Jagielka: Players must share the blame for poor results

He should be leading from the front but instead has been one of the biggest offenders of late. It's bewildering being Blue at the moment. Hard to see where the next win is going to come.

Well, you're the captain Phil. Get them fucking told and remind them of that fact when you're out out on the pitch,

There are times when critical advice or an encouraging pat on the back for a team mate is needed or sometimes a bit of a bollicking is best.

In your case there is no visible sign of anything like that.

Goodison will be edgy on Tuesday and if West Ham turn us over, which on the face of things they are more than capable of doing, then I really feel like that might be a turning point for the players' backing of the gaffer.

He MUST change tactics come Tuesday night and play a more physical and direct game, anything to get a result. He MUST stop talking garbage. He MUST show he is capable of tactics.

Understandably, players are told to play a certain way... but, for god's sake, we are just turning up at the moment. Gutless... clueless... you name it. I can go through the list of players that shouldn't be there... but, as Evertonians, we know who they are – pity the manager doesn't!

Yes, players are told to play the manager's way but even if you're not suited to that style, (and clearly ours aren't), there's no excuse not to give 100 %.

I am sick and tired of hearing Roberto come out with the same old shite... Don't praise your players for playing crap! Quick solution: sack Bob and his Wigan backroom staff... appoint Joe Royle and Duncan Ferguson till the end of the season. Get shut of this slow crab football, get back to basics, feed Lukaku balls he can run onto, give Barkley the freedom he wants... and we won't get involved with a relegation dogfight.

Under Bob, we certainly will!!!

I am trying to see how we are magically going to become a force again over the next 6 PL fixtures - West Ham is irrelevant for me, save that it might be the final nail. On any objective assessment, and with the present chronic underachievement, we are likely to lose most of them. That will put us in relegation trouble.

We don’t have the luxury of time and certainly we don’t have time for Jags’ mumblings, however well-intentioned.

Everton (4-2-3-1): Robles 5; Coleman 7, Alcaraz 3, Jagielka 4, Baines 3; Barry 3, Barkley 5; Besic 3 (Oviedo 46, 4), Naismith 4, Mirallas 3 (Lukaku 46, 4); Kone 4.

Is this really the level of performance that Evertonians can expect from this team regardless of the higher than usual expectations this season Jags?

If there is a team out there going through a patch, Everton are sure to accommodate them and give them an easy game and easy win. Just ask, Southampton, Stoke, Newcastle and Hull or even your local pub team. Everton are sure to please the opposition.

If you bothered to listen carefully to the last two post match interviews on EFC you hear his passion and his message.

Bad ref decisions, Individual errors and players not committing are a result of current form. If you play ANY competitive sport you'll know poor results ALWAYS impact the next game.

Golf on the first hole, you feel good, perfect day, new driver, inexplicably pull your t-shot, on the second T five over... How do you feel?

However, regarding his hope for a win in the Cup; no. Better we lose.

I find it hard to hope for a loss but there is a reason. Our great Club cannot be distracted by a Martinez cup run, just as Wigan were.

This time way back in 2012, Whelan told Wigan fans that he was Â’unafraid to sack MartinezÂ’. Then a Pyrrhic victory in the Cup distracted and destroyed them.

Let us instead look to our own glorious past for inspiration. Big Joe, taking over from sacked Walker in 94, focused on the Dogs of War and used the Cup to help save our team.

Like I said, I donÂ’t wish defeat easily but, after Hull, IÂ’m afraid Martinez has to go. For the future, letÂ’s remember our history and not let ourselves be distracted by MartinezÂ’s increasingly unrealistic patter.

The opposition scored a goal and it took the wind out of our sails. AKA we just rolled over and died. There is more deadwood in this side than in the Amazonian rain forests – the sooner a new manager comes in and starts chopping it away, the better.

I totally agree with your sentiments.

The players he's brought in? Jeez Wigan rejects! They should have sacked him last week and brought Tony Pulis in. At least he has fire in his belly and gets players playing for him. Martinez has destroyed Everton in 18 months! From being the most difficult team to play against and break down in years, to this?

I'm genuinely concerned for our club. I don't think they know which way to play anymore. I've never seen our defence pulled apart so badly in years. Yet he comes out with rubbish! Not 1 point over the festive period. It's not just a game it's business. Martinez is not the man to sort it. But this is just my opinion.

Patrick. He obviously failed to notice Coleman's pathetic attempt to stop the cross for their first goal. Real chicken hearted defending..

We need to get back to basics, but I fear that Martinez seems to genuinely not know what the basics of football are. He seems to think it is passing, whereas goals decide football games, not passes. We need to stop the other team scoring them, and we need to kick it in the goal ourselves. That's all. The most important way of doing this is through set pieces, and Martinez is on record as saying he doesn't think set pieces are important.

I'd say he has a few games to show he is capable of learning, adapting and improving, or I will become a resolute Martinez out person, something I will find extremely difficult, as I generally think getting rid of a manager is basically having to start again from scratch.

It's his refusal to adapt or change anything that is the most damning attribute it all.

Is he seriously going to carry on changing nothing!

Actually, Jags, I think things HAVE gone from hero to zero. Nobody believes this can now be turned around without a change of plan... except RM and BK of course.

The ability of the manager to correct this slide is at question here or are you as blind as him.

Every team gets its fair share of bad decisions.
What is your point exactly - that Mr Martinez is right?
I really am fed up listening to the rubbish our manager comes out with,so I don't!

If we are to believe what he says,we have a team of "phenomenal" footballers which we all know is utter rubbish.
The man is becoming a laughing stock within the media and it's NOT FUNNY.

It is one thing trying to protect your players in public,quite another to get them to do what needs to be done on the football pitch,and without doubt this is the big question that every fan wants to know.
Can this man change the teams style in order to get a result?

He deserves the chance to do so,but he MUST do it now.

As someone said to me last evening, 'Even Southampton lost four on the trot and just look at them now !'

With nice guys like Roberto and Phil at the helm, what are we worrying about ?

Spot on. It's a simple game. I've been saying for a while we just don't run about enough. Barry, Eto, Osman, their legs have gone. We don't compete in covering the ground.

We’ll beat West Ham – but only because Allardyce will send his 2nd team up. I hope!

2) People have said what about the best ever 72 points etc etc. He will get it back on track give him the time to do the job. They have been putting the cart before horse, why I hear you say, or not, but I'll tell you why I think so anyway.

When I was wearing my Mk I MOB uniform, I knew what I wanted, all I wanted was for OFM to take the shackles off, just a bit and let them play, it was after all our best squad since blah blah.

And that's exactly what happened, OSTBFM ( our soon to be former manager; free usage for all, it's Christmas ) came along, took the handbrake off, the abs, the traction control, all the computer controlled everything else that stops you killing yourself unless you are a Finn in a rally... trouble is we have no Finns in our team.

Switches examples, we are now Back to the future III, in Roberto's Philosophy, there are 2 options, you get to ( by passing the shit out of it ) 88mph or you crash into Martinez Canyon

Newsflash: we are not going to get to 88mph...game by game we ( well Barry and Alcarez ) are getting slower and slower.

Bill; How long are you going to let this train wreck ( in very slow motion ) go on.

note; got my MOB uniform back from the cleaners and it still fits.

Great Scott!

Barry too slow for midfield, playing alongside Alcaraz, in a back three? I was shocked at that, but even more shocked that we then proceeded to play a very high line. Fucking hell, for godsake, but isnÂ’t the reason you play with 3 centrebacks, is so that one can sweep the other two? Martinez, talked about going back to basics and then gave us that formation, with the wrong players again selected to play it.

Baffled and very worried is how most of us have brought the New Year in with regards to Everton. CanÂ’t you see that football is about momentum, and after stopping playing after a hour against QPR, we have carried that negativity right through Christmas. DonÂ’t give up on the Cup though, itÂ’s a chance to get some positivity into a very bad period.

If Bill gives him January, that means a caretaker will only have the same players. Change it now, let the new man bring in a couple of new faces to show what he wants to do.

As for a replacement, it has to be Joe Royle with Big Dunc. Royle knows whatÂ’s needed & hopefully Ferguson will drive some much needed passion in to the players if heÂ’s given a more influential role.

The club needs a massive clear-out between this month & the summer but with Martinez in charge I can see new contracts for the likes of Distin & Alcaraz.

ItÂ’s time to say goodbye to Martinez & his back room staff as well as Howard, Robles, Alcaraz, Distin, Barry, Pienaar, Gibson, Atsu, McGeady & EtoÂ’o. TheyÂ’re not the answer right now but the likes of Jones, Browning, Kenny, Galloway, Garbutt, Ledson, Lundstram, Green, Dowell, McAleny, Long & Henen need more introduction in to the squad.

For those wanting more time for RM to turn this around, just think it is one more game towards the brink and less time for a worthy replacement to fix it before it is too late - if it isn't too late already!

But there is a core of players who can drive Everton forward, if they can just pass accurately and make more crosses into the box that find their own players. They are Coleman, Browning, Garbutt, McCarthy, Besic, Lukaku, Stones, Mirallas, Ledson, Barkley and Oviedo.

And whoever is the manager has to find a commanding centre half and goal keeper, a couple of good wingers who can cross the ball consistently and accurately into the box and a back up striker to take the weight and responsibility off Lukaku's shoulders. A big ask, but Everton should use this time of desperation to rebuild.

Someone has to get downright nasty with this lot now and sort them out by Tuesday. Defeat to West Ham followed by humiliation against City and Roberto could be gone. I have always liked him but it is so clear that our style of play has been rumbled that it beggars belief that he won't change and send a team out to fight for their lives. Tippy tappy only worked for Barcelona because they had Iniesta and Xavi creating space and Messi who moved into that space to score goals. We don't have anyone remotely in that class so surely we must adapt our style accordingly? This is just common sense - Joe played dogs of war because he didn't have creativity in midfield and it worked. Moyes got his teams super-fit to outwork all but the very top teams because for most of his time here he didn't have the players to outplay the opposition. We don't have the players to retain possession and create chances and they give away possession and goals to teams who just press us and wait for the mistakes to happen so please Roberto use some common sense and adapt your game..........now!!!!!

For the first time since OFM, I lay awake, unable to sleep, worrying about the spectre of relegation... let me say that again: RELEGATION! in 2015!!!! I cannot believe the board or the fans will allow us to lose our last remaining sense of pride... our stay in the top flight of football.

I am not a ’hater’ or a miserabilist, I take absolutely no joy in the current predicament and wish with all my heart I was disappointed about a mediocre midtable performance but we are in mortal danger – and if anyone thinks I’m being melodramatic, remember Leeds, Blackburn, Newcastle and Man City, Notts Forest all went down in the Premier League era....(some lesser clubs than ours to be sure) but all clubs whose fans believed that relegation was unlikely.

If Bill and RM think this is a ’mini slump’ and we’ll kick on and come out of this continuing in the same way, then they are deluded... Where is the fight, the passion the communal, club-wise belief??? And I include the many thousands of ’awayday blues’ who travel away at enormous cost and also our amazing home support — how many of us believe we have the nous under the current regime and circumstances?

I am preparing my little lad for the inevitable already... as if I hadn’t already cursed him enough with passing on the tradition of supporting this club and a mad passion for the blues whilst growing up down here in Manc/Villa/Shite land and him the only bluenose in his secondary school....

Act now, Bill, or we are surely down.

A big red flag for me is the amount of veterans another year older. Howard, Distin and Alcaraz should not be in the side. The former 2 should not have been offered new contracts. I can understand it to a certain extent with Ossie and Hibbo because they're Everton through and through and I've been please with Hibbert this season and Osman can still make a valid contribution when played in the centre and for 50-60 mins. Also if it is to be believed that Distin has become a voice of dissent in the dressing room he needs to go with immediate effect. I feel like I am becoming Paul Dark – like in my criticism of Distin but he has not had one good game for the whole of the season and must be put out to pasture.

With someone like the Danish kid from Lille or Winston Read coming in as a replacement. This window is crucial for Martinez because if BK isn't going to back him with funding then there's no point him continuing.

I know it's going to be unpopular on here, but I'd sell Coleman if a large bid in the region of 㿅-30million came in. We could immediately buy Delboy and Montoya from Barca (a ready made replacement) and still buy Some one like Winston Read and a new goalkeeper. I'm a massive Coleman fan, but as I say. We need to bring in at least four players and get rid of the dead wood in Howard, Distin, Alcaraz, Gibson and Pienaar. I could go on with another four names but these are the biggest concern for me. Thankfully the two lumbering defenders are out of contract anyway in the summer.

Regardless of Martinez staying or going. The above need to go so we can bring down the age of the squad with some useful additions. I can't see Bill finding another 㿈M down the sofa. So someone needs to go for the greater good, probably Martinez, but if BK doesn't give him the chop we need to bring in some players ASAP if we have any chance of staying up under the current regime.

The more I read the more I get angry. I feel for you really die-hard fans. For me as an 11-year-old in the early 70s, I switched off from being born a blue. Then, out of the blue (no pun intended), my next door neighbour asked me to go to a match. That was in 1995... the love affair started again.

Now IÂ’m 54, dying of cancer, with no fucking hope of ever seeing the glory days again. Our captain is a shithouse like most of the fuckers wearing the blue shirt.

As for our captain, its all pish. Money can make you do a lot of things, PG has his price with EFC, I will be very surprised if we donÂ’t go down to a May showdown relegation. Hope youÂ’re around to see it. All the best.

My very best wishes to you!

I would love the fans next week to shout one thing, continuously: "FIGHT. FIGHT. FIGHT."

Turning to less important matters, Bill and the board will have to do something if the present malaise is no better by late January. Either get rid of Martinez, which I doubt will happen, or actually put their hands in their pockets and invest to maintain our PL membership. We have no divine right to be there; bigger clubs than us have been relegated.

The whole football world (apart from Martinez) is agreed what we need - a better defence, which means a proper CB and a PL- quality goalie. Also a defensive coach, as they are getting no help from Martinez.

In the meantime Jagielka needs to grow a pair, start demanding more effort from his team-mates and reminding them that they need to earn the right to play, as the saying goes

ToffeeWeb is part of my fight, so once again, thanks. IÂ’m hoping to be back in Liverpool sometime this year, a visit to Goodison Park is on, I want to be part of the famous Goodison roar like it was in the 80s.

I too love the humour, the wit, the anger, the love and the passion.
I'm a big fan of courage too and you have it in spades fella.

Good luck with your battle.

All the best with the battle... if the sentiments of love and sense of heartfelt support is anything to go by, TW should give you a boost!

Also a genuine thank you for the much needed sense of perspective. I need to get out more often!

Wishing you well in your fight....

Anyway, all that aside, Kenwright has to act ASAP because the Spaniard might not realise it but this is serious – with a capital S! I don’t know who could save us.

I see Big JoeÂ’s name being touted with Duncan Ferguson alongside him but isnÂ’t the big fella part of the first team staff now? I mean heÂ’s hardly helped our strikers up to now, has he?

Maybe Royle could shake things up until the end of the season... who knows... but the game has moved on considerably since he last managed. I mean a Dogs of War style mightnÂ’t work given the way refs throw cards around like confetti WeÂ’d end up with 9 men every game!

The frustrating thing is us fans and the majority of pundits know the Spaniard has to mix it up and, as one poster said earlier, pack the midfield out, keep things tight, and scrape a couple of 1-0 wins. Admirable words and I couldnÂ’t agree more but we all know this stubborn fucker wouldnÂ’t in a million years listen to us because weÂ’re only the gobshites who put our hands in our pockets every week... Oh no, itÂ’s my way or the highway.

Personally I wouldnÂ’t bat an eyelid if we lost to West Ham... itÂ’s the Man City game IÂ’m worried about. We all know weÂ’ll lose that... so to the board: when does it constitute a crisis? As my mate put it earlier, "What do they want? Another Newcastle situation where they sacked the manager with 8 games left, then brought in Shearer when it was far far too late?" Please god, act know, because I am cacking myself.

"Everton, inspired by their fans with 'fight' in their bellies!"

We are all behind Everton together (despite our different views) - and we are all behind you, mate.

God bless you!