Martinez coy as reports hint at imminent Eto'o departure

Just why didnÂ’t Bobby M think of that earlier??

I think itÂ’s ridiculous to get rid of him at this point.

Thanks.

Such a fantastic player... is he really over the hill and far away? Does that explain why he did not really click at Everton (apart from some all-too-fleeting cameos)?

Hardly, if Sampdoria are taking him onboard. Although you could perhaps argue his waning silky skills will find an easier playing field in Italy than the... *cough*... Â’cut and thrustÂ’ of the Premier League.

If he really did fall out with Martinez over tactics or footballing Â’philosophyÂ’, that is very worrying... although no more so than the many conversations and hair-tearing weÂ’ve had on here these past weeks as we all struggle to come to terms with EvertonÂ’s horrendous current form / little mid-season blip [delete as appropriate].

IÂ’m deeply saddened for what this says about Everton if it goes through and he goes on to play a significant part in the rest of the Italian league season. What was a tremendous feather in our cap will have been turned completely upside down... and I canÂ’t banish the strong suspicion that the main fault lies with Martinez and his self-confessed intransigence.

I couldnÂ’t believe our luck to get in such a seasoned world class pro; the fact he leaves 4 months later is an embarrassment of the highest order.

HeÂ’s got a cracking long term deal with more once he retires by all accounts, so he is sorted, and letÂ’s hope an upturn in attitude from some of our lads follows, as IÂ’m sure we are seeing already.

I’d keep him for Europa challenge... 1-0 down in the semi-final –who shall we bring on? Samuel Eto’o or Conor McAleny!?!

Now it looks like he is leaving on Monday and RM is still saying "the enquiries are only tentative we will decide what is best for EFC and Sam over the next few weeks".

It would do him better to stop riding the bulls and get a fucking keeper sorted out and Atsu, EtoÂ’o replacements.

IÂ’m wondering if thatÂ’s why we are waiting to offload so that no prospective signings are put off by negative vibes.

IÂ’m guessing Cahill was tongue in cheek but if this change in approach over last 3 games doesnÂ’t start yielding WINS I would see how heÂ’s fixed!

ItÂ’s just a hunch, but I donÂ’t think Eto is the man for the moment in the situation we find ourselves in. Grafting ainÂ’t in his footballing blood.

Not that I think it matters in terms of PR because it doesnÂ’t reflect terribly well on us either way. But if, as is rumoured, EtoÂ’o was doing the player-manager act and undermining Martinez, then heÂ’s better off out.

Shame if EtoÂ’o goes but I would rather have people at the club who want to be here. Not just going through motions. Played in the right position he could be useful. Like many players.

But if I were him I would be wanting to play more as well.

IÂ’m sure as has been mentioned already he will shout his mouth off at why heÂ’s left (IÂ’ve got no reason to think he will stay) but if it gets us back to having a fighting spirit and results turn around for the better then I for one will be asking EtoÂ’o who!!

He was once but not for some time now. True, the last vestiges of lingering class might still be visible within that creaking body, but what exactly has his effect on the side been thus far?

When you take his stellar reputation out of the equation, his good standing with EvertonianÂ’s rests solely on a couple of goals against Burnley. The rest of the time heÂ’s spent coming back to the halfway line to collect the ball, only to give it away, before doing the exact same thing again.

Talk about living off your past achievements. ItÂ’s almost like people were desperate to love him before heÂ’d even done anything in a blue shirt because a once world class player turning up at Everton lent some legitimacy to their claims that we still deserve to be considered a Â’big clubÂ’.

He showed at Chelsea he couldnÂ’t cut it in the Premier League beyond a couple of brief cameos. He was off giving it the big Â’I amÂ’ in Russia prior to that. He hasnÂ’t been a top player since his primary weapon of pace said toodle-oo EtoÂ’o.

"If he really did fall out with Martinez over tactics or footballing Â’philosophyÂ’, that is very worrying"

Firstly, thereÂ’s no real evidence there has been a falling out and, even if there has, the fault may not lie with the manager. EtoÂ’o has long had a reputation as a bit of a rabble rouser and something of a selfish twat. His problem may not be with the manager’s Â’tactics or footballing philosophyÂ’, but more with the fact that heÂ’s not crucial to those tactics or a fundamental factor in said philosophy.

Rather than focus on his past reputation as a top class player and take that as evidence that heÂ’s beyond reproach, why not take into consideration his well documented past showings of camaraderie and professional character?

He fell out with Pep Guardiola at Barcelona, calling him a coward and saying he refused to listen to anything he said. Why?According to the man himself: "Pep wanted to give me lessons on how to be a striker, but he was a midfielder". Yeah, but now heÂ’s your fucking manager, big shot.

He flat out refused to come on as a sub in a game when Frank Rijkaard was in charge and earnt criticism from Ronaldinho, who publicly stated that EtoÂ’o never put the team first.

He fell out with his international boss Javier Clemente, and in his role as captain of Cameroon got one of his own teammates (Alex Song) fined by complaining that he had the temerity to refuse to shake his hand.

At Inter he again fell out with his coach, Gian Piero Gasperini.

At Chelsea he publicly complained about his teammates and his lack of playing time and then fell out with Mourinho when he made a joke about his age.

What does that leave? His time at Anzhi? This is what his Â’good friendÂ’ Roberto Carlos had to say about SammyÂ’s attitude:

"IÂ’ve known Eto’o since he was 16. He’s a good person and IÂ’ve always liked him, but he always thinks of himself, not the group... He did everything at Anzhi, except play football.

"There were a few small problems in the dressing room with the arrival of Eto’o, which were resolved. His signing had to be explained to several players.

"Then there came a point when Samuel wanted to interfere in my work. He wanted to control the club, taking my place and that of the coach, Guus Hiddink."

Is it really mere coincidence that there was never any hint of dressing room unrest until a fully fledged diva arrived in their midst?

Managers lie to the press during transfer season. ItÂ’s not personal, itÂ’s doing business.

Yours sincerely,
Captain Obvious

Just you wait until we win the fair play league and start our season first week in July. Then youÂ’ll see how boss we are.

His problem, apparently, is not with Martinez and the club but with the attitude of some of his fellow players. As many have said, this is a guy with a winning mentality.

That style has been implemented by the manager. Other teams have had no problem defending against it. The level of play amongst our players has dropped across the board. Coleman, Baines, Jagielka, Barkley, Stones have all gone backward this season.

We never got to see what Samuel could do for us because the manager refused to play him, and when he was in the game he put him in midfield. A midfield thatÂ’s often crowded with Barkley and Naismith already trying to fill that central midfield position.

Only one thing left to do is wait for more info and how this progresses, if Samuel gets to say something and just get on with getting proper reinforcement to the team.

She may only have just actually got married to him, and lives in Italy, and the selfish money grabber is living the life of Riley in Walton, whilst sheÂ’s out shopping, but she deffo can spot a shite winger. No doubt.

Will be asking them to change it if he defo goes, still got my receipt, not sure what the policy is but know there is some disclaimer online but I bought it in town. If they will change it I’d best tell my lad to steer clear from Coleman or Mirallas as dosen’t look like he’ll get much mileage from them either.

They make stories up all the time, so no wonder Roberto spouts so much crap. I suspect that he is weeding out undesirables, but we will be the last ones to know .

Roberto has tried to keep Eto involved, and has had to play him in the wrong places,to keep him involved, and perhaps this is one of the reasons we have all been moaning about players playing out of position.
Let us hope that if Eto goes, we may see Del Boy at John Lennon soon.

Keep an eye on BobbyÂ’s brown shoes, they might be a shade darker after the weekend.

I just hope the team gets the right result no matter what the performance.

Please tell me he din’t earn that?

Go! Good riddance! One more embarrassing little vignette in our otherwise pedigreed history. I didnÂ’t want him in the first place. Was a tad embarrassed by the hallelujahs when he signed on the dotted line. Get him out of here and as Phil suggests it might mean weÂ’ll have fewer number 9s and 10s on the pitch.

And make sure to ignore EtoÂ’os barbed wire sentences in his ghost written autobio about his little Everton cameo.

Whatever way you look at it, it looks poor. A strange signing in a strange season.

Plenty of other things to criticise him for.

We are crying out for some cutting edge out wide with Alexandersson (McGeady) and Oster (Atsu) just not up to it, and Pienaar competiting with Barry and Gibson on the mobility stakes.

Relying on a fit-looking Kone is a gamble, but it looks the right idea to cash in, and bring some one decent on loan. I just hope it isn't of the ilk of Maloney or Lennon.

Take the Distin affair this season. I heard everything from disagreements with other players to Distin throwing bottles at Bob's house in the middle of the night. We do not need to know everything. We will probably hear about it later from the over-the-top Eto'o. But by then he will be long forgotten. Bring on Kone, I say!

It was a gamble that hasn't really worked and people blaming the manager yet again, should stop and think. To quote a line from a Fleetwood Mac classic, players only love you when there playing. So why wouldn't they fall out?

If you've not read The Nowhere Men about football's scouts, you should. It's an absolute education and at the end I seriously questioned why I still bother with the game at professional level. And my jury is still out.

We who have played the game have all come across the 'big head', 'the know it all' who gets on everyone's wick. No one wants that player in their team, they want a united unit who play for each other. That's why I groan whenever we buy an older player because you just know that they are going to bring a lot of baggage with them.

Martinez needs to get rid of all these older players in the summer and bring in hungry young players or play the kids we already have. I say no room for the 'world weary' at Everton!

South Korea got some useful players. Young fit energetic skilful and won 1-0. Aussies a rabble. Well worked goal was pure football delight.

His family live in sunny Italy, where the top level game is a lot less physically demanding and they play less often, better for a player in his later thirties. From RM's point of view, he probably is good mates with him and feels a bit guilty and this reduces his wages bill, maybe gives him budget for a new signing.

As for the knockers, now listen here whacks, this guy was the bees knees and he must have been pissed off with our rubbish midfield service to him and having to run all over the pitch in search of the ball. He's a top skilled striker who works his magic in and around the box and we did not give him service whenever he played. Good luck to him, I say...

Makes a bit of a mockery of the whole "We'll decide in the next two weeks" thing from Martinez.

The guy is 100% going, if not already gone, so just admit it and move on rather than trying to play as if the club is somehow in control. Supposedly he's in Italy on Monday for his medical!

If Eto’o barking at other players because he sees the same thing fans do regarding effort and in some cases (Besic and McGeady, lack of EPL talent but plenty of wasted effort) then given where he played and what he accomplished perhaps this is a point against the manager. If RM can’t control the dressing room then again, it is a point against the manager. Maybe RM has to get rid of him since Eto’o has accomplished more than RM except for that relegation trick.

Love the comments about him being out of position and coming all the way back past midfield to try to get the ball as a fault given that Mirallas and Barkley get blasted for not coming back. This sounds to me like a guy who is willing to try a different spot and to give it a try even if he isn’t quite comfortable there (Rooney anyone?)

As for his abilities, even with his best days behind him (BTW pace or lack of it on this team with RM’s painfully slow build-up is a non-factor but I did watch Eto’o blow by several defenders in his first three appearances), I doubt that anyone on the squad except Pienaar can do what he does with the ball. Problem is that none of the other guys expect what he is doing so he ends up drawing two or three guys in the box and not being able to make that little 4 foot to five foot pass in the box to a teammate or not receiving the ball as he takes two steps to an open position.

Everton simply doesn’t have that quality of player so his adjustment period would be at least this season if he was remaining on the squad. However, if our manager was honest he would say that he was freeing up the roster spot just in case another Wigan player becomes available.

The problem at our club is the manager.

I''m going to call Roberto "Comical Bob" from now on having listened to the utter claptrap he spouts when in front of camera.

Reporter: So Roberto, is Eto'o leaving Everton?
Comical Bob : No, we'll make a decision in the next fortnight, he's staying, big day at training tomorrow.
Reporter : He's agreed a 2.5 year deal at Sampdoria and is on his way to the airport Roberto
Comical Bob : Know nothing about it, he's staying, he's in a pivotal stage of a phenomonal lunch.

(Seconds later camera switches to John Lennon Airport and Sammy is getting on the plane to be re-united with his wife in Italy to a catcall of "Arrivederci Sammy"!...meanwhile back at the club press conference...Comical Bob asserts that Sammy is indeed part of his plans for the pivotal training match the next day...

It hasn't worked so get rid and release what would have been his wages to bring someone else in.

The squad has far too many old players who are not contributing so hopefully he will be the first of a few to go over the next seven months or so.

Great post John Daley - he is unlikely to have changed since his younger days and it does seem very significant that rumours of dressing room problems have only started since he arrived.

Never an embarrassment to try and fail provided action is taken to redress the failure - well done Roberto.

I do a fair bit of work with managers footballers and agents and rumours are spread by all and sundry to suit a particular purpose. Always look behind what is being said and most of the time you will eventually spot the reason for it, and no one will speak openly and truthfully about transfers in advance for obvious reasons. Never take anything as gospel until it actually becomes gospel truth - it's the way it all works!

I thought he was on around 55k/week with a pay as you play clause attached.

Home is where the heart is and it seems that home for Eto'o is Italy. Good luck to him. Great goal against Chelsea, showed passion on the field and was always talking to the younger players like Barry and Jags (Distin is a bit older than him, I think).

I think he'll do well with the slower place in Italy.

Let's be honest he wouldn't be the first player to go into a club and give it the big ones trying to run the show. But nah, it's all because Eto'o is a top manager in waiting and Roberto Martinez is a clown.

I hope BK and Elstone are impressed with how carefully Roberto spends Everton's money.