Talking a Good Game

Nothing wrong with that, because it is his fault. I am now sure, like many on here, that last season was a false dawn. We need to get shut asap, or we may end up in the Championship, and, on our form, we will struggle to get out!

I agree entirely Ian @ 3 you captured it in your first and final sentences.

Or do you think it is perhaps more likely that they saw through his bullshit at the interview whilst also perusing his PL record....

At the end of the day, Roberto Martinez talked to you about Everton. It's hardly the biggest nail in his coffin; most managers at least try to make it look like they have an understanding of the club they are managing. I don't understand why you've waited for 18 months to prove Martinez will say whatever is most palatable to the audience.

Meanwhile, at dear old Goodison, we indulge in a few boos as BK and RM treat us like idiots. It's all a bit apathetic really.

If it was because he wouldn’t have overall control of transfers etc then that may be understandable if however if he felt that it was too big a step in his career at that time he seriously underestimated the pressure that the Goodison faithful can put on any manager if results aren’t going well.

We’ll probably never know the truth of the matter - but as things stand at the minute, it gives the other crowd a good laugh at our expense either way.

However, the darkest recess of my mind is not to be trusted and I only ever listen to what goes on back there as a last resort. Screaming and crying, mostly.

Neither has Martinez. He's way out of his depth. That line got me: Barry's technically the best footballer at the club? God help us – he's more deluded than I thought.

Everything pales into insignificance compared to the plight we find ourselves in and very real possibility of being dragged into a relegation fight. I think many of us have little faith that if we were to get in to become embroiled in such a fight Martinez would be incapable of organising the battle that would be needed to escape it!

I'm someone who believes that teams in the Europa League have afforded us more room and time than we ever get in the Premier League. Our efforts and success there, as good as it is, might effectively be on another planet. That's not to say we wouldn't rejoice like never before if we won it – providing we stayed up! That is still a dream worth dreaming!

We've all played the 'next 2 or 3 results will be decisive' game but I think we may well have actually arrived at that make-or-break position. Lose against Dynamo Kiev on Thursday, then again against Newcastle at home on Sunday, and even BK may call for the screens and a nurse before psyching himself up for some major decision-making.

I know I'm not adding to the debate with this post but the bottom line is that, until the next 2 or 3 games are done, we are only doing our best to ease our frazzled nerves through the outlet offered by TWeb.

One of the things that pisses me off is people who come on this site and tell us to get behind the team and show we're true supporters or something similar. What the fuck do they think we've been doing our best to do all season in the face of an overall lack of a reciprocal effort by the manager and team in so many games???

However, I'm going to say I fully accept that we are at the stage where we can't afford to become precious about the way we might be inclined react to the crap we've had to put up with for most of this season. None of it helped by the Manager's apparent tentative grasp on the reality of our situation.

Here I'm entirely with Eugene Ruanne (and several others) particularly in respect of our upcoming Premier League games. Purely from the point of view of ensuring that we don't go down – and leaving aside the debate on who will manage us next season – I hope we can massively become the team's 12th man for as long as it takes.

We must do whatever from our point of view to ensure we're safe regardless of whether, what we are seeing on the pitch actually merits it. Anything less would only be a cause for massive regret on our part and we probably all know that!

Thursday night is a good point to begin a more positive outlook even if the team isn’t playing well or looking laboured during the game – let’s try and show the team that we really do want them to do well and we don’t enjoy being negative as much as they don’t enjoy getting a negative reception.

But the club needs it. Don't do it for RM, don't do it for BK or the players. Do it for Everton Football Club, do it for us.

Come on you blue supporters, let's make a difference. HAVE IT!

nb: I'm available for corporate seminars at a reasonable ١,000 per day.

I suspect there'll be virtually universal support because essentially we have no choice. Good luck to you and good luck to me and everyone else!

Agree completely; as I wrote we supporters have to cheer the team on.

John, Raise your day rate!

We have a couple of players who can do that, ability-wise... but can they do it when the chips are down? Let’s hope they can.

Probably the greatest blag of our lives, and once we got in, well words fail me... Maybe one of us should post an article on here of our reflections of that night. Maybe the TW people would not allow it.

As for the rest of your submission, well done, I enjoyed it.

We do not see each other much, but last Monday just confirmed, we are friends for life, along with being Blues for life. Respect.

I have been saying this for years to my mates and gotten a lot of "Dunno's". Everton is a soft touch through and through. Not just the players, not just the absentee Board, not just the owner, but the fans as well. We are just as culpable for this mess as the Board.

We as fans, have let the rot set in over the course of 15 years without merely a whimper. Completely let down... and when/if we all go down together, then what? I doubt we have it in us to fight to get back up. It's sadly taken 15 years of this for people to even wake up. And most still haven't.

It's how football supporters behave. And it's because we care. To suffer in silence is to say we don't give a stuff. Like watching Marine.

We currently have 28 points from 28 games so we should have been calling for his head 5 games ago.

The board will always make the decision. Those dozy pricks think they were the reason the last Yanks were ousted, not the fact that they were forced to sell by the banks etc.

Protest all you want but it makes no difference and anyone blaming fans for this shit season we are in deserves a kick in the balls, players included.

It's a football game, you kick the ball, you head the ball, you pass/shoot/save/block the ball.

Feckin get on with it and do it better than what you have so far this season.

Get behind them? Give us a reason then!

If our talented but delicate players read this they will be very, very upset. So upset that they might even cry. And fret. And sulk. And stuff.

They're like china, our lot - or weren't you aware? Breaks my heart just thinking about it.

In fact, if we concede, why not write something nice about the opponent's goal rather than something horrible and nasty about our defence?

Yes, but not masses around the ground shouting "Martinez Out!"

I never wanted him in the first place but lazy Arse Bill found it an "easy" appointment to make especially being able to quote RM and his famous "I will get you in the CL" promise.

The match is a two-way street, though. Fans can do their part but if it's like watching paint dry there's only so much passion we can generate.

And the all seating arrangement makes fans a bit less volatile too, as did the removal of matchday cushions.

Oh for a return to a less tolerant fan base that would not accept this crap at a time when the Prem is awash with money and no-marks like Chelsea and Man City are becoming worldwide brands while we languish as a support act in L4.

Everything you say is right apart from the last line, we don't need a reason to get behind the team, just the fact we are blues is enough but I agree we have to vent our frustrations somehow so we do it here.

I will be cheering those overpaid feckers on no doubt from my seat but it's hard when the atmosphere is dead and I don't believe half-hearted attempts at "It's a Grand Old Team" will be sufficient to raise these players out of their malaise.