"As No 2s go, Seamus could be No 1

"Gary Neville, though an extremely good right back, was not a truly great one. H is still regarded as the best of the Premier League era, which tells us something.

"I'd rate Gary Kelly, who became a Leeds regular after Howard Wilkinson's team won the last unified Football League title in 1991-92 as the second best but noea fellow Irishman is demonstrating a potential to become the most accomplished No 2 of all.

"In saying that, I'm probably condemning Seamus Coleman to a nightmare at West Brom tonight. But he's been absolutely brilliant of late, and in conjunction with Leighton Baines, is emphasizing the importance of having all round footballers in modern full-back positions. If Manchester United want him, they'd be wise not to insult Everton – as they did over Baines in the summer – with an offer for Coleman of less than £25 million. And the same goes for Arsenal, who are approaching the stage when they'll have to bid farewell to their own best right-back for a while, Bacary Sagna"

Not bad for £60k! I liked him from the start. Let's see him bury a few tonight.

Got to be a win tonight lads come onnnnnnnnnnn..

Is it a knock or an injury, would be nice to know.

We don't seem to be bossing possession like we were a few weeks ago,

Getting a bit concerned at why we don't seem to get involved enough in the first half away from home.
We look sluggish and need to start being more clinical.
Mirallas has been average again. Sooner we get Delboy back the better.

We need more punch and to be more ruthless up front.
I have been saying the same thing for ages about away games.
Lukaku looks ponderous and Mirallas continues to make even a saint become furious.

Can see this game being one goal either way at the minute or maybe even 0-0 again.

Do we ever play well at The Hawthorns??
Always seem to throw in a shite display here and this is starting to go the same way as last year, the year before and the year before that.

If ever I dint see a goal coming from a certain player it was Mirallas just now.

Now come on Blues these are shittttteeeeeeee.

Mirallas scored at the exact moment I clicked the confirmation link.

We are seriously missing Barkley.

some players seem almost apathetical at times.
Where are Coleman's forward surges?
Where Bainsy's precise deliveries?

I just hope we can somehow get a grip on the game in this half, even though we have the lead we need to start controlling it.

Does anybody think our form has dipped, or certainly performances since we replaced Oviedo with Baines?

Just a thought

When is that dirty twat Ridgwell, 20 pound note arse wiper going to get carded.

For me I just felt Oviedo was flying at left back when we had those great wins and Baines generally just uses his left foot.

For Christs sake Bainesy, very very sloppy that lad,

Thats been on the cards that has, typical fucking Everton shite away from home, again failed to beat another shite team which is exactly why we can forget getting that top 4.

So so dissappointing this tonight

Fuckin sort it out Everton, Anichebe showing Lukaku up here, appalling.

What has happened to Lukaku?

From a very bad display

Lukaku?

This game was set up for three points and basically we have NOT been anywhere near up to the challenge.

Its no good going on about the players missing, they are missing thats just what we have to deal with, its now when we are finding out how average our squad is.

We blew it.

He turned into an incarnation of Moyes there. Hoofball, hanging on for a point that we didn't deserve, no subs until the 75th minute.

Very angry, We don't have the mentality to break into that top 4.

Now Coleman's out, we need to strengthen. If we play like that against the RS, we could be looking at a cricket score.

We have got to be more offensive when we're ahead than that. We are too negative away from home and not much has changed from last season. We may play pretty football but don't get anyone in the box. We should've replaced Osman and Oviedo with 30 minutes to go as it had one-all written all over it at that point. Poor performance all round and no attempt to try and score 2nd half.

What a twat of a ref as well. Didn’t he have it in for Mirallas. Every time Kev went into any tackle the ref gave it against.

Bainsey either up your game son or bugger off. You did nothing tonight.

If this is what we’ve got to look forward to at Anfield we’ll get battered.
defo a 4/10 performance. it has to be better than this.

On the plus side, we deserved nothing and got a point and I'm looking forward to seeing McGeady more often. A few of his touches and movement in the very short time he was on looked real quality.

I am now seeing why Lukaku is not at Chelsea at the moment.
But where are the other options?
Jelavic has gone but I see no money being spent to rectify it.
We are waiting on the results of a medical, before Traore sings but if we are led to believe he could be out for a period with a hamstring why bother with that??

It was a very very lethargic perormance, just like at Swansea, we let them back in the game when we had control, but at Swansea we found a winner, here it would have been very rough justice on West Brom because we were worse second half than first.

Baines was poor again, why does he never add some new dimensions to his game like when Oviedo was left back? Cut inside when he gets forward and use his right foot now and again. Its predictable.
Mirallas in the main was frustrating despite the goal and Osman was as ever bollocks.
Its going to be hard for Martinez to pick a team capable of standing up to thee cauldron next week at Anfield because I think too many of our lads just look like they will go missing there again.

We were given a good oppurtunity tonight and as usual we threw it away. The shite certainly won't give us one next week.

However i'm not overly surprised. Why do we always play like an absolute shower in these Monday night games?

2nd half of the season will see points dropped from the top as the bottom scrap for points.

The two centre halves, Coleman, Barry and Motm Mirallas can walk away knowing they gave it their all, the rest did nothing.

To be fair to Martinez, looking at the bench tonight he was out of options. The squad is horribly thin at the moment.

Lukaku has so many attributes but just doesnt utilise them at all well anymore, he is beginning to seriously frustrate me now, have been willing to give him time lately but its getting no better really.

Not sure Traore is the answer but we need to do something fast to salvage the season becoming flat like last year. Next three away games.
Liverpool..Spurs..Chelsea.. Another miracle win required just like Old Trafford.

We were shit all over the park, apart from Mirallas at least trying to play.

We lacked the ability to pass to each other for long periods, and the manager should have changed it 15 minutes before he did. You could see the goal coming a mile off - I was screaming at the fucking TV to make a change to change the pattern of the game but he did nothing. It was like watching a Moyes team second half.

The lack of squad depth caught up with us, we lacked Pienaar, Barkley and Deulofeu and it really showed. Also, the toll is beginning to tell on Barry and McCarthy having to do everything with no real respite or back-up. A third player for that position is probably a priority, assuming the injured three ahead won't be out too long.

Osman did well enough at first but needed to come off around 60-65 mins, he faded badly after that and you could see how tired he was towards the end. In fact, I actually think he basically subbed himself.

We wanted to see Mirallas given a go in the middle, but it turned us into a very basic 4-4-2 playing direct football and far too many long balls. Lukaku may be big, but he has no interest in competing for balls lumped forward from the back, and even when he did jump, he won very few headers.

I am of course aware that the goal come from a direct ball that Lukaku won, but that kind of sums us up tonight, we played like any other average Premier League side when so far this season we've set much higher standards than that.

Osman was hooked at least 20 minutes too late and he just stood on the sidelines and watched West Brom crank up the pressure not a trace of Sin Miedo tonight but a bad dose of Moyesophobia from the manager.

Fucking awful display. Where was the effort FFS! I know West Brom were pressing from the start, new manager and all, but why we decided to hoof as much is beyond me.

You know it's bad when you can't name a MOTM. Our wing play was non existent, and I have never seen so many poor first touches.

Sorry Roberto, you got this one wrong tactically, there was no cohesion to our play. It reminded me of a pre-season friendly, in effort and ideas.

Unacceptable, especially when we knew we could go into a C.L. spot. The last thing I would do is blame that display on Osman, or any other whipping boy - they were all fucking awful to a man.

Worst than any of our early season performances, at least we were getting used to a new style of play.

A full week off in the sun clearly did us no good at all - get back to running up hills in the Lake Distict!

To be a realistic challenger for the top four we MUST have a strong bench as at this time of every season injuries and suspensions bite hard. We are now without Gibson, Deulofeu, Barkley, Alcaraz, Kone with both Pienaar and Coleman doubtful starters. Thank God its Stevenage this week and I wonder what sort of side Roberto will put out against them. I can see Heitinger and Vellios being used God forbid, with perhaps Magueye and Hibbert playing also.

I was really apprehensive this evening and hoped for an injury free match but it was worrying to see Coleman go off.

I don't mind when we give it a go and drop points but when the team puts a performance in like that it is galling regardless of what it means to us in the table. Same old Everton.

Osman appears to have an hypnotic effect on managers, passed and present, who will gladly play him for no good reason other them than seeing an Osman play so brilliantly well, when the fans don't see it.

The reason the Everton bench is so laden thin of attacking and midfield ideas they are either injured or out on loan or it's the worst time of year to consider transfer options - ask David Moyes. He is so desperate to find decent, it maybe worth having a look on ebay for any good players.

No need to freak out though.

Osman was on too long, McGready looked quite good from what I saw, and should have had longer.

We were guilty of not putting the game to bed, the pace was too pedestrian

Too many slack passes from Barry tonight.

Coleman was our best player, and I hope his injury is not too bad.

Oviedo was good too.

Lukaku, didn't get into the game at all.

McCarthy was steady but not inspirational

It's small things, no need for a massive inquest.

No surprise really we sorely miss Barkley lacking dynamism through the centre when he's out and Lukaku's control is becoming an issue.

Baines is still getting caught out of position as he has many times this season he needs to sort his head out that lad.

Could do better all around I'm afraid.

(btw fuck these mid season holidays to Tenerife they are trouble)

That being said, I'll back the team to bounce back in the Derby. That will be a different game and I'm optimistic about that as I think RM has the right attitude for it.

Agree with those who saw that as a bit of a Moyes performance. You felt the team went into their shells and started to worry about what they had to lose rather than seeing what there was to win.

Also the manager didn't seem to have much confidence in his subs, which was reminiscent of a manager struggling right now at Old Trafford. Has RM told them it's ok to hoof it? I hope not. Still, it's just one game and overall we've done ok so far, even if the team has been a bit off the pace since we lost Barkley and Deulofeu (coincidentally our two best players imo)

Really though it's the time off. When you're playing well and winning games you don't want breaks you want games.

I thought we would show everyone why we should be taken seriously. The R.S. won't be worrying about us next week looking at that abomination of a performance tonight.

Incedently, I had to fit a load of air con in a bingo hall in West Bromwich back in the 90's and every woman, to a man, looked liked like Noddy holder. And they gave them a bag of tinned shite on the way out cos they'd all spunked the housekeeping.

We have now been put in a position that we need coverage for a striker and have sold the only coverage we had. As the January window is allways difficult to bring in players we will most probably wait until summer unless the board and mostly B.K get their act together and bring in someone that keeps the team on track.

It is no use saying we will be ok when our injured players come back because you will still get injuries. We need a quality midfielder Osman cant last 30min never mind 90.

Lukaku really needs to sort himself out; he is lazy and doesn't know when to hold the ball up or when to lay it off. He always sets the opposite up and starts there attacks with his poor touches and fucks us over completely... Every bloody game!!!

I don't know if anybody ever notices but nearly all times when they attacked it came from our mistakes, this happens way too often. Teams never really expose us or play through us; it's because we give the ball away in silly positions and we put ourselves under pressure. Every second ball they won. Barry and McCarthy were so deep we could not win any second balls!!!

We always bottle it when we need to win!!!!

Fucking Tenerife or wherever they went!!! It's a pathetic idea during the season and it never works..players always come back lethargic and fucked!!

That said I have long been a believer in TWO strikers creating more problems for a defence but Martinez, like Moyes before him, prefers one up top and for me all it does is isolate the lone striker.

It may have worked better when Cahill was at his peak but ever since then we have always looked a lightweight side up fromt.

Who is the best man to actually go up and support Lukaku?
Mirallas? Maybe but is a bit hit and miss.
Barkley? Probably the only other choice for me.

The squad is weak and injuries are kicking in big time, don't know whats wrong with Coleman but if he misses the Derby then its going to kill us completely and right now if somebody offered me a draw there I'd rip their fucking hand off.

We really missed Ross Barkley picking the ball up and driving through the middle and there didn't seem to be much of an outlet on the left either. I didn't see Lukaku do much wrong in the 35 minutes I saw apart from losing possession trying to evade the close attention of two WBA players from a poorly judged Howard throw, but he hardly saw the ball at all in their half.

There appeared to be a massive divide between our defensive midfielders and the likes of Oviedo, Osman and Mirallas. McCarthy worked hard but misjudged challenges and fluffed a fair number of passes, Barry did nothing wrong but wasn't able to impose himself.

Responses to Sky team after the game were fairly reserved; can only hope the players will get more shaken up in private if they aren't already self recriminating. Has to be the last performance of that sort this season or we really can forget about top four.

We need to get a striker in and quick because at the moment there is no pressure on Lakaku .

The only silver lining is that its still in our own hands, but the Shite and Spurs away games are now six pointers. If we lose those two games, I think any hopes of europe are over. The annoying thing about this, is we will have thrown the season away not against the teams around us fighting for europe, but against very average sides that know exactly what game we are going to play, and stifle it by playing a high line with quick closing down. Its so obvious its painful.

Was a bad move to go off in search of a bit of winter sun.
Its human nature and a massive culture shock coming back from sun, sea and sangria to some freezing misty shithole in England on a Monday night and too many of our lads looked like they didnt want to be out in the cold.

The Manager got it wrong tonight — simple as that.

We need all back for the derby or it's over for this season.

Every time we get the chance to prove we are contenders, we blow it — that's why the pundits never back us. Even Mouhrino in his after-match interview said we would last no more than a couple of months.

Warm weather training achieved nothing.

Draws, draws, draws — I am sick of them I would rather lose.

What a disappointment.

But is wasn't like that.

It was Distin (whom I really like) back to the worst of attention deficit passes, it was hoof it anywhere defence from Baines and Jagielka, it was Howard wellying it to their back four on every occasion; it was even Coleman, whom I rate as one of the best players in the Prem. not taking people on, it was even the manager failing to notice that things weren't going right and taking a risk - Velios for Lukaku or something. Something shocking and surprising.

Barry and McCarthy had proved to be the best midfield in the Premiership - before tonight. They looked tired, old and unable to control the game. All Everton's passes looked rushed, barely in control and made under pressure and threat.

It was the worst of Moyes and Walter Smith reprised tonight. It was passes too long (OK, not too bad) or too short - which always lead to problems. It was a defence which was always chasing someone attacking on the wing, not being there first. And strangely, given earlier tactics, no-one having a bash from distance. It may not result in many goals, but it gets more than not shooting at all.

And if I were Lukaku, I'd be looking to get "injured" so my career doesn't disappear when Maurinho decides not to bother bringing me back from loan and buys some 45 year old with a better first, second and third touch.

Osman is one of those players who whenever someone says he is 'creative' I really have to ask myself creative at what exactly?

Creative is what Arteta used to be in his first 4 seasons, play threaded through balls, forward balls, go past players, cross the ball.
When is the last time anybody saw Osman play a defence splitting foward pass?

You could see their goal coming. RM usually changes it up; he waited too long this time or it was just sheer lack of options. Whatever, it wasn't good enough - no Sin Miedo tonight señor Martinez.

When he turns and runs full pelt with the ball as he did once in the first half he's amazing but defenders touch tight always have a chance because of his poor first touch.

The interplay between Mirallas, Oviedo, Baines and Coleman is there but it needs nimble feet rather than a beast if we're going to "walk it in".

Tough call for RM because Lukaku is good but does he really fit our style?

baines should have been subbed on 60 mins and oviedo at left back. baines didnt seem totally match fit. need to raise our game against the redshite

There is only so long Distin can go on and I don't think he will ever be the best with the ball at his feet likewise Jagielka, plus lets face it.
Tim Howard makes many poor decisions, Sunderland when he killed Osman with that pass, today he should have used his head more too.

I want to see the ball playing centre halves of Alcaraz and Stones eventually take the mantle (hopefully sooner rather than later) and also the FA Cup winning goalkeeper Joel Robles taking over in goal.
People may say he looks iffy but as a goalkeeper coming in out the cold I am not sure how the hell you are ever likely to get match sharp.
He needs games, if he kept three clean sheets in the quarter final, semi, and final in last seasons FA Cup its clear the big games don't distress him.

Anyway stuff it, I am off to bed like a bear with a sore head.
Stevenage on Saturday

Until a quality player is paraded around Goodison this month I remain sceptical. Talk is cheap action speak louder than words.

Martinez needs to bollock the front four and himself, we were getting at them first half and unlucky not to be in front by more, then to perform like that second half and for Martinez to sit there watching it was a joke, I'm all for positivity and having faith in players but there needs to be a time when you crack the whip and send a message to the players when they're not at it.

So disappointing not only to not get three points but to get outfought, out played and create hardly anything in that second half.

Please no more injuries!

And thank yer lucky stars at least we don't have to bunk up with a missus from the west brom bingo hall tonight.

Very very poor second half performance and for all the people complaining about Luakau and Osman I personally had Baines down as our worst player - his performance tonight was simply unrecognisable from the player we know. Got caught out of position so often, seemed off the pace, poor touches - just a different player. New contract syndrome?

Too many of the team were off the pace today, only a handful; Oviedo, Mirallas, Coleman and McCarthy had ok games, but not great. The rest were either very average or just poor, Baines and Osman especially. I don't think Lukaku could do much with the hoof balls lumped at him and often West Brom doubled up on him.

Just don't know what happened today. The bench was weak but the first team should have put on a much better display.

Hopefully Coleman's only strained a muscle and nothing too serious but I fear he'll be out for the Derby the way he was clutching his hamstring.

Just want to put that display out of my mind and look forward to the FA cup game.

Very disappointing.

Lukaku needs to learn how to hold the ball up. Also why is he not putting pressure on the defenders when he has not got the ball? Looks to me like he has lost interest but then again they all did tonight.

Roberto played some out of position. Poor sub timing / decisions.

Too much high ball cut out by the defence.

Really weak bench, result of injuries.

We can play great and crap. Who said we can challenge for top spot, FFS. Mindless stuff. We might be able to challenge for 4th. Set your expectations too high and you're going to be mighty disappointed.

I just hope that Everton finish in 6th place and not 5th if they can't manage at least 4th so don't have to play in footballs graveyard called the Europa league. Just ask Swansea and Newcastle how badly it effected their seasons, playing in places where Easy Jet won't fly to.

Lukaku is still only 20, and no matter what some say on here, he does normally put a shift in,I was thinking, does anyone reckon it could be a case of burnout?

Lost possession far too easily, lacked real drive and determination (get well soon Ross Barkley), weren't ruthless enough in front if goal, very uninspiring all round.

Put it down to a bad day at the office, Martinez I'm sure will have plenty to say about it behind closed doors. Most disappointing of all is we've let LFC off the hook AGAIN - a long standing condition which Roberto has to find a way for us to shake off. Spurs fans and Reds will be rubbing their hands after that result tonight.

Osman is the worst Everton player I can remember since early Moyes days.
He has to be sold or released, his wage can be spent a lot better.

Also the players we are linked with does not inspire me at all.

McGeady seems to have some ability, but his fitness is so bad it is hard to judge him just yet.

Vellios should have been given a chance here but it seems to me Martinez does not like him because he refused to go on loan.
In my view Vellios does not need a loan, he has performed before and will do again, but he needs game time.

I can not understand why Lukaku was still on the pitch in the second half.

Martinez was woeful tonight, he made very late changes just like OFM used to do and we lost 2 points.

The ultimate problem is again the lack of a goalscoring striker, and the second problem is we waste money and squad space on a weak tiny old player like Leon Osman.

Our squad is very weak, yes we have numbers but we lack quality in numbers.

RM needs to freshen up the squad with a central midfielder who can score, plus a striker that scores regulary.

I feel so cheated that we lost Negredo, right now I can not think of any striker who would be good enough and who does not cost a fortune.

We are in trouble. Ever since Sunderland we have missed that top goalscorer and our performances have dropped in quality since that game..

No doubt we need Barkley and Deuelofoe to come back asap.
God help us if they are not ready for the derby.

No excuses tonight though.
Lukaku doing a Jelavic. Rocket up the arse.
McGeady might make a difference when fit.
Surely Vellios can't be that bad he's not considered for 20 minutes?

I hope Coleman wasn't too badly injured.

It's still in our hands. But big improvements needed - and a couple of new faces.

Would love to think we could go over there and 'tear them a new one'.
Sadly we have not done that since Limpar and Kanchelskis decided in November 95 that 'fuck this, Barnes, Redknapp are a bunch of nancy boys' and just went for the jugular.

Somehow I cannot see us playing like that tearing anything let alone the redshite on their own patch.

As for Lukaku, well he ended playing wide as he gets fuck all service down the middle except for a few hoof balls from jags and Distin. Honestly, it was like deja vu as though ginge was back in charge.

I honestly expect a vastly improved performance against the rs. How Pienaar is missed.

One thing to note is that we're still only a point off 4th place.

Good night.

We can't have our cake and eat it can we? We either fail to qualify for Europe or we find a way to manage it if we do - we won't have bucketloads of money available to compete on all fronts so that is why I suggested that if we did qualify, we field a younger team to give them experience and ensure the first team regulars don't suffer unduly. We have done the same thing before in that competition, anyway lets hope RM can get the lads back on track and we have the CL to worry about.

It looked like a training match at times in the first 20 mins of the 2nd half with all the fannying around passing to me to you around the back four with no urgency shown in trying to break quickly and stretch a poor West Brom side and go for the kill.

Too many square pegs tonight, Oviedo looked lively and energetic but was on the wrong wing and always looked to come inside, the same to a degree with Mirallas who looked like one of the only players up for it.

Osman was a passenger and should never be a guaranteed starter injury crisis or not as he’s just not got the legs anymore. He is better utilised as a sub with 20-30mins to go where he has a better chance of having a meaningful impact on a game eg Stoke away.

Touche to Big Vic I had a funny feeling seeing him after half time when he came on that he would score just to prove a point, even though he didn’t score he had Jags & Distin back peddling every time he had the ball and changed the game for the Baggies.

The subs RM made apart from for Seamus were made far too late. Osman should have made way for McGeady and not Oviedo. Oviedo should then have been moved to the left McGeady to the right with Mirallas in the hole. This would have given West Brom a lot more to think about.

I know many on here don’t seem to rate Vellios and neither by all accounts does RM on the face of it why bother naming him as a sub if he’s not going to be used given Lukaku is the only other fit striker in the squad? Given we resorted to route one when conceding why the fuck did Martinez bring on Naismith at 5’ 10" when at 6’ 4" Vellios is the better target man for route one in the dying minutes. This would have at least given Lukaku somebody to work of as he’s never going to get that off of Mirallas.

More questions than answers from tonight. I hope to fuck we show up next week at Anfield otherwise it could undermine the good work done this season up until tonights shower!

P.S Billy get cheque book out as now is the time to try and kick on and reinvigorate the squad!

I think the whole point of playing Oviedo on the right was to allow the respective wide players to cut in on their stronger foot, at least that is what RM spoke about after the game. Seemed to work quite well in the first half with Oviedo having a couple of decent chances and Mirallas scoring off another example. Part of that plan was that Lukaku would pull their central defence out of position, which ke certainly tried to do.

I agree that the substitutions could have been earlier and different, despite the fact that none of us would have expected too much game-changing from our bench tonight.

We could have should have been a couple up at half time. First time this season we had limited bench options. McGeady looks useful but is not close to being match fit. Mirallas was excellent all night- he can play down the middle and we perhaps should have decked to him rather than lumped it to luka who was completely outplayed by their centre halves.

All in Very happy with the season so far....I've been to 6 always and we've won three drawn three, pretty fair return. we have players to come back and a very big Ivorian on the way,

Reasons to be cheerful and positive - I recon we'll draw at Stevenage and get one over the RS if we have one or two back.

They all worked hard, just didn’t play well. If anything Lukaku was the soft one tonight, not Leon. He looked jaded and we need a Plan B up front.

Oman filled a hole – not ideal and probably better for 30 mins in a game as per Villa away.

If Everton pushed Coleman up to right side of midfield he would have been given him more opportunity to drive forward and come up with another goal as he is in good scoring form, with Stones at right back would have faced same type of an opponent as he did previously as centre half with Anelka drifting to his side of the field. Oviedo played half decent in a position Coleman had played in the past, but Oviedo would have dome much better in a position that Osman occupied but did nothing on the left side.

Team selection: could have been better with less loyalty shown to Osman.

Watch the game again and you will see, for all his faults, that Lukaku was involved in a large percentage of our best attacking play tonight as well as being asked to operate as the target man for lots of lofted balls to bypass their midfield. The lad is obviously playing to instructions, even when they don't particularly suit his particular strengths.

I think its more to do with ourselves than the tactical genius of Mel and having two of our more creative players missing. Although I think it was a massive tactical error playing a left back on the right wing. Square pegs and round holes comes to mind.

Worse still was playing Osman on the wing for most of the game and allowing him to stay on beyond the 2nd half. However, the attacking options on the bench were not the most inspiring. We need another striker and back-up attacking midfielder for Barkley.

The lack of depth in the squad (and the injuries we have) appears to be catching up with us. We need at least one of Pienaar, Barkley or Deulofeu back sharpish - and a fit McGeady (all will come with time)... and a back up striker (which looks sorted) and a back up holding mid - no mention of this.

No slick passing and Distin looked like a car crash waiting to happen.

Looked like a performance we would have put in under our previous regime.

Hope we haven't shot our bolt.

This season, we have seen some absolutely magnificent football from Everton, in very large measure due to fast passing, quick movement, disconcerting and clever interchanges, and above all, lots of possession. Even in the really tough games (Arsenal, away - that's supposed to be difficult isn't it?), the team has stuck to the principle that when you have the ball, the other lot cannot score, and if they make a mistake, you may well be in there.

Last night, I think RM betrayed his "sin miedo" approach and thought the passing game would come apart on a bad pitch, to the instruction became "don't pass, play a percentage game". His own fear was conveyed to the players who suddenly doubted that the boss believed his own story.

Lukaku is clearly not a 'target man who can hold the ball', he may be physically like Ferguson or Anichebe, but his back-to-goal control is terrible; you might as well get Osman to out muscle Skrtel. Indeed, Lukaku's best contribution by far, and it was very good, was to nod a forward header to Mirallas.

And because the ball was almost always in the air or bouncing about, the Likes of Osman, Oviedo, even Coleman, we're being clattered before they got control or could lay it off properly. A fast ball to feet, a quick interchange would have had West Brom's goons falling all over the place.

In my view, Martinez is a huge success, but the club as a whole has a residual fear that the top slots are reserved for richer / better regarded by the media / more star studded / better accommodated (good ground), and last night RM betrayed himself, he showed fear (of the pitch / of a grim night in the land of retards / of being on TV on a Monday / of being elected Manager of the Year - yes, we remember how that always preceded a huge disappointment / or whatever).

Everton FC thrives on heroes, not stars. Who would not prefer Duncan Ferguson up front to the disgusting Suarez or any of the foul specimens that club has thrown up over the years (I'd have taken John Barnes, and probably McManaman, but few others)? Roberto needs the confidence to believe his own message, and when Lukaku is having a stinker, to put on Vellios with the instruction, "Get out there and prove me right to have waited".

"Sin miedo" is a great principle. Roberto must apply it himself. At all times!

Barry and McCarthy did OK but every one else in the attacking sense was poor. Oviedo can play FB but has been poor as a wide midfield player and why was he on the right? Cutting in was OK but he could never go outside people because of his right foot. Osman out wide is a joke, no pace, no ability to cross and he constantly drifted into the middle and was always playing catch up when they went wide. Miralles tried to link up but Lukaku was very poor and looked like he did not want to play fully against one of his old teams. His touch was garbage and apart from the header for the goal I don't remember him winning another header.

This poor forward play meant the back 4 were always struggling for a pass. Barry showed constantly but Osman and Oviedo didn't and Miralles was too far forward. McCarthy tried, but bringing the ball out is not his forte.

Martinez should have seen the disfunctioning midfield but I think he was determined to stick with his game plan no matter what. First time he seemed so dogmatic in his approach for me and despite how bad we played we didn't lose, so for me a mild rebuke that I hope he learns from.

But last night regardless of how heavy the pitch was, WBA had more fight and industry than we did and that just ain't good enough. As for Gibson saying how hard they worked – well they wouldn't have had to work so hard if they had applied themselves correctly in the first-place – same syndrome as we have seen all too often in recent years – show up well in the games against the richer clubs but believe that they just have to turn up in games against the lesser lights. Injuries played a part but not as much as the poor attitude and lack of commitment by many of the players.

Like many, I think this break in Tenerife didn't help as most of them looked like they weren't focused and probably wished they were still back next to the swimming pool.

The derby now is a possible season changer; win and we are back on track for 4th. Lose, and we will be fighting for 6-7th position and all the good work so far will be lost. The only bright spot in all this is we should start seeing the likes of Pienaar, Barkley, Deulofeu, and Alcaraz all returning shortly.

We just didn't have the creativity we have had for much of the season because of injuries. You need a top striker to put the ball in the net and top creative players to supply the striker. For the first part of the season we didn't have the required quality striker and as a consequence struggled to kill off games; now we have the striker but we are missing the players who supply the ammunition and so the only option is long balls. Look what happens to Man Utd without Rooney and RVP.

It's not so much how you play but who and where you play them. However, you can have all the ability and quality in the world but, if you put in the kind of effort Osman puts in, then you are setting yourself up to get your arse spanked.

No team could cope with over half of their first choice missing, and for a long time.

Barkley and Deloufe will be back soon.

I think Martinez had a lesson yesterday, he tried to deal with the ground and I doubt there will be any more sunny away days with the lads.

i never thought we would make the top 4. Whatever you think of RS it will likely be them.

I'd gladly give the Europa League place to MU. it will suit Moyes down to the ground.

Come on folks let send some positive vibes to our team!