Any chance of a sub, Roberto?

Everton will be really kicking themselves they haven't picked up an extra four points from the last two league games. We really are only two/three players short of being a very very good team. We penned Palace back for most of the second half in a patient, almost suffocating sought of way, and credit for not going route one with five minutes left.

Once again though, I take umbrage at the misuse of substitutes by the manager. I'm all for easing Baines back into the side, but not when Bolasie is causing havoc down both wings; what was he thinking of?

Also, the perennial problem of the No 10 shirt? I thought Kone was probably our poorest player tonight, don't think he offered Lukaku an awful lot of support during the ninety minutes.

Would it have altered things to give Mirallas a run out for the last 20 minutes?

Overall though, really impressed with Everton against a strong resolute team, who were on the back foot for most of the game.

That being said, we'll now never know what sort of impact a Mirallas or a Lennon substitution may have made today. Sometimes you just have to roll the dice.

'Palace were set up to stop Lukaku as there is no other goal threat. Barkley played well enough but does not score often enough to be a top attacking midfielder. Our 2nd most prolific scorer was sat on the bench again. Mirallas must be brought on at the hour mark or shortly after, as both Kone and latterly Deulofeu were showing obvious fatigue.

Bournemouth were allowed to attack us with impunity, when bringing on Mirallas would have stopped their full back attacking so freely. Kevin must have really p....d off Martinez as he is definitely a better goal threat than anyone else on our books.

The whole game is about scoring goals and stopping opponents. We have too many non-scorers in the present squad.

My opinion on the subs thing is that, whilst Martinez has definitely been guilty of prevaricating over subs over the past year, last night I didn't feel they were needed. We were playing well and pressurising right to the end.

Meanwhile, our Roberto is like a statue, an island unto himself, aloof and distant from any possibility of advice from his coaching panel.

Have to take issue with your ratings though.

I thought John Stones was real class last night and definitely worth an 8 closely followed by Coleman, Barkley and Lukaku.

I think Funes Mori and Galloway have both struggled a little bit in the last couple of games and am looking forward to a Jags and Baines return to solidify the back 4.

Each time I look at the bench, it is always Graham Jones whispering in the manager's ear when it comes to substitutions; where is Martinez's tactical acumen? He never reacts to situations, indeed he isn't proactive to situations before they develop.

I believe his naïvety and lack of tactical nouse has cost us 4 points in the last 2 games.

This season, however, it's the complete opposite. He's far too hesitant and has slipped into a Moyes-like conservatism where he's unable to change a game or simply doesn't want to. It was blatantly obvious that Mirallas coming on for Kone was needed, but he didn't act.

Whether our phenomenal passing sends him into a tiki-taka trance causing him to become so engrossed in the game that he forgets that he's the manager, or whether he is simply unable to change a game, it's concerning because each dropped point is costly, especially when the league is as close as it is. We desperately need to find some consistency.

Now, whatever the situation with him and Mirallas is, he is still a player who has the ability to change a game. Or he had Lennon as another option. He is fast becoming the most pointless signing ever. Has he done anything of any note other than getting into that 12 shades calendar? I can't think of anything.

Norwich is a must-win game. We cannot afford to drop any more points in what are winnable games, especially with the games we have to come in January. 5 wins in 15 so far, which is only one more than a Chelsea side having a dreadful start so far.

We should be capitalising on any poor results by the top sides. Man Utd are toothless, Liverpool are still inconsistent and Man City without Kompany are shambolic. Top 4 is there for the taking. It's an open invitation.

We should be in the top 4 now. We aren't because Roberto's loyalty to Howard – who would have been dropped months ago by any decent manager – has cost us several points, and our leaky defence and inability to defend crosses or set pieces which he has repeatedly said we will 'learn from', has also proved costly.

The same old mistakes and poor decision making by Martinez are holding back this squad's progression. Hopefully in May we don't look back at games like Swansea, Bournemouth, Palace and others and think about what night have been.

Dick points out the solitary nature of our leader. What does he think his separation says about his fellow coaches?

Behind Roberto's apparent amiable persona, there lurks a controlling, stubborn figure. Mirallas must have got on his wrong side, as must have Naismith. A while back, Naismith was used everywhere rather than specialists in various departments.

This reluctance to sub is costing us, and by the end of the season it will cost us European football, as I am convinced that we will have simply drawn too many games to get the points needed.

He has already said (for what it is worth) not to expect any new faces in January, but will Kev and Nais want to warm the bench for the rest of the season?

And Paul asks why was Lennon signed? Good question.

Baines looked fat, scruffy and unfit. Looked like he didn't deserve an outing.

Everyone on the pitch was knackered late on so the totally legless ones didn't stand out too much. Mirallas for Kone would have made a difference.

It looks to me like he has joined KM in the attitude-problem ranks and is serving no useful purpose for us until such time as GD runs out of steam.

I thought the idea to play Baines was to generate some pressure from the left flank as well. We were very one-dimensional with most actions going through Geri.

I am a big fan of Mirallas and think we are really well off if we can afford to have him as a substitute. But I was not screaming for him to substitute Kone.

Given the way we played, I would have liked to have Naismith in the box. Geri put in so many crosses and got no return. Naismith in the box with Lukaku for the last 20 minutes would have been a good sub. He could have replaced Cleverley who had played really well but looked a bit tired in the end. Then moved Barkley a bit further back and Naismith just behind Lukaku.

Yes, he has got it right against West Brom; and yes, he made some great calls in his first season... but it's all about the here and now.

Successful league managers take gambles, especially during home matches, and Roberto does not.

Look at Man Utd during Fergie's last few title wins... he had average teams that he forced over the line by being bold. The games where Man Utd finished with 4-5 striking options on a pitch with only 2 defenders are uncountable.

Martinez will simply not change his set-up and is too slow to do his subs. Games where we are playing at home vs 10 men behind a ball are screaming out for a defensive midfielders or a defender to be replaced by a goal threat.

Against Palace, we had Mirallas and Naismith both on the bench, both capable of grabbing us a goal and in turn a vital points boost.

Mirallas was a must on Monday and Martinez was either to stubborn or too stupid to see it; either way, he leaves a question mark over whether he is a good enough manager to push us into the top 4 positions.

Mirallis hates the right wing spot. For him it has to be centre or left , where he can cut in and shoot with his powerful right foot.

Lennon may also be used in the role McGeady couldn't quite manage. Chasing down fast opposition left side subs. He did it successfully last season when he also picked us up by the bootstraps and got us moving forward with some purpose. Don't write this lad off. We'll be needing him.

That said, one or two of his intelligent crisp accurate passes made me purr with delight. The kind of real professional passes we haven't seen for such a long long time. My goodness, that lad knows how to strike a football. Get fit Bainsey boy. I can't wait to see you at your best again.