far more patient.

Same goes for Lukaku; he's still young with a massive price tag to justify. The pressure he's under must be huge, from himself and the media and supporters. He'll come good.

A big part of all this is the way the back four are playing. Once we get Coleman back and have a solid back four of Baines, Jags, Stones and Coleman with a couple of clean sheets with the Barkley due back, this team will turn it around. That's just what I think...

Completely agree - no energy and pace in our midfield. Barry, Gibson and Osman are all slow, one paced pedestrian players.

Second poor performance in a week, but second decent result. We’re very unlucky to have lost so many key players from our midfield/attack area that give real pace and dynamism - Barkley, Mirallis and Kone (has pace we very much lack).

Last night we started with Hibbert, Gibson, Barry and Osman, all slow, one paced players 2 of which are very much getting on and whose legs aren’t what they used to be.

I appreciate you need experience but experience should not come at the expense of having totally slow players that can’t keep up with the game.

3 in one midfield was far too many, it affected the balance, and the slow ponderousness and lack of energy that these 3 have in their game meant our midfield was again overrun.

Besic should have started instead of one of the three to give the midfiled, energy, dynamism and better balance.

I’m banging head against a brick wall, the saving grace is that the players we have to come back will readdress the balance and the youngsters coming through appear whilst obviously lacking experience seem to be far more of the athletic, dynamic type that we very much lack in depth as a squad.

A workman-like performance, a solid performance, a good point away from home would of been fine but there was nothing 'incredible' about the performance or the character of the team yesterday. 'Incredible' would be walloping Man U 0-7 on Sunday or winning the Premier League; 'incredible' is not drawing a good but not spectacular match.

I wish we would cross the ball more and in turn Lukaku would get in the box more. Does anyone else think this? Big money for a center forward and we hardly cross the effin ball to him. Whether he’s not getting into these positions because he’s being told to try other things I don’t know.

On another note, I cannot wait for Barkley to be back fit, boy do we miss him.

He brought Robles as understudy to Howard yet he looks awful and he wasn't even prepared to play him against Swansea.

Alcaraz is another who looks very ordinary and another player he hardly uses.

Kone, well it's hard to comment on someone who has hardly kicked a ball for us.

He bought Barry who had an excellent season last season, but he gives him a 3-year contract – can anyone see him playing regularly in 2 years, never mind 3?!?

Eto'o, a 2-year contract on big money – another who won't be figuring in 12 months.

Then we have the younger signings: Lukaku for £28 million was about £12 million more than he was worth, Mourhino certainly played RM for a fool with that one; I don't remember too many other clubs looking to sign this goal scoring forward. Maybe they also thought no chance for £28 million.

Then finally McCarthy, another who started very well last season but now seems to spend most of his time in our own half and when he first came he looked like a good box-to-box midfielder. So again, questions to be asked.

Robles, didn’t cost much and is still very young for a keeper and has plenty of time to learn.

Alcaraz, experienced international with Premier League experience and if you check the stats, Wigan were a much better team with him in the side.

Kone, good solid player who tore us apart 3 months before joining. He picked up an unfortunate injury in a game; it’s sport, it happens.

Is there anything in my post that you disagree with? I think the fact is that, unlike most managers, he didn't join a club that was in the doldrums and needed turning around. He joined a club who year on year competed in the very top half of the league, he inherited a team with some excellent players. Now he is starting to add his own players it seems to be getting worse rather than better.

Oh, I forgot to mention McGeady... how I could I forget him.

I think he underestimated the Russians yesterday big time who proved to be a real handful until the last 10 mins yet had to be gifted their goal by us. Our main men on the night were Baines, with Stones and, surprisingly, Hibbert, and Howard seeming finally getting to grips in dealing with high balls.

All-in-all, a very hard-earned point, but I would advise RM to read this column more often, if he ever does.

I don’t recall people holding Steffan Wessels, Carlo Nash, Jan Mucha, Marcus Hahnemann etc against Moyes in the same way. They were all dodgy keepers and, unlike Robles, didn’t have either age or any hope of an improvement in ability on their side.

What you've described is the Martinez way of playing. He commits player forward at all times, and therefore leaves our defenders wide open a lot of the time. We got away with it last season but got found out toward the end of the season.

Now look at us. Basically we're Wigan with better players, at least at the moment. Everything a lot of people were worried about this happening when Martinez joined the club as I'm sure you know (maybe you were one of them, I certainly was), so hopefully he realises and fixes it and this is only a phase due to various other things.

We're massively imbalanced without Coleman in the team, and we miss Ross big time with his drive in midfield. Currently whichever 11 he puts out looks a bit wonky, and lacks the cohesion we had last year. We also miss Mirallas, and amazingly, Naismith when he doesn't play.

Martinez's philosophy seems to work when he has his true first 11 all fit, but as soon as we lose a couple of players, we're nothing like the team we can be. I just hope we're able to struggle along until said players are back.

McGeady is shite and loses the ball too often, Atsu is so inexperienced, Hibbo offers nothing going forward (albeit I still admire him as a defender), Gibson is lacking match sharpness, Osman is on the way down, we missed McCarthy as well the other night so all these factors make the team both imbalanced and wide open defensively.

It's all about opinions, naturally, and everyone has a valid point to make here & there. I could rattle on about it all night, but I still think a 1-1 out there was a decent result given the circumstances. Even better knowing Lille & Wolfsburg drew, and we top the group – it's all good at the moment.

I also think we'll give a good account of ourselves against Man Utd at the weekend, though I'd like to see Oviedo given a run out which I doubt.

The only person who spoke positively about Everton was Pat Nevin. When given another loaded anti-Everton question on Setanta, about their season so far, he calmly and, in my opinion astutely, pointed out that if you reverse one result (namely the 2-3 against Palace, which he said - and I agree - we could have easily won despite their 2 shots = 2 goals, plus dodgy penalty) then things would look quite different.

Said to be 'a lovely bloke', who talks a smashing game, close examination of his record shows him to be set in his ways, intransigent and almost obsessed with 'playing a beautiful game'. Other managers read him like a book and set out their stall to thwart his obsession with ticci tacca or whatever all that regressive passing is called these days.

Last season, he made a better team of predominately Moyes players than Moyes had done himself but, as more of his own signings and tactics have been introduced, we have gone backwards. We can only hope that he has the vision – and the means – to put things right.

If you swap the wavelength of scattered light to red, the sky would look quite different...

But – and here's the rub – it doesn't.

Totally agree, funny how the result they want to change is always a loss, well let's take our win over West Brom now make that a loss and were would that leave us.

I didn't see the first half, and I'm glad I didn't from the descriptions on here, but at the end of the day, we travelled 4½ hours to play away against a decent Russian team and got a good point while not playing well.

We should see McCarthy back adding some pace in that pedestrian midfield, and I'm hoping Pienaar and Coleman are back for the Man Utd game. I can only see an improvement in terms of performance against Man Utd, especially as they have no defence at the moment, Herrera is injured and Rooney suspended.

According to Tim Sherwood and other professionals, Barry is our most important player and has to play every game. Whether he can last 3 years is anyone's guess but let's hope he can.

As for the massive Lukaku fee? Well he gave us something extra last season and Martinez obviously took a liking to him and was determined he stayed with us. Other clubs including one particular German outfit , were bidding over £20m. How he ended up at £25m plus £3m add-ons is a mystery but he's a permanent Evertonian now and I will support him all the way. Naturally he has much to learn but with Eto'o, Dunc and Joe Royle around him, I would expect him to improve considerably within the next few years. We'll see.

Every time Everton players got near the ball they had their shirts pulled to stop them running and were subjected to being pushed and shoved all over the place.

Some posters to this site have become so negative recently, probably due to the fact that people are so unhappy we have not taken off where we left off last season.

A few points to consider:

We have been playing this season without our best player – Ross Barkley.
For most of the season, several key players have been missing and now Kevin is out until at least November.
Unlike other teams, we are not able to spend hundreds of millions on players as we do not have it and also we do need a new stadium.

I doubt many clubs would be playing super dooper footie with half of their first team missing and that is where we are at now.

Last night the people coming back did okay. Gibson will improve and the defence is back to taking control.

I think we will be lucky to get a point on Sunday, but Man Utd will still not be in the top 4, you'll see.

I hope you are right in saying that Lukaku will learn from Eto'o and Ferguson; I'm not sure Joe will have any input with the first team. As for Andrews 98 comments well just saying Robles is young is hardly an endorsement that they will improve and he says Kone tore us apart, not sure that's true but I think you need more than one good game to justify his signing. As for McCarthy, I think the lad has talent and I think RMs way of playing him is stifling the lad; let him get forward and play to his strengths.

I hope that I am massively wrong and RM will make me eat my words, he did a very good job last season and I hoped we would push on again. By that I don't mean get into the top 4, just that our style of play gets better, and I can't believe hand on heart that the majority of supporters are enjoying our football at present.

a) Our players can't make a pass to each other unless it's among the back four outside our own box, and certainly not in the opposition's box;

b) Lukaku is playing in a position where he is not effective.

Point a) is not the fault of the manager (except that he chooses those players he knows cannot pass).

Point b) is. I don't remember Lukaku being played consistently on the wing last season, the one game against Arsenal stands out as a piece of tactical nous, but now every game? It's like having Andy Johnson run the channels. He won't score from there.

The Martinez way of playing requires some adaptation and I think this season we've seen some pragmatism from RM in adapting the way of play to certain games. But it still all hinges on our players being able to pass to a teammate in the final third, something that doesn't appear to be improving.

That's what happens when a club of Everton's limited resources allows its manager to blow the entire transfer budget on one player. However good that player is... or isn't.

The first half performance was not good, but then Atsu in particular stunk the place out. Not necessarily a personal criticism, since I've also read that he's a left winger, so I think he needs a run in his natural position before we write him off prematurely, like many of us did with Naismith and so many other players over the years.

I've read (in the media) that Martinez played a near full strength side, but that is a ridiculous statement. We certainly put out the best 11 we had, but we were without Barkley, Mirallas, Coleman, Pienaar, McCarthy, Distin and Kone. Look through those players and it's basically most of our creative, pacy players. It's no surprise the team Martinez cobbled together was not playing to the standards we know they can.

The Russians are a very good side. They put a lot of energy into their game and worked their bollocks off closing us down, and I think it's clear they tired significantly in the last 20 minutes, allowing us back into it. They were clearly on the ropes in the last 10 minutes.

Honestly I don't think we'll see really good performances from this team until Pienaar and Coleman are back. Pienaar seems to work so much better with Baines, and Coleman offers us a hell of a lot going forward as well as being a damn good defender. We just don't have quality cover for them like we do for McCarthy or Distin.

On a positive note, I was impressed with Hibbert after fearing the worst before kick-off and being a critic of his recently. I thought his legs had gone, but one massively quick sprint, in the second half I think, put that thought to bed. Defensively he was solid, and offered himself more than usual going forward too, so I'm hoping he was just a bit rusty in previous games this season.

Stones once again gave us a performance of a player 8 or 9 years his senior, with some quality defending and I thought Lukaku did okay when he came on, as he only had scraps to feed on. I've also seen criticism of McGeady, but I thought he was our best attacking player, and if my memory serves me right provided the cross for our goal.

In short, I think any reasonable criticism of the team or manager has to take into account the players who are unavailable to him.

Except one small detail: the cross for Eto'o's goal came not from McGeady, who you would have expected in that position, but in fact from Baines, who was over on the right side having just taken a corner.

Talking of corners, they had rather a lot, didn't they! And the ones we took were mostly delivered well into the danger area – noticeably better than in recent games – but almost all headed away by the opposition.