Half the 2012-13 relegated Wigan team by all accounts

Lukaku on a loan if we don't manage to shift Felli....cheeky, but worthwhile, bid for the lad if we do cash in. McCarthy if Felli moves on. I'd take Lescott back at a couple of mill as well.

I believe that some players taken for granted by us in the starting eleven will prove incompatible with Bobby's game plan. I expect to see at least a couple of players from the Latin territory in the starting lineup.

Sell Fellaini and Heitinga bringing in close to 30m

Sign Mcmanaman to play RW, moving Mirallas in a role behind the main striker.

Play Barkley CM and bring in another player (Osman getting past it and Gibson average)

Give Duffy some game time as back up to Distin.

Plough the money into signing a goalscorer.

Al on the contrary I think the players in the current starting 11 will slot seamlessly into a new formation if Roberto implements his wing back formation.

A back 3 of Heitinga Jagielka Distin

Baines and Coleman as wingbacks.

Gibson and Fellaini/Osman/Barkley as the deep midfield two

Pienaar ahead of them with Mirallas and Jelavic as the two upfront with Mirallas pulling wide like Mcmanaman did for Wigan.

Sign a bricklayer to brick up the goals:). Only kidding, would like to see Heitinga sold and Fellaini too. What Roberto does with it is anyone's guess as long as them miserable farts on the Board don't get their mitts on it.

James,
Are you kidding JH and Distan, We are in for a hard long season!!!

I agree with Stuart Mitchell to a point. I think Martinez will go foreign and cheap. He has a great scouting network in South America and Spain so I think our reinforcements will come from there. For 20 million quid he could get us 4 quality players to improve the squad.

I wouldn't mind McCarthy, Fer or Diame and McManaman or Maloney, if Heitinga and Fellaini go pay £18M for Negredo, sign a centre for around £5M and a utility player and maybe a loan and well be a good squad with a good chance of Europe! I wouldn't mind a keeper as well who could push Howard or replace him! Probably too much too ask though...

We really need another keeper, shame Butland went.

Defensive / Midfield general type.

Tricky spanish midfielder or striker would be welcome.

Would like to see Fellaini stay and especially Mirallas, Baines.

Can't believe Gibson was talking about going to Utd.

I'll leave it to Martinez but, forced to make changes, I'd get rid of Howard, Jelavic, Anichebe, Duffy, Vellios, Guaye, Naismith and Gibson. They may be okay for a mid-table side but our sights are now set high and we will need fast, quick-thinking, technically adept players who are willing to put in a full shift.

NB. Something I didn't know till tonight. If Fellaini goes to a Champions League team his buy-out clause drops to £22million.

Harold, I agree with you about Jelavic, Gueye and Naismith, but Howard, Anichebe, Duffy, Vellios and Gibson should stay. Duffy and Vellios are very promising youngsters that look like they will be valuable first team assets in a season or two. As for Howard, Anichebe and Gibson they are worth more to us than their value in the market.

I think the Hughes/QPR example from last season shows that too many changes don't usually work.

I cant believe Gibson is getting stick! Okay, he isn't the 'tricky Spanish midfielder' but name another Everton midfielder with the same range of passing?

Anyone calling for Gibson's departure should watch a game from time to time. He's the only genuine centre mid we have. I'd draw your attention to the EvertonTV extended highlights of he 2-1 Spurs win as an example of his brilliant distribution of a football.

Kone, McManaman 100% and then Lescott with his tail between his legs, Fer and Darren Bent. We would have to sell Fellaini and Heitinga though to fund all of that I would imagine! Unless Kenwright has been hiding his money because he knew Moyes would never question him but knows Martinez will ask for some!

There's gonna be a massive influx of players this year and likewise lots of players deemed surplus. Look at City for example: where do Barry and Sinclair fit into the equation?

Also Chelsea will sign a few so what happens with Essien etc? Man Utd will probably shed the likes of Anderson, Nani etc... There could be some bargains out there for the 2nd tier teams to grab.

We get an extra ~£20m from the new TV deal, Aresenal have a £100m war chest and our chairman states:

"..he will get support from everyone at the club and all the financial support - and by that I mean if he sells someone he won't get 80 per cent of that he'll get 100 per cent"

Well. I take it all back. That is sensational.

Don't get this McManaman hype. Decent few games but was hardly even a regular starter for Wigan.

People get carried away by the one off performances and not look at his ability / consistency over a season or two.

I can't believe everyone seems to want McManaman rather than Maloney. Maloney is streets ahead of McManaman, who basically just has pace on the counter attack. At home against defensive teams, McManaman will do nothing, whereas Maloney has that spark/trick to be truly creative.

I also don't quite get that we need a striker, I think we need players to supply the strikers. Anichebe, Jelavic and Mirallas are all good enough to play up front, and though it depends on what formation we go with, I'd rather have more like Pienaar (ie. Maloney) who can make things happen.

Having said that I would snap up Darren Bent for a reasonable fee. I think even if we raised the money for Negredo, he wants a Champions League club, and Sevilla have eased their pressure to sell by bringing in c.£25M for Jesus Navas.

Sell Fellaini and Heitinga for £30M. Hopefully Bill gives Martinez another £20M.

I'd buy McCarthy from Reading, Goalkeeper is a position we need strengthed... £5M possibly.

McCarthy from Wigan £8-10M
Soldado or Negredo hopefully £15M??? Or how about both?

I can finally see Barkley getting game time under Martinez which is a plus.

I want to see Martinez bring Zaha in on loan, as it is clear Sir Alex's successor won't use him.

Good point from Al#592. Last year too many players knew they were playing regardless of form/effort they put in. Steven Peinaar, can you think of who I might mean?

Some competition would be excellent and a fully firing Peanuts even better.

No defenders from Wigan please, but the any of the M's from them would be good.

Wanyama for 10mil from Sellick.

Negredo apparently 30 mil before a deal would be done so no chance of him.

In goal, McGregor is a steal at one million from his Turkish club.

Adam/Drew. Agreed. Gibson can pick a pass. He has a good football brain and likes to move forward. Unfortunately, without the ball he is a liability. Slow to close down, slow to track back and doesn't like to tackle. He'll barge into someone occasionally but thats it. Team-mates have to win the ball for him.
As for watching highlights. No thanks. He is a "highlight" player. Watch him for every single second, as I do, and you will see a different story.

Harold, agreed he doesn't go flying into sliding tackles all over the pitch in the style of Paul Scholes. However to state he is a liability without the ball is a massive over simplification. His positional play is excellent, providing an excellent screen to the back 4 and dropping back to provide cover for Baines or Coleman when they dart forward. He also has a knack of getting on the end of loose balls and firing them off around the pitch to start a new attack. Stats show we are better defensively with this 'liability' on the pitch than without.

Must admit I like Gibson and I was unsure when we signed him. For me he's like Neville in that when he doesn't play we miss his organising and his stability.

Very underestimated player

Agree with Al Philby we need significant personnel changes to play a more incisive, dynamic, pacey game.

The no trophy "top 8" football came from side to side passing without purpose we just don't have enough "footballers" to break or create often enough.

I suspect if Heits stayed he could prosper under Martinez bringing it out from the back with good distribution is his game.

Wish the season started next week - can't wait.

Harold Matthews, I couldn't disagree more! Gibson is the opposite of a highlights player. He keeps the ball moving all game, setting the tempo (crucially, but often unspectacularly) for the entire team – getting it from the back, and quickly bringing either Baines or Coleman into play. He's also one of the few players to have the ability to play a ball through the middle for a direct runner like Mirallas too, and unlike almost anyone else, he constantly has his head up and is looking for that opportunity.

He gives us the structure of a Neville with the craft of an Arteta, has been one of the best signings we've made in years, and in my opinion should be the very first name on the teamsheet. I know we all have our opinions, but I really am baffled how you could come to that one if you do watch the games. The only worry is with his injury problems, and whether he's built to play two games a week across a season.

I'd keep Jelavic as he won't be as bad as he was last season. He's a natural finisher.

Like others, I'm not too keen on McManamam. We have Mirallas for that role and he's far superior. McManaman as back up but he'd be too expensive.

Darren Bent is interesting. Good goalscorer but does he need the team set up around him?

I'd sell Heitinga if I could. I'm not a massive fan of his and he's in the last year of his contract. Sell him and get Alcaraz who's on a 'free'.

I'm sure Martinez will pick up a few Latin unknowns.

Completely disagree with Harold's opinion about Gibson. He's excellent at covering ground, covering Baines and the back four.

Ryan #215"I'm sure Martinez will pick up a few Latin unknowns".

I can think of a few: ceteris paribus, alma mater, magnum opus, rigor mortis.

Nil satis nisis optimum almost became unknown again.

I would love to see James McCarthy at Everton. He is still only 23 and a class player. He would probably cost around £15 million though...

Is it this simple?

We need at least one striker that is for sure. I think Jela will come good but would accept a money back offer to get funds. Victor is definitely a good 2nd or 3rd Striker, and Jela needs some serious challenging (Lukau?).

Mirallas, Osman, Pienaar, Oviedo, are all Martinez type players for sure add Felli (if he stays) and Gibson. Add Barkley, Gueye and Naismith (got to give him a chance of a 2nd season reprieve, playing up front or through the middle would be a start) as potential firsIt team pushers.

In defence Jags, Distin, Seamus, Hibbo, Johnny (if he stays) Bainsey (if he stays) Seamus are all solid to brilliant options at the back.
Youngsters like Junior, Hope, Stones, Duffy, Garbutt, McAleny could all be knocking on the door, and they'll surely get a proper looking over when Martinez gets his staff in and report back.

Obviously we need a striker, as the debates will and are going on everywhere prove. Ditto a creative midfielder. At least one back up centre back. A GK, unless a U21 can be promoted. That's not panic stations to me.

I think our style was ok last season, and brilliant at times, but the cutting edge was missing. Martinez plays a similar, albeit more fluid, version of that style. His defensive tactics have been rightly questioned, but some fears on that front may come from promotions for Davey Weir or Stubbsy, if that happens I will breath easy(ish) knowing the defence knows what it is doing.

Basically, I just want to say that I think there is much to be optimistic about and a bit to be weary of, but not enough to encourage 'We're all doooomed' prophecies as are numerous on this sites board alone.

We have a strong squad, that I think with four clever signings could challenge four top four, and if players are sold we ensure we get top dollar and reinvest in the playing squad at least like for like.

I am not a generally positive person, but some of the negativity on the boards borders on the maniacal.

We are Everton Football Club, we get behind the team and will them on to repay that support, which we do much more now than before Moyes took over. I really have no idea why there are so many EFC doom-mongers around trying to get everyone to hate what they inherently love, but maybe they felt rejected in the Johnson era and now support the team like they stay friends with an ex-girlfriend. All 'Yeah, it's great to see you, you look great' to their face then 'I hate that cock teasing bitch'.

Well, it is not going to get to me because there is no point, not until something has gone wrong. They are not going to suddenly say, 'erm, actually Roberto, we have had a change of mind and we are getting Pereira after all'. So give it a rest and enjoy some blind optimism while the grass is green, and if we are shit at Christmas then fill your boots.

We finished sixth, have a great squad of 16(ish), a young ambitious manager who plays a style of football we have heard uncles, aunties and grandparents go on about for decades.

I am very excited to go into next season knowing we will play proper football, we have the players, add one or two and we could kick on, which leaves the Champions League the next thing to kick.

Ray Williams, Lovely to see bit of optimism for the coming season.I'm 67 this year and I've seen some class players since going to Goodison since the age of 10 and maybe just maybe this could be the start of something big

Sammy. You're quite right. We all have our opinions. I know what he does. I also know what he doesn't do. He is your kind of player . He is not my kind of player.

How is Gibbo getting stick in here. He's been great for us. His passing is second to none. He makes attacking options when he plays. He should be our midfield anchor with Barkley also in the middle.