Kone desperate to make his comeback

Have to feel sorry for the guy, players don't get injured on purpose. Luckily we've got Eto'o and Lukaku anyway.

I just really hope Kone doesn't end up retiring because I seem to recall reading a similar story in the late '90s regarding Joe Parkinson, who himself had struggled badly with knee problems and sadly ended up giving up his fight following advice from a specialist.

I really don't think Kone should still be feeling pain; it should now be a case of regaining match fitness but surely the physical pain side of things should be gone by now?

Quite worrying...

He certainly won't be back soon after all – how the hell did he make the bench against Swansea???

It's pretty hard at this minute in time to see how he can comeback and be anything like the player that managed a more than respectable 13 in his first year in England with relegated Wigan.

A real shame because he just might have given us a different option going forward at times, feel like we've been kinda robbed of a player basically, as I say he isn't a world beater but he did show he had something to offer at Wigan.

Real shame but at least we know the situation now.

It's more likely that with half the squad out injured, particularly in key attacking areas, those that are filling in are just not as competent.

I think if we'd have had Pienaar, Coleman and Mirallas fit, we'd probably be sitting in a Champions League spot by now. Hibbert, McGeady and Atsu really have been a step down.

When Pienaar came off at Leicester, he was in such distress, I thought he would need oxygen. I can't / won't believe that the poor conditioning of our players has not contributed to the amount of injuries we have racked up. A match-fit Pienaar would be a very welcome addition to what we have now. Those who are criticising him now would do well to remember that.

Where have you heard that name before?

Probably on the motorway, when traffic is restricted to either one or two lanes, creating mayhem, and there is no sign of any work being done.

Not dissimilar to our form at the moment.

We did go there missing quite a few of our best players. We (well OFM anyway) used to go to OT and try to "get out of there alive". The man himself told us so. Did it make you proud when you heard him say that?

Martinez didn't use osmosis to force Baines to miss a pen; and unless you're sitting there reading this with tinfoil on your head, I think you'll agree with that.

De Gea certainly did put in a world class performance to deny us; Van Gaal told us so... and I'm not sure I can remember the last time the Man Utd goalie was MotM when we played them away.

Our attitude since Martinez arrived has generally been to go toe to toe with whoever we play, as opposed to "managing a result", and our historical results at Anfield, OT and against Chelsea and Arsenal have generally been poor, so two draws and two losses are probably about par for the course.

Anyway, I'm with Tony on this. Win or lose, I couldn't stand the previous regime's spineless attitude. We may be going through a bad patch, but at least we're giving it a go and actually trying to win.

A buddy of mine returned after nearly 12 months out with an ACL and it went again in his 2nd kickabout. Get fit soon Arouna, we could do with you right about now!

He’s spent years in the shadow of Ashley Cole, slowly catching him, breathing down his neck, clambering over his shoulder, pulling his kecks down and mooning him as he motors past and finally securing his place as England’s unquestioned first choice fullback. At this stage in his career, is he really going to want to put that at risk to start experimenting with learning a totally alien position, when there’s no guarantee’s it would work out or that he can seamlessly slip straight back to how things were before?

Has he actually made his Prem debut yet? I know he played a few friendlies...

Glad I have brought a bit of a chuckle to you, at times like this you have got to have a bit of a laugh, otherwise you would end up in tears.

Let's just hope we have more to cheer about after the International Break.

Great Business!

Jelavic had become like that with us. He just stopped scoring and didn't look like he'd ever get his shooting boots again. And how many times did he make those off-side runs down the channels. For me, it became very infuriating!

So on paper I think many on here would have taken Kone over Jelavic on paper had it not been for that injury. We don't know how many he'd have scored. So I guess I'm saying, it's all 'what ifs?' It's like the 'back to the future' analogy that John Daley put across so funnily

Looking at it this way, it's been like for like so far!

I always thought the deal involving Unsworth and Williamson was a little like spotting a girl at 10pm, noted and put in the memory bank, until it gets to 1:50am, beer googles on and it goes from Katie Price to Vincent Price, Vincent being Williamson.

Glen Keeley's worn the Everton shirt more than Kone.

Exactly. And why offer new contracts to Barkley and Coleman, if they’re just going to get injured?

Roberto should have just used his ability to see the future to predict the euromillions rollover numbers and revamp the entire squad.

Kone is a hard working player. Think Naismith, with a little less awareness but a lot more pace. He doesn’t score a bucket load but he trails defenders into places that they really don’t want to be, for players like Barkley, Mirallas and Coleman (all crocked) to exploit the space.

He must be gutted.

And, reading those quotes, heÂ’s fucked.

When we signed him I knew it was dead money because of his age. We got decent money for Vic and Jela (1 or 2 goals in a year?) as they were 27 or under. But I was hoping he would bring pace, depth and added options for the duration of his deal, even though I felt the signing was wrong.

But for it to turn out like this for him is awful. He could well be finished.

Moyes didn't get more bang for his buck at United did he? £27m for Fellaini or £28m for Lukaku? Even factoring in the current poor form of our front man, five years from now which do you think will look the wiser deal?

Moyes unearthed some bargains and rejuvenated the careers of players who, for whatever reason, had been written off elsewhere. There's no denying that, but he also bought his fair share of stinkers and quite often it was when he had more than a few quid to spend that he seemed to struggle.

He had 11 years for the good buys to stack up. Look at his earliest signings in his first few transfer windows: Richard Wright, Yobo (loan then permanent deal), Li Tie, Li Tie's mate, Rodrigo, Kevin Kilbane, James McFadden, Nigel Martyn, Francis fucking Jeffers (loan). With the exception of Martyn, none could be termed a complete success.

His signings became less 'miss' over time but a lot of his 'bargains' were brought about precisely because he didn't have more funds. If he did, there's no guarantee he wouldn't have wasted it like he did on players like Bily, Beattie, Kroldrup, Wright etc, or that he would still be snapping up low prices gems.

As for his early Everton buys, you have to remember where we were and the resources we had. Moyes had little money to spend and a team that had languished in the lower reaches. Even then I think the likes of Kilbane, McFadden, Yobo and Martyn in particular did good service for the club and pushed us up the table. The Chinese lads were a sponsorship tie in (good pun?).

I do think transfer buying and team building was one of Moyes stronger points though perhaps he was better at bargain hunting than the marquee signing. Still I feel he may have got more bang for his buck than Martinez seems to have so far. All useless speculation of course.

I really hope he proves me wrong.

For those saying that buying Kone was a mistake given his age, I think it is ridiculous – look at Mourinho going back to Drogba at 36 years or Pellegrini going for Lampard at 35 years, even though these two managers have access to bottomless pots of finance and could possibly buy any youngster worth tens of millions.

For that reason, it makes immense sense that Martinez bought Kone, Alcaraz, Eto'o and Barry at their ages and gave contract extensions to Distin, Osman & Hibbert. Only Distin's performance has dropped dramatically this year, but the jury is out on the others.

I don't think OFM was exactly a genius in this department but he certainly 'got more bang' than this geezer. I can't see BB trusting him with big bucks in the future. Neither should he.

He'll then have a period where he has to get over the psychological aspects of his injury as well as the physical ones (he'll be slower), adapt into a team he's never really played for (only watched from the sick bay window) and find match fitness, all at 30 something?

It doesn't look good, but in his favour Lukaku couldn't hit the Main Stand from the Winslow at the moment, so with the congested fixture list coming up he may get his chance.

Neither of the two players you mention are first choice at their clubs.

Also there is only one at each club, whereas you mention seven at EFC. Big difference.

He is another disaster signing from RM which many fans were against from the start due to his age, price and poor career record (except a single half-decent season with Wigan).

He also stated that the lad has always been the type to play through injuries so the pain must be quite severe. Not good news at all but fingers crossed.

But let's remember we have been here before with OFM. However, I do have the horrible feeling we "may" have blown a real opportunity this season and I still look back on that pre-season and what appeared to be complete lethargy from the management.

All supporters would want the club to show its class and be honourable in terms of respecting players and their contracts. It's only by doing things right will players in general hold the club in such high regard.

I know we paid a lot and I know he is paid more than most of us can dream of but no-one held a gun to the club's head, and in the tragic circumstances of the player's career possibly being curtailed, then insurance will come into play.

It's part and parcel of the risks inherent in the game and is sobering given that some players, unlike Kone, have their careers finished much earlier. I for one wish him well.

Since he has averaged 5 goals a season over the last seven years, he should be able to contribute 7-8 goals in the remaining 18 months of his contract before he walks out with three years wages.

This is a man who has probably been paid more in his "gap" year than I will earn the remainder of my working days.

Feel sorry for him? Christ!

It's not his fault he was injured (or is it?, the daft sod ran into the post) but it's a bit rich saying you feel sorry for him.

Also pleased to hear Naismith mention the lack of concentration because it means we'll be working on it. Players like Mata, Falcao and Di Maria being totally unmarked because defenders are fixated on the ball. This has to be sorted.

An outsider listening to Martinez talking about the form of his squad would think we had no injuries. This has to be admired. For many other managers, their injury list is the chief topic of conversation.

Personally, I have great faith in Martinez and it gets stronger by the minute. We're losing key players every week, are fighting on several fronts with a heavily patched-up squad but he never complains. I'll bet some of this patched-up squad are also carrying injuries.

Of course, the usual suspect, know-all TW hindsight merchants are revelling in the undeserved results but that's life. We all have our opinions. The knockers who didn't want Martinez are between a rock and a hard place. Do they want him to succeed or fail? Not a great spot to occupy if you're a true blue.

Spot on. I agree 100% – particularly with regard to Roberto. His clarity, optimism and foresight make him one of the best managers in the Premier League. We are lucky to have him.

In Kone, there is a very good player struggling to get out. He showed his worth in the Wigan 3-0 rout of us in the FA Cup.

My earlier post about his knee was simply about clarification. If the problem is not bone or ligaments, is it muscular? The "muscular fatigue" mentioned last season, apparently a debilitating condition, the recovery from which is a long haul?

Whatever, his determination and courage are to be admired. LetÂ’s hope he comes back soon and proves the doom and gloom merchants wrong.

Also, I feel the pre-season was really poor, including RM at the World Cup for so long, crappy teams we played, and piss poor results.

It all seems connected to not being properly fit and ready to face the new season. Hope we are a lot better prepared at the start of next season.

I agree completely and I myself voiced fears about pre-season, only to be told it's just a fitness exercise. Well... some use that turned out to be. Even two weeks ago, Martinez was saying some players had not yet reached full fitness, and the amount of time off given to the World Cup players (especially the ones that went out in the early stages) was ludicrous.

The players should have been at their peak from the minute the first ball was kicked in anger. Instead, they looked (and some still do) two yards off the pace and came off the pitch looking like they were about to have an asthma attack. I believe this is the reason we are picking up so many muscle injuries.

On a side note, it's been suggested Distin has had a falling out with the manager. For all his faults, most of us agree Distin has looked after himself very well over the years and has certainly done a great job holding back the years (I won't sing it!). Just a thought but maybe Distin doesn't agree with some of the methods used in training? And, with Stones now out, we could do with the Frenchman back... or suffer Alcaraz!

Pathetic attempt at summarising my points.

At the time, after I stated that a poor pre-season may lead to a poor start and more effort should be shown in pre-season games; other comments stated that pre-season games meant nothing. My take on that was results meant nothing but performance meant everything.

At this time, I am starting to agree that the lack of fitness shown by a number of players due to a poor pre-season preparation may be a factor in some of our injuries. The World Cup finished a couple of months ago so there is no reason or excuse to blame it on the level of fitness with some players.

You don't rate the guy which is obviously your right, but to jump in at a low point, like somehow it's case proven, is beyond ridiculous

It's been a tough start with few breaks going our way but if you want to see them, there are plenty of glimmers to keep the old chin up. But it's the wanting to see them I guess ...

Too intense a pre-season may cause injuries – who knows?

Did the preparation for the season cause injuries to Barkley, Coleman, McCarthy, Mirallas and Lukaku? Of course, injuries will lead to a lack of fitness. This may be the case with Lukaku. Not so much Pienaar, who is aging, and was never really known for his fitness.

McGeady has been unfit his whole career. Coleman is probably the fittest player in the league. Coleman is injured, McGeady is not.

We’ve finished on top at the end of our last 3 games. Maybe this proves we’re fitter than the opposition. Maybe we are less fit, and save our intensity for the last 10 mins.

Hope this has cleared things up! Lol...

Playing shite, and being shite, are two completely different things and to go on about the league table after seven games doesn't show a lot of common sense to me.

The man must be doing something right though, because not since Wayne Rooney burst on the scene, has Goodison Park witnessed so many sell outs.

Martinez is a such a stickler for small details it's hard to imagine him not having expert medical staff in place. The injuries are a mystery but that's the way it goes. Big Sam at West Ham has enough medical staff to fill a small hospital but there he was again last week, moaning about his depleted squad. The same with Van Gaal at Manchester United. Probably the highest paid medical staff in the football world and half the squad on the sick list.

I made similar remarks about the poor pre-season / lack of prep on GOT and was shot down in flames, in Bobby we believe etc. I was wary of the Martinez's pundit 'duties' during the World Cup (and Confederations Cup the previous summer). Martinez needs to be reminded where his prime responsibilities rest and until he's a proven world beater with EFC forget these extra curricular activities.

As someone who once aspired to be a professional sportsman and to this day constantly maintains that level of fitness, I can't believe how unfit and off the pace so many of the players are. You don't have to be medically qualified to know that a lack of professionalism (players) and / or a lack of professional management by the Club's coaching staff has contributed to the current spate of injuries.

As for Kone I can see him being an insurance write-off, assuming Bill paid the premium.

However, it was Lyndon who first alerted us to the somewhat dubious build-up to the season and there can be little doubt that its deficiencies have greatly contributed to the playing staff going down like flies as the season progresses.

Unless we have some miraculous recoveries and a dramatic improvement in fitness levels, we shall soon be down to the bare bones. And some of the fittest of the bunch will have to up their performance levels, too. The Villa game may well set the pattern for what we can expect to achieve this season. The early skirmishing has finished.

I love going to the match to watch my beloved Everton; however, I am not enjoying it much this season, or the back end of last season.

IÂ’m feeling quite anxious for the few days before we play, and havenÂ’t felt like that since the darkest days of the Moyes years.

I always felt that, if we really were in danger of being relegated, Mr Moyes would get us out of it... at the moment, I would NOT have that faith in the current management team.

Every year I have heard managers constantly say how important pre-season training is, yet with our manager preoccupied with the World Cup maybe he took his eye off the ball. Also I think managers need their time away from football, and maybe RM might have done better to take a holiday and forget about football for a couple of weeks. I know Ferguson always went to the South of France when the season finished and he said he needed to re-charge his batteries.

"I would say I am at 70 per cent now in terms of the pain I am still feeling — I have got a slight twinge of pain from the injury".

I could understand if he was lacking fitness having been out for so long but if he still has pain in the knee at this stage it's not looking good.

I hope I am wrong but I am beginning to think he will never make a full recovery

Les (#70) – you nailed it. We are so weak now and the risk to our future is massive. The Moyes effect has been eradicated and replaced by the laissez faire attitude of the incumbent (I can't even bring myself to type the incompetent's name).

As one put it, people having a go at Kone can fuck off. We are talking about a £6 million investment here, if you bought a car for say £5 grand, lovely looking car, only a couple of previous owners, smooth runner, got it home only to find out it's knackered, would you say "Awww... what a shame"? Or would you be thinking, "I've been swindled, give me my money back", whilst doing an impersonation of Basil Fawlty to the seller.

No-one is laying the blame solely on Kone, but even the Warren Commission would struggle to cover up as much as our club has on the Kone injury.

We've had everything from fasting on Ramadan, taking it easy on a four-week holiday away from pre-season – is it any wonder some of us are just a little frustrated?

'Confuscation' I think they call it – they must teach it at Manager' School!