Why Roberto Martinez will struggle to keep his Champions League promise

Personally I don't see us finishing any worse than 7th next year as the divide between the top 7 and everyone else was so great this year (unless some freak team like Newcastle come out of the pack like last year). Even with this supposed worse case scenario it could well be enough for European football and with that comes a chance at champions league qualification (albeit a long one relying on winning the Europa).

The papers would have us believe that we're miles away from the top 4 yet we saw last seaosn how close it actually was at times. Half of the mystique surrounding the top 4 is based on perception. Our defense is as good as any of theirs and players like Mirallas/ Pienaar/Baines/ Jagielka/Coleman could play for any of the sides in and aorund us and even above us.

Investment makes everything easier and is the real key behind consistently cracking the top 4. But a bit more depth, luck with injuries and in matches, and a more positive attitude at times and the top 4 is not as far away form us as the darling media would like it to be and do their best to paint it to be. Its also nowhere near as close to Liverpool as they wish it was. As we well know there is a huge difference between challengiung for something and falling short than putting on a late surge and finishing close. We've had top 4 form in the seocnd half of loads of seaosns but it means nothing unless you link it with a first half and is no guarantee that you'll replicate it next year. The Liverpool loving media will have to grow accusotmed to the rollercoaster world of midtable mediocrity.

He asks who's going to be first, who's going to be sixth? So we might as well pack it all in and get rid of our best players and save ourselves the money and grief until the big backer comes along - NOT - I'm sick to death of this attitude by professionals and pundits - every game we play next season I would like the players to play as if their lives depended upon it - and then see where it takes us at the end of the season. Some team sometime has to crack this media led cabal.

For all the criticism of our last manager, he is pretty much universally admired for his achievements at getting Everton to the level it currently operates at, Martinez will have one hell of a job maintaining that level, let alone advancing. Just because he is more attacking minded, doesnt mean progression is a foregone conclusion. Look at what happened to Liverpool in the early stages of last season, they passed a lot, looked pretty, but relied on a world class player to actually win them games.

Bottom line remains the same as it has always been, to progress in the EPL you need to invest substantial sums of money wisely. While I expect the new boss to fulfil the wise criteria, I cant see where the substantial sums will come from

Let them talk it up.

We don't care what the EedShite say. What the fuck do we care?

Here's hoping RM proves everyone, including me, wrong and goes on to make us more awesome than we already are.

The idea of 'journalism' for most of them is simply a none-starter.

Their stock in trade is filling space and anything will do including complete invention.

And re football, at this time of the year (with the season finished) they are at their laziest and most desperate.

Ultimately I suppose, we (the public not TWebbers) are to blame.

We have let them get away with it for years and now it is the norm.

When we see "TEVEZ IN LINE FOR..." or "RONALDO CLOSE TO MOVE TO..." or "CHELSEA TO BID FOR...", we don't go charging down to their offices or sending emails saying "fucking prove it!".

We just tut and shake our heads.

These rags are FILLED with invention and guesswork and it seems the writers/papers are NEVER pulled up.

Nobody ever says "You said Ronaldo was going to Doncaster and it never happened, you must feel like a right fucking nob-head".

And if that never happens, of COURSE they're going to fill their rags full of shite.

Why wouldn't you, easiest money in the world - come in to the office, have a coffee, invent a bit of bollocks that you'll never be questioned on, then off for a long lunch followed by a skinful at Ye Olde Brown Envelope.

Personally I would love to see some sort of accountability.

Something that might put a bit of pressure on.

A league table maybe, with points for story accuracy (or points deducted for LACK of accuracy).

Something WE could point to and say to the Mirror/Mail/Sun etc - "See you finished last again, with 2114 stories/predictions/exclusives that never happened at all"

(possibly adding - "Isn't it time you upped your game and tried journalism instead of 'opinion', guesswork and pure fucking invention"?)

Plus, if any 'honesty/truth league table' included a Journalist's league, that might REALLY put the pressure on.

Imagine Dave Anderson giving us his genius thoughts on Everton and 22,500 of us (just to pick a random number) being able to contact him saying "See you finished 74th in the tabloid truth and honesty league - NOB-HEAD!"

Just a thought (well it's summer and there's not much to.....OOPS!)

A couple of years on and I'm at a party held at a bar. Full of journalists. I meet the guy who wrote it and asked him what the fuck he thought he'd been up to? (That particular financial strategy of the company was under my purview!) He basically said he'd made it up, told me not to take it personally, and offered to get me a drink.

Quick chat and realised he was one of those journos who just ambled through life, waiting for retirement. He'd been promoted to head of Business at a broadsheet under the same publisher and really didn't want it.

As I left later that evening, when the barmaid presented me with a bill for the drink he'd "bought" me, I realised I'd have been disappointed if he hadn't stiffed me.

Obviously the feller didn't give two shites but personally, I don't really blame him.

I mean yes it's sad that he didn't have that Pulitzer prize-winner mentality, but most people, given the chance to 'do their thing' without being accountable, would do.

And that's exactly why it would be good to have some sort of system in place.

I mean many people (I'd include myself) need to be accountable - there needs to be some sort of system in place, almost to protect you from yourself..erm..sort of thing.

From your own sloth and/or potential shiftiness.

It's like if you worked in a jewelers and nobody ever searched you, you'd be far more likely to stick the occasional koh-i-nor into your bills than if there was a big feller on the door who searched all staff every night.

Loved that he stiffed you for 'his' round.

He probably WANTED to pay, but just didn't want to give journalists a good name.

Sfx door closing.

DM: "Morag, I'm hame darlin, hooz aboot a nice cuppa tea?"

A cup smashes on the wall just above his head.

DM: 'JINGS! Whit on earth was THAT fer?"

Morag: "Don't you 'darlin' me, you should be ashamed o' yersel!"

DM: "Wha..Whit hav a done the noo?"

Morag: "Whit have ah DONE?' he asks!? My God have ye nae shame whitsoever? Tae think the kids and the neighbours will have seen it. Ah won't know wheer tae put ma face so ah'll no"

DM: "Woman wud ye just tell me WHIT ahm supposed tae ha done!"

Morag slings him an open copy of the Mail.

Morag: "Theer ye go, enjoy it yer big Casanova!"

Moyes looks..

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/03/31/article-0-1903DAA5000005DC-929_634x475.jpg

DM: (going beetroot) "Ach it was just wan o' they promotion things, there wuz nuthin tae it"

Morag: "Nuthin' tae it? Aye well there'll be nuthin tae it fer you the night!"

She slings a load of blankets on the sofa

Morag: "Ahm disgusted with ye, and if this is hoo it's gonnae be in future, 'Mr Man United Bertie Big Potatoes', then ye can find yersel another hotel, or even better, move in wi' yon scrubbers"

She slams the door and heads to bed leaving Davey alone.

He picks up the paper and sees himself smiling back at himself.

The voice in the back of his head that has started to nag at him, starts again..

"You're going to fuck it up....You're going to fuck it up....You're going to fuck it up"

Regards to this Martinez champions league story, if only that twat BK had just said "Europe" then it would save all this bollocks.

Paul I for one am delighted Martinez told BK he'd get us into the CL.

Whether he does or not, it shows belief and ambition.

However, for BK to announce is was fucking ABSOLUTELY insane.

Talk about making a rod for your back (or rather someone else's back).

Does he (or you for that matter) have no idea how the press works in this country?

The only chance Martinez has of avoiding having this comment constantly thrown at him by piss-taking journalists/kopites (and anyone else who fancies a dig at us), is to get into the CL.

You asked "What was he supposed to say?"

BK could have said "This man has SO much ambition that I had no doubt in making my decision. He believes 100% that he can do well here and push us towards European places ..." etc blah.

He could have said ALL the right things - 'great, wonderful, moving forward, confident, new era' - all he had to do was avoid saying anything...specific.

But no, he couldn't - instead Mr fucking showbiz gives it the big'un and now Martinez has to deliver or be haunted by the claim.

And I guarantee, if he doesn't or can't deliver, you will not hear the end of 'CL, you're havin' a laugh'.

But you may be good and change the world.

Who knows....hope it is the latter

I am surprised you are bent out of shape on that one. It doesn’t bother me.

I recall it was rival fans who started singing, “CL, you’re having etc.” and when we clinched a place, we were the ones singing, “CL, we’re having a laugh.”

If rival fans are taking the piss out of us then that’s usually because they see us as a threat. In the same way a top player will get booed by the gaping primates supporting the opposition.

It isn’t as if he’s the Chairman of Marine and he said they were going to get the CL.

Unless of course we do end up languishing at the bottom of the table … Not a thought I’ve really been entertaining, admittedly.

@philmcnulty: Hate hearing the use of the phrase "paper talk". So many so-called "paper talk" sports stories turn out to be absolutely spot on.

Needless to say, I nearly fell off my seat. What a horribly arrogant and pig ignorant statement to come out with. I decided to bring this to his attention:

http://www.footballtransferleague.co.uk/newspaper_statistics.aspx

Obviously he didn't reply as it completely savages his argument.

He then went on to bite back at his many critics:

""Lazy journalism" is the laziest phrase out there. Most journalists just ignore it."

Yes Phil, it's us who are lazy. Not your red top mates who swap and change their story from one day to the next.

Terms like, 'sources close to the player' or 'club insider' just show how pathetic these 'journalists' are. I actually hate the term 'lazy journalism' but what else do you call it when a guy can't be bothered putting a bit of pride and effort into his stories and instead favours sitting on his arse linking Player A with Club B?

Eugene mentions that we (the people) do nothing about it...well I'd put it to the newspapers, why doesn't one of them stop printing made-up tales and instead revel in all the bullshit spouted by every other media outlet. I know I'd buy it.

Actually I wouldn't because the first 30 pages would still be shit.

Simply pointing out how near-sighted and stupid a comment it was.

You say - "I recall it was rival fans who started singing, “CL, you’re having etc.” and when we clinched a place, we were the ones singing, “CL, we’re having a laugh.”

True, but the difference is WE hadn't claimed we were going to get CL so there was NO pressure on us.

Now there very definitely IS a pressure on Martinez and it has been needlessly put there by our own blabbermouth idiot Chairman.

Talk about 'loose lips sink ships'.

Short, lazy, devoid of pertinent info and full of contradictions.

And by the way, who even cares about the RS? They've been just an ordinary club and left for dead in the CL race for a couple of years now. At least we're an interesting club to support.

The truth of the matter is we simply don't have the horses to get into the Champions League at the minute. Selling Fellaini and smart buying might be our only choice. Other than exposing the board and forcing an exodus.

Well let’s hope that Martinez sees it all as one huge incentive.

The truth is that after all the talk last season we ended up with the same four usual suspects in the CL. Spurs got nowhere in the end, we ran out of steam (and players), the Shite were, well shite.

I think Martinez’s biggest barrier is not Bill’s mouth but the continuing failure to provide a new source of funding … and for how many years this been the case now?

Agree 100%.

Which is why I fear that he could be judged by what our idiotic chairman said to gain a bit of attention. He is an absolute prat for saying that. He's basically pinned Martinez to the cross already.

What, are France playing today?

I agree with you re Martinez, but for Bill to say that at the guy's first Press Conference, when many people were doubting his abilities and credentials was absolute stupidity, he is essentially putting the nail in the coffin and the final judgement on him already if he fails.

The man hasn't even set foot on Finch Farm yet and he has these expectations on him. We are basically skint, BK hasn't got much money, how the hell are we meant to finish above the likes of City, Chelsea and the like unless Bill sticks his hand in his pocket.

I just hope that we haven't missed out on capitalising on Liverpool's mediocrity. I've been waiting all my life to see it and the best we can do is finish a few points ahead. Achievement that that is, it's hardly going to turn the tide. They'll spend big again, we'll probably sell big..... let's hope RM is inspired and something big clicks.

The best we could hope for is 7th? When we have beaten the shite in the past 2 years. We were very close for 4th last season, especially if those late draws turned to wins.

I don't believe people like him get paid to write crap like this.