Martinez not looking for striking reinforcements

He could be trying to keep Lukaku and (more probably) Kone sweet over the last couple of matches by not overtly advertising that he’s looking for fresh options but he clearly needs to change tack because the pair of them have one – ONE – goal from open play in the League in 2015.

What we need, as badly as we need a playmaker and another centre half, is a reliable striker to either take the burden off Lukaku or provide him with the competition he needs to stay focused. Relying on Naismith and Mirallas – the players "who can also play in that position" – has clearly not worked.

IÂ’ve no doubt he waits for these articles to appear, then logs on to enjoy the saltiness!

This fucka’s got to go.

No new striker almost certainly means though that thereÂ’s little or no chance of two up front next season. So much for being tactically flexible!

I canÂ’t wait for next season to watch Kone banging them in.

Who scores less than Bernie Wright? Kone
Who has no visible impact on any game? Kone
Who can’t shoot, head, run or pass? Kone

WeÂ’ve a small, aging squad, with issues at every position; but thereÂ’s no money. RM could come out and say that we need 6 or 7 new players, like he did last season, but the fact is that it is the same now as it was then; no money. He has to identify the the area with the most problems, and try to find a way to fix it.

One of RMÂ’s biggest faults is that he doesnÂ’t know when to shut up. HeÂ’s an intelligent man who ends up sounding like a fool, because he talks when perhaps he shouldnÂ’t.

Obviously it can’t be put down to a language issue. It’s either a joke or the guy is certifiable – think the latter!

Galloway for me. Browning looked good in cameos for the first team but what I have seen of the youth team Galloway looks better. I have no issue with not throwing money at what will be a 3rd choice striker... We have higher priorities and are not made of money.

I would like to know just where all this new money is going cos it sure ainÂ’t on the squad. The board must think we are all stupid!

So many people just canÂ’t wait to jump in feet first. LetÂ’s just wait and see who comes in before we all get in a right depression.

Laughing here!

Just how many games has Martinez won in the Premier League? Kenwright will wait till Xmas before getting rid, but thatÂ’s season 31 without winning the league. I fear that it will be 50 years before that happens.

If we arenÂ’t there already we will be a middle to lower table team for the foreseeable. Younger supporters will eventually drift off to the red shite. Still they wonÂ’t be bored with Bill’s yesteryear talk of the boys pen, cos there will be no one there.

If either manager said they were unlikely to make many signings, it often ended up being dead on. And in the last two Januaries when we were looking to the manager to follow through on a pledge to replace out-going players we get a crock in the form of Lacina Traore ("replacing" Jelavic) and a large basket of nothing last January to replace Samuel EtoÂ’o.

You can go all the way back to 2005 when it was obvious to everyone that we needed a reliable striker to help get us into the Champions League and one never materialised.

So, after this miserable season, I think you can forgive fans for wanting some crumb of evidence that the manager has a] identified the shortcomings in his squad (the change in rhetoric from needing a new keeper in January to not needing one now suggests he hasnÂ’t) and b] has the ambition to do something about it.

No-one is realistically asking for names of targets, but to categorically say heÂ’s not looking for another striker because he is happy with what he has is worrying. Either deflect the question or provide some incentive to those existing players to perform by admitting that, yes, I am looking to add depth.

Like I say, maybe heÂ’s trying not to ruffle any Belgian feathers by hinting at future competition up front.

Lowering expectations seems to be a large part of the job description.

Hopefully thereÂ’ll be another big name to come in.

You’ve seen yourself nothing is going to change with this clown and the board, so if those fans are happy to put up with the dross that is churned out from everything involved with the club (on and off the field) then sadly nothing will change. No chance of trophies, just the prospect of beating Manchester United or Liverpool once in a blue moon... if they arenÂ’t up for it.

ThatÂ’s the reality now sadly with our club. I honestly never thought the day would come that Billy Boy and his muppet in charge would kill my desire for my beloved Blues, but they have. I suppose you can say if you’re a true supporter, you put up with the bad times as well as the good. Well, thatÂ’s what this board prey on; they know we will put up with any shite they give us and we will still turn up for the next game.
I hope to god IÂ’m wrong, but I genuinely fear for whatÂ’s coming next season; alls I know is I wonÂ’t be there anymore.

We have dried up more strikers than I can keep count of and it is because we do not create enough chances.

Baines cannot bomb forward without a Pienaar to work with so that particular source of ammunition is unavailable.

RM keeping Bill on side by not spending cash. ItÂ’s called self-preservation mate.

Perhaps the players have also tired of the jam tomorrow situation and gave up before they even began this season. It will be very interesting to see how many season tickets have been sold by the end of the early bird period and whether we are once again restricted in the transfer market.

Undoubtedly the club will argue that we are moving forward as nobody of any significance left the club last summer and if they give Roberto circa 㾶-15m this summer they will see that as an improvement on what has happened in most of the previous decade.

The problem with that argument is that we were at a very low base to begin with and the need for reinforcements has been shown by the team’s performance this season with most of the Â’reliableÂ’ players approaching the twilight of their careers. Roberto obviously can choose to spend his budget on one creative midfielder or a number of players to fill the more obvious gaps in the squad, part of the responsibility for being in that position is RobertoÂ’s how he thought that bringing Alcaraz, Kone and Robles into Goodison before he had time to really assess the squad will always be a mystery to me, but perhaps that was the only way he could prise McCarthy from WhelanÂ’s grasp.

OH DEAR... itÂ’s onwards and downwards then.

Obviously the manager will have very little to spend until the inevitable big money sale and going by form that would be late in the day but I also get the impression Lukaku has to be the main man and Martinez must make him feel that way.

I was hoping we would sign Charlie Austin, both players have got a good strike record and it would of been interesting to see them compete to be top scorer.

I have already renewed my season ticket, I think, after going to Goodison for over 60 years, I just can’t stop. Despite this season being as bad as I can remember for being bored rigid watching the rubbish that RM is largely responsible for. Maybe you’re right; maybe if enough of us didnÂ’t renew, the board might be forced to sack him.

I think RM is lucky that, apart from a few boos at the end of some games, there hasnÂ’t been any demonstrations inside the ground, apart from the game were the fans let him know that the constant passing back and across was not what they were paying the money to watch.

Mind, having said all of that, he still has some supporters who think he is the right man to manage us. I cant see were they get that belief from but I hope to god that they are right and I am wrong; otherwise, next season in my view could be worse than this season.

People like you deserve a great deal more than youÂ’ve come to expect. Keep the faith, mate, and maybe... one day.

Yes, I know the reasons for lack of choice are largely financial but even Hull have four strikers ffs! If anything ever happens to Lukaku next season, who takes the lead role?

Kone? No chance. Mirallas? (will he even be here?), Naismith (good eye for goal but very limited player). Barkley? Never a forward in a million years. Long? (no experience), Henen (only on loan but ditto).

At least one other forward is essential. Surely thereÂ’s a Michu or Pellé out there? Why isnÂ’t Martinez tapping into the South American / Spanish market? They donÂ’t all cost 㿈m.

"We are trying to sell fuckinge season tickets and you’re giving the game away with the gullible ones before theyÂ’ve spent their cash!"

Please, Bill, get shut – he’s wearing me out by the day.

We should be doing our utmost to move on the four or five players in the final year of their contracts, promoting youth and attracting some quality Bosmans. If he canÂ’t see that, then he should go now.

Reading RMÂ’s words here, though, they could mean almost anything. We can only sit tight and pray.

Martinez should have been sent on his way after that Hull debacle on January 1st.

The mere fact heÂ’s talking Kone update, is he for real???

Also he states "We have other players who can play there." Who like Roberto lad? And if thatÂ’s the case, why not use these mystery strikers this season when weÂ’ve struggled??

My god I fucking despair at this club. It’s almost like we just think we are going to go with roughly the same group of ageing, injury-prone, not-good-enough players next season and it will all be okay...

It’s Everton FC all over, so it shouldnÂ’t surprise.

Maybe the rumours are true and he is genuinely ill.ThereÂ’s something not quite right about the whole bizarre situation. It must be affecting season ticket sales by now.

Lukaku is still young and inexperienced although he gets his goals and as a lot of bad games and then thereÂ’s Kone! We have Naismith and Mirallas who can play there but they’re not proper strikers!

IÂ’m baffled as to why he doesnÂ’t want to bring an out-and-out striker in to give Rom & Kone competition! Unless heÂ’s thinking of showing some faith in the likes of McAleny, Long & Henen?!

Even when you only play one upfront, you still need 3 strikers that are capable of coming in and doing a job and score some goals when needed... and we only have one!

Our biggest problem this season has not been the scoring of goals but the creation of chances. We desperately need a creative midfield player and that is the position for which I would prefer to spend our transfer funds.

Kone a threat? – ha!!

IÂ’m not sure you can really justify how "Long looks as good if not better than Harry Kane.."

Maybe if and when he starts playing AND scoring the goals Kane has, then perhaps you can justify this but you’re talking about Kane, a guy who scored a hat-trick against Chelsea mate!!

IÂ’m not sceptical over Long but we have been there before with Cadamarteri, Branch, etc etc...

Rooney was a 16-year-old freak of nature, letÂ’s be honest, and will never been seen again from a lad that age with the touch, pace, aggression and the end product.

He should have been with the first team squad throughout the season, coming on in 20 and 30 minute spells. There were quite a few opportunities for this to happen but the lad was left stagnating and learning nothing. If this is an example of Martinez giving youth a chance, then it is patently obvious he goes the wrong way to show it.

I still canÂ’t really square the comparative success of last season with the way we faded in the early part of this year. It doesnÂ’t seem to be one single thing, but you canÂ’t administer any medicine until youÂ’ve diagnosed the problem.

I hope Martinez is just being careful not to alert competitors of his targets, after all, you can normally take what he says with a pinch of salt.

However, we do need a centre half and a creative mid before anything else.

IÂ’d give Kone and Howard a free transfer. He has to spend and, as transfer budgets go, Kenwright has been one of the lowest spenders in the Premier League in the last 2 years. Okay, Lukaku cost 㿈M, but we got 㿇M for Fellaini, so there should be no excuses that we have no money in the kitty,

Saying that, those circumstances themselves mean we need a new striker for cover. However, no doubt money will be tight again at Goodison.

I personally hope Lukaku has a boss season and we can sting some daft fuckers for 㿔 mil to facilitate some squad re-building.

On the keepers, HowardÂ’s on a 4-year deal, gents. IÂ’d be surprised if he doesnÂ’t start the season. HeÂ’s still a good age for a keeper at 35 and he can recover; the previous season was his best. Make no mistake though, this season has been unacceptable.

Robles has shown he can play in the division. I would welcome an open competition for the Number 1 spot. Martinez has backed Howard to the hilt, he canÂ’t ask for more, it would be fair to say he owes him. If he displays anything near approaching this seasonÂ’s form... then drop him!

This has been a disastrous season for the Blues with as woeful an excuse for an offence as we have ever had and yet this man says we donÂ’t need a class addition to the striking department. What utter tripe. They have struggled in so many games even against so-called lower opposition that I was ashamed to watch sometimes.

Everyone agrees Kone is not up to Premier League status and the others, Mirallas not much better, along with Naismith, will offer nothing better next season. So, the question is who does help out a very limited Lukaku?

There is nobody coming through the ranks as far as we know so next season will almost certainly be more of the same huffing and puffing with the same old excuses every time points are lost.

This club is being taken to the dogs I am sad to say and it may just take something drastic to turn things around

Kone is 32 years old in November and have you seem his performances this season?

The likes of Kone, Pienaar, Osman, Barry, they are not going to get any better or quicker than they are now. Next season theyÂ’ll be even slower again, as will others like Gibson, Baines, Jags.

ItÂ’s blind faith or just stupidity to expect these types of players to do anything next season when they have failed dismally this season.

As Patrick says, BK will release 㾶M to 㾻M for the manager to spend this summer but would do better to use it to pay him up!

I am not saying Long will necessarily follow suit but at least he should be given the chance to show us what he can do in pre-season.

I am worried already for next season, itÂ’s like Smith or Walker are back. IÂ’m 34 now so I should be bloody used to it. Frigging hell. ThatÂ’s wound me right up.

The level of debt can be found in the annual accounts.

We had saved for 3 windows and 2 tv deals as well as the surplus from Fellaini and Anichebe minus McCarthy and all Roberto got was a pitiful 㿊 mil. He wanted 7 players but rightly prioritized a top class forward rather than the same mistakes we made for the last 2 decades of 㾶 mil failures. A normal window for Hull seen a 㿗 mil outlay.

We will get 㾻 mil this summer at most and considering Moyes for his last 3 seasons stopped looking at the future (who can blame him) except for the brilliant purchase of Stones, we have an ageing and decrepit squad whereby we need to look at starters before we can realistically consider squad competition.

We need at least one wide player, possibly two depending on how Roberto sees it, and a No 10 as Barkley seems likely to drop deeper.

If we then look at the squad with Alcaraz and Distin gone, we need a centre half, a goalkeeper, and perhaps a creative midfielder before a striker and then another right back.

Attacking-wise we have lacked guile, the creation of goals as well as scoring them. Sunderland was a key example with only Lukaku on the pitch then our 2nd and 3rd best chances of a goal were two defenders, Coleman and Jags. Added to that we havenÂ’t got that magician in the hole who can play that killer ball.

This game was symptomatic of our season with the shanks Of Barkley and Lennon and the backpass shots from Osman. We cant just rely on Lukaku for firepower. Dellboy must be a priority as we need goals and assists from all areas.

Lyndon you are of course correct in saying that to be Champions League contenders you need 3 quality strikers but we are way off that level. For instance Spurs worst player who struggled to make the bench for 3 successive managers comes into our squad and looks like one of our star players. I do think though the manager may on the quiet try to bring someone like Bamford on loan if possible but without the pressure of expectant fans and if we donÂ’t get we will make do with Kone.

Before people blame Martinez for not prioritizing a second striker; consider that Distin, Alcaraz, Ossie all need replacing with Pienaar soon to follow then 㾻 mil doesnt go a long way. The managerÂ’s policy of bringing in 3 quality additions seems sensible to me to address the areas of greatest urgency if not granting the immediate success we all crave for. ItÂ’s the chairman we need answers from.

KoneÂ’s finishing is suspect, but I have seen glimpses of his ability to do link-up play, and when played slightly deeper (rather than the main striker), he is more effective.

We sold Fellaini before buying Lukaku, thatÂ’s why thereÂ’s no money in the kitty.

WeÂ’ll have to sell to buy again this season too.

My strike rate was far superior to Arouna KoneÂ’s, regularly netting two or three penalties a season. Having supported Everton for 56 years, I think this could be a phenomenal time and a good moment for me to make my mark at my chosen club.

ps: I will bring my own walking stick, and my other needs are few, an oxygen mask and pitchside paramedics will do. There, not much to ask for, is it?

That is a great post mate.

Martinez said he wanted to bring 6-7 players last season. When Kenwright and the board didnÂ’t give him the transfer budget required Martinez got a lot of stick because he didnÂ’t bring 6-7 in.

Do some of our fans really believe ANY manager would make a statement that the squad needed that many reinforcements,and then make a decision not to buy them? The blame us with the board, not the manager.

I referred to Kone only. HeÂ’s had a career threatening knee injury. You donÂ’t just come back from that. I also said we need a new striker for cover because of this.

The other players, I know where you are coming from.

We have become a haven for long contracts for players in their late 20s to early 30s. We all agree on the Barry thing but heÂ’s here and needs to play less so when we get him we get the best of him.

Baines's 4-year deal is looking increasingly unwise. The way we do things if you get offered double figures for a 29-year-old left-back you take it. Ossie & Pienaar we know about, fading & very underrated and appreciated footballers both.

As for Jags I think he is still at the top of his game. Came back from the World Cup low on confidence and mentally as much as anything wasnÂ’t at it. Second half of this season, he has been one of our best players. The imminent task could be replacing Stones not him.

The squad is going to take a couple of seasons to turn over due to contract situations.

Be afraid fellow Evertonians be very afraid.

I'd run my arse off for a last big contract as well. HeÂ’s decent, but the wrong age, one dimensional & can only play on one side.

Just how long he needs to get over his injury is just an excuse that will be trotted out for his awful displays. Gibson has had some bad injuries but quickly found his form when he eventually returned to the team.

This looks like a combination of low budget and MartinezÂ’s regular attempts to sound smart and clever. Far better to tell everyone that weÂ’re constantly looking to improve the squad and leave it at that.

We need a decent playmaker who will create chances, score goals and let us know how good our current strikers really are. Then a centre back and keeper. Then and only then, at least another striker.

Or we could focus our thoughts on signing an unproven youngster in a position where we have two existing options. ...

The manager is correct about the priorities and that is finding a creative player in midfield. Strikers do not score unless they have chances and that has been proven over the past 20 years at this club. We have gone through more strikers than I can count and we have not had a top creative player in all that time. Arteta was the nearest and Osman has been our most recent.

The acquisition of a top midfield general is out biggest priority. The man with the most assists has been Baines and that is surely an indictment of our midfield. We need to spend big money in getting someone from somewhere who can see the Â’killerÂ’ pass and be able to beat his man. The nearest British players are Delph and Puncheon and apart from them they are all foreign.

We are a laughing stock, like Newcastle... Kenwright and Martinez should get out of our club now!

HeÂ’s feeding on scraps; by the time the ball eventually gets near him he has two or three big defenders in attendance. He looks dangerous when we play the ball to him early, which unfortunately is only rarely.

Our absolute priorities are: winger (personally we need two) and playmaker, this is obvious to all. We need pace, we quick passing and precise passing in the final third. Any money must be used for that, and if we only signed two players but they solved these issues (without sales) then I would be reasonably satisfied.

Secondary priorities: goalkeeper, as Howard is old and erratic. If the Howard of 2013-14 is here next season, we can afford to wait. If this seasonÂ’s Howard turns up, weÂ’re is trouble. Defender, Stones is a work in progress (much overhyped) but with great potential, but requires backup for when he loses form. Jagielka is getting on, and injuries are more regular (and longer) as you get older. We need at least one back up, maybe Galloway and some other youth can provide this. If so fantastic, more money for other areas.

Third priority: striking partner/competitor for Lukaku. Strikers need confidence and service, and Lukaku has lacked both all season. But if the team plays to his strengths (direct, fast attacks rather than pedestrian sideways passing) there is a beast of a striker there, someone with 30+ goals in him. But as always, backup is needed and Kone is shit.

Maybe McAleny or Long can step up as back up, is it really so difficult to imagine bringing through a 10-goal-a-season striker through the academy? Fact is, Austin is an average striker and will cost 㾶-15 million, and we canÂ’t afford that. Maybe we could loan someone, or find a Latin American gem for ٠ million, but a big maybe. My opinion: give youth a chance.

Fourth priority: general squad building: personally this should what we use the academy for. Youngsters to slowly take over from the old guys, with no pressure and with the old guys to tutor them. Ledson, Lundstram, Dowell, Green, Galloway, Grant and maybe one or two more. If they aint up to it, the older lads are there to step in, but maybe they are. Maybe they can become decent squad players despite not being wonderkids (we put too much pressure on young lads, expecting each one to be a Rooney, each one to be the next great hope) but lads who give their all and do a job. Fergie used this method at Man Utd, and it worked.

If he ticks those three boxes then IÂ’m ok to go it with Rom and Kone up top from the off and promote one of the youth strikers.

A lot of people on here take him at first glance and donÂ’t realise that these questions from the media are all potential grenades, unless you are at Man Utd or Man City you donÂ’t come out and say Â’yeah Kone can go and weÂ’re gonna bring in Cavani, Neymar and BentekeÂ’ it doesnÂ’t work like that.

If the right offer comes in, heÂ’ll change it. Relax.