Injuries to midfield duo add to Blues' woe

Cleverley has impressed me lately, he’ll be a big big loss, he offers something McCarthy doesn’t in terms of going forward.

Besic will come in but Besic next to Barry offers little in the way of production, it just puts greater weight on Barkley and Deulofeu.

Gibson cant be trusted to play a sustained period of games without breaking down with something.

How I’d love to make a move in January for Bojan, what a player!

I also have supported him, up to a point. But whilst players at clubs also have to be responsible for the way they play the game, quite clearly Martinez does not know how to defend anywhere on the pitch. I would quite happily see him go. Nice guy , admire his principles, but unless he changes his methods, he will not succeed at the top of his profession, which is a shame for him.

Though not sure of your choice of replacements.

Some Toffee webbers have said Mark Hughes. Doing a decent job but why would he leave Stoke. With all the TV money coming in, he can achieve what he wants there.

We have missed out over the years for well-stated reasons, so it seems a pity to be potentially be missing out again, and not take the opportunity of a great squad of players

I find it unbelievable that both were carrying knocks to make them miss the entire squad yesterday, we heard nothing after the Newcastle match about any injuries!

If they were not injured how on earth Martinez can just leaving both out is beyond me, especially after they starred in the win on Boxing Day.

The introduction of Naismith baffled me yesterday. I thought Besic or Gibson would've been the better call at that period of the game.

Well, I guess yesterday and the football his team plays now has totally banished those media myths; they played fantastic football at times and he’s assembled a squad of talented men, but also has kept the physical side... in other words he’s started getting the balance perfect.

Martinez still shows little sign of ever setting up the team to win enough matches at Premier League level.

How we continue, after last season, to keep shipping the same goals is beyond me.

We had a tough opening 10 games from which we gleaned 13 points. By common consent, the next 10 games looked less challenging, and now, 9 games in, we have got...13 points, with a home game with Spurs to come.

There have been some surprise packages this season, like Leicester, Watford and even Stoke, but who does not believe that points have been wilfully thrown away against Bournemouth, Norwich, Palace, Leicester, and now Stoke.

Football seems to have changed this season with home advantage being more or less lost in the Premier League. There have been nearly as many away wins as home wins across the piece, so when you factor in the draws the home advantage has vanished.

This may be because the majority of teams now play on the break, so both teams are playing like away teams. What is important in this type of game is not to concede first, which is one of our major failures, time after time.

I heard Wenger talking about how he had noticed that for the first time teams were winning games consistently when they had had significantly less possession and that possession was becoming less important. It is certainly true in our experience, and maybe confirms the point that playing on the break now dominates the tactics, which means getting a lead and then holding on to it. Another of our major failings.

Maybe all this is looking to deeply at this time of the morning and maybe it is as simple as a poor goalkeeper who makes errors and can’t organise his defence, which is lacking experience currently, or picking Kone repeatedly when he is spent after an hour.

Helen is right that this seems to be the best squad we’ve seen for many years and it is undeniable that it is not being set up to capitalise on its strengths, in this season where there are possibly 2 places available in the top 4, which makes the frustration all the greater.

That is the fault of the manager whatever the underlying causes.

We have a great bunch of young talented players, but it is leaderless, and the manager is clueless. If we are taken over maybe that will change the dynamic of the club, but on the pitch things need to change quickly, or the potential of these players will be lost from us for ever. I 'm afraid we're probably stuck with Martinez for now, but if things don't improve he needs to go by the summer. Who do we get in ? Good question !
I'm dreading the summer transfer window !!!!

How can two player's who are in desperate need of more football not be fit enough for even a selection on the substitute bench after playing less than 90 minutes 48 hours earlier, Christ, we don't play again until Sunday at 4pm.

This manager really is so so hard to fathom, he really has baffled me over the last 18 months with some of the jargon he's spoke and the decisions he's made.

As I said yesterday, how long do we continue to tolerate this?

If, or should I say, when, we get knocked out by Manchester City in the Semi 's the season is over, forget top 6 finishes or winning the FA Cup, the season is all about getting 40/43 points before the end of March to ensure safety, much like last season it will fizzle out into one of false promise and false hope.

Looking at the fixtures in January it's hard to see us getting beyond the 30 point mark going into February.

We'll do rather well to get more than 47/48 points this season, it's enough to stave off relegation but nowhere near enough to be where we want to be.

I reckon 6 more wins if we are lucky and maybe 3 or 4 draws thrown in.

Dont know where you watched the game, but from my seat Barry was excellent yet again. His reading of a game is outstanding, he broke up more of Stokes attacks than any other player. I think the draw against Bournemouth has really caused a lot of doubts in our players minds. To have surrendered a 2 goal lead with 10 minutes left and then to regain the lead with seconds left and still not see out the win. I believe that game has sowed massive doubts in the players minds, we looked more vulnerable to a goal after we went in front than at any other point in the game yesterday.
Most top flight managers after fighting back twice to go in front with 15 minutes left would have gone 4-5-1. But not RM he kept us playing the same way, and instead of replacing Cleverley with either Besic or Gibson, he brings on another forward. To accommodate this he drops Barkley into midfield, a lad who detests making any sort of challenge. Is it any wonder with this muddled thinking why we keep throwing games away.

The statements he makes are inane.

If it has that effect on us no wonder the players are confused.

His managerial record is absolutely abysmal just ask Wigan and Swansea fans what they think of him and you will see exactly the same weaknesses identified.

Promises much but delivers little.

I am sure he is getting patted on the back for the good he has done and as we know it is a fuck lot harder to be nice than nasty but if only some-one could step up to the mark and stop being fucking nice and just fucking get the point across to him that he is sailing pretty fucking damn close to the wind.

He is a young and relatively 'green' manager, has some good ideas and has done some good, make no mistake...probably more good than bad TBH...and it may just be that he needs help. No one will tell him (the supporters might as well just piss in the wind), I am sure he has been offered it (help that is) and his pride is probably his biggest weakness. By the way, I didn't realise he had brought his defensive coach from Wigan (is that really true? because it beggars belief) when probably he should have been sending him in the opposite direction.

I am not let it be said a Martinez supporter, or hater... but we have him. For better or worse no one can predict. We know his strengths and weaknesses and at the end of the day no other coach is guaranteed to make a success with our or any body else's resources. Reputations are collapsing and being made all over Europe and while it's not exactly a lottery, it is always a big risk.

It is easy to berate and I am as guilty of that as the next man but if he could just be made to see the light then we could be on the cusp of good things. Time has run out and it needs sorting now ... this season if the heart of the squad is not going to get ripped out.

Please Roberto, open your fucking eyes and ears, listen, and above all act. I know that everyone on here would be delighted to eat a good slice of humble pie.

And please Directors - grow those cojones.

As for his team selection, formation and tactics I’m done with moaning about it, he has got to go and we are crying out for a change of any sort!!

If BK had given him money, and allowed to spend £28m on a striker (Lukaku class), I think we’d be looking up not down. I’m not saying I want him back, but he picked a team with shape.

Besic didn't look anywhere near ready against Newcastle. Mind or body. Osman is just a bit player these days. Connolly could do a job but is very young. Naismith is not a halfback. Gibbo is good with the ball but lacks pace and general mobility. Maybe Baines next to Barry with Galloway behind him. All in all, a complete mess as it stands but one or two may have recovered by Sunday afternoon. We'll see.

You would play Funes Mori ahead of Stones??

Based on form it is the only decision, which means RM wont do it. Otherwise, who would Howard possibly still be in the team?

Stones is struggling with lack of pace right now, is waving and pointing instead of getting on with his own game. I've never been a big fan of his defensive work but hope he regains the form which drew rave reviews and a whopping price tag.

I believe Martinez has much to answer for:
The obvious failure to work on set pieces particularly corners - attacking and defensive, the way he sets up his teams and his poor use of substitutes.

I can no longer watch Martinez give an interview. He talks a great deal but says nothing. If Martinez is to stay as manager then changes in his coaching staff need to be made. We are close to the point where we should be looking to avoid relegation not a top 4 position and that is a terrible .