Martinez hints at adding a striker to his shopping list

A Manchester United contact of mine mentioned a possible deal for Stones is in discussion, with Evans plus cash and one of Januzaj/Hernandez on loan for the season. I would take the deal if all 3 are on offer, although I am not too keen on Evans, the other 2 would cover major area's needed in the first 11.

I don't see there being any chance we can fill those 3 positions with decent players unless we sell someone. Or unless there are some top notch loans to be had....

Perhaps the best we could hope for are:

Hernandez (loan)
Lennon (loan)
Sergi Roberto (loan)
Van Dijk (٦m)

Something along those lines would make me feel a bit better.

We need a goal scorer that's for sure... dare I say it... an Ian Rush. Martinez is the problem, he just won't play a style that suits the players anyway.

I don't really have faith in his scouting system either. No vision. No plan. No strategy. No brains. Unwitting transparency.

We are less than a week from the start of the season and he has only just recognized we need a support for Romelu; clearly Kone isn't that man. You let 2 central defenders go and only just recognize we need replacements.

Worrying times, Blues

Just not who, which seems to go against what was said early preseason.

Most supporters recognized over 12 months ago that we needed more firepower so why does the manager take to the start of the new season to come to the same conclusion?

Dzeko has just gone for £14 million and would have given us a different dimension to Lukaku.

I agree I'd take them three Man Utd players, that would improve the squad but there's little chance of it happening.

I liked Lennon, he gave us speed and width, something sadly missing in the pre-season matches, and his goals virtually kept us up.

Maybe the penny has dropped about Kone and we get a desperately needed new striker, fingers crossed.

The board and commercial management of the club is the problem. It's a joke and the manager doesn't get funded properly. Do you really believe a manager has intentionally not bought players or doesn't know who is available when all the barstool managers are on here picking out fantasy football teams on his behalf???? Get real, support Everton and stop moaning before a season even starts. Try not booing a 20-21-year-old player as well this season lads. It makes the club look pathetic.

I guarantee those 3 players come in before the season starts, wouldn't be surprised at it even reaching 4 (2 loans maximum).

We knew the squad was thin last season and again here we are, 6 days before the start of the season, knowing that we are short in central defence and up front and yet nothing seems to have been done. Either the board refuse to back him or he doesn't know who he wants.

Whichever way, it's only going to be us supporters who will suffer.

I wish Kenwright and his board and Martinez would just fuck off and go.

Bill won't release any funds until the very end of the window. This is how he operates, full stop.

Also, your point about the players not wanting to play a style that suits the players. Well it suited them in his first season, apparently. I am not an apologist for my team's manager but I think we have to give him this season to improve from last season's boring football.

I wouldn't judge his comments/transfer policy now -- we are notoriously late activists, which we all hate; do we not think that our manager really wants to get his players on deadline day? I don't. It's something he and us (and our previous manager) have to put up with.

Coming on the back of last season's pre-season fiasco, I don't believe that organisation and prioritisation are Roberto's strong points.

And where is the foreign market that, being Spanish, should give access to?

So, if someone comes in now, it won't be someone who will be any better than we have got now, unless we sell our players and pay over the odds for quality players -- that's even if they want to come.

I don't think RM has pulling power to get players in anyway. Loan players on the final day of the transfer window is what we will get and he is hoping his youngest will pull us through this season.

We are going to have to wait until it is the end of deadline day because BK will want to save on wages for any incoming players. I reckon we will end up with Austin or Pato.

I also have to say as an aside that I thought Rooney got a good reception... You never know: Rooney and cash for Stones?

Relying on two strikers all season is borderline insanity especially given Lukaku is at times inconsistent, and Kone... well, Kone is just Kone -- I can't even be bothered talking about the lad.

It made me a bit sad actually seeing Rooney and Big Dunc back on the pitch in Everton kits; made me think of how I wished we were back in time to the raw kid that came through in 2002 and Fergie coming in off the bench to add the physical factor.

Lukaku has his plusses but he's just not got that same fire in him or leadership quality that these two guys had.

We are in dire need of a real wholehearted centre-forward, I'd love to see Charlie Austin given a go; I believe he'd play the game a bit like Duncan used to: heart on the sleeve, good hold-up play, which I like in a striker.

We need something badly to happen because, for the vast majority of today until the two big attractions came on, it was all too familiar from the entire last season.

I don't want to blame Martinez for the delay in bringing in much needed transfer targets as it was the same under Moyes but I would love to know why nearly every other club is spending their increased TV money and we are dragging our heels again!

The fact is Moyes never had any money were Martinez surely has so what's the wait? The season starts next week and we've already got injuries what are they waiting for???

So he says a week before the season starts he now thinks we need a striker -- does that mean he tried to look for this Number 10 and failed?

In the same interview, when he talking about the Number 10, someone says the player for that role is Nolito and he replies everyone would like a player that gets a hat-trick against you but he's too attacking -- we're looking for a player that will pick up the ball in the Gareth Barry area. Am I missing something or just really confused?

We are never going to get the two centre-backs needed, it's a massive fail from the board. With all the Stones stories about a big money transfer every club will push up the price thinking he's the replacement.

This is the Everton Way; Bill doesn't like paying pre-season wages but, guess what: we are all going to love and clap him when that fat face goes on the big screen at Goodison because he kept our Stones.

Evans fits the bill (well, maybe not top class), but if we do lose Stones then we will have lost a bit of our soul. That's how it would feel to me. This kid could be our future leader, but what can we offer him? Realistically it will not be top 4. And in a couple of season's time it will most probably be only the top 3 who make Champions League as we may lose the 4th spot to Italy.

He's not good enough, we know that; whether it's the injury and age that's caught up with him or not, I don't know... but, regardless of what striker you are, when you think he has scored just ONE senior goal in two years, his confidence must be rock bottom. It's painful to watch the lad, it really is.

Martinez really needs to see where he's at and get his head used to the fact that the £6 million he splashed out on him two summers ago needs wiping off the board and just put it down as a mistake.

Keeping blind faith is just not fair on himself, the fans and probably most of all unfair on Kone himself.

Either Dragovic or Van Dijk need to be brought in. We're still weak from crosses and set-pieces, and both are more commanding than Stones in this area. I'd like one of the above to be brought in and for us to try a 3-5-2 with Stones and Jags.

While Roberto mentions these being the 2 or 3 signings we'll make, where does Lennon fit in?! Surely he will be one of the deadline deals... and a No 10 he ain't.

I'd take Austin over Hernandez. A quality, passionate Englishman over a lad who believes he's destined for greater things. He's just been at Real Madrid; I don't think playing for Everton will put any fire in his belly.

On a side note, do people really think Dzeko would have come to us? Not a chance. We need to be realistic.

If the Number 10 is Sergi Roberto then Barca have just had a presidential election and have a transfer embargo. They also said they have completed their business for this season and will not allow Pedro to leave prior to the Super Cup games. They may decide towards the end of the window they are in a position to let him move on.

If the CB is Virgil van Dijk; then possibly Celtic will only sell if they are knocked out of the Champions League.

If the striker is James Wilson, then maybe Van Gaal will only let him leave when he has a replacement or replacements for Van Persie and Radamel Falcao.

Van Dijk won't be going anywhere while Celtic are in the Champions League. Austin is overpriced for one who could prove a one-season wonder (like Martinez or Barkley?). If we're desperate enough to buy him, let's leave it late and get a bit of value.

What worries me is that a year ago I said we needed a keeper, centre back, playmaker and striker; I'm saying the same now. That's appalling. Martinez may well know who he wants; the real issues are do they want to come here and will we be able to do a deal?

I just like the way Austin plays, I watched him do a year in the Championship at Burnley, I was impressed but needed to see him do it in the Premier League, but he proved himself a more than capable footballer last season in a poor team.

We need to get him, I'd hate to see him end up at Newcastle or somewhere and score 16-20 goals.

Ask yourself this: Where are the goals without Lukaku and Mirallas who are both susceptible to dipping in and out of form themselves?

A Barcelona B player on loan for the 'Number 10' role (Sergi Roberto) and a another loanee up front (probably more like a Lacina Traore or a Jo than anything decent). Not what you'd call an invigorating transfer window... especially when Barry, Osman, Gibson, Pienaar and Kone all look completely shot.

The TV money must be for debt reduction only, eh?

Everton have always kept their cards close to their chest and have always kept their business quiet, so just have faith, people! It wouldn't surprise me if we signed players that haven't been in the media at all.

However, I'm hoping to god we sign Shaqiri! Perfect for what we need in my opinion. Van Dijk would be a welcome addition too.

In terms of a striker, I can't see us having enough money to sign either Austin or Hernandez. Maybe we end up loaning one but I can't imagine who. Gregoire Defrel has been linked a few times... seems decent and cheap, I'd take him!

For those with short memories, we've had our most exciting transfer windows in decades since Martinez has arrived and while Kone and a few others have been bad buys, Lukaku, McCarthy, Deulofeu, Cleverley (I'll stick my neck out there) and Lennon were all great acquisitions. I was even excited and surprised when we got Barry and Eto'o too.

Give him a break and get behind him for one more season. Then we'll judge (and no it won't be too late then because we'll be relegated).

I despair, I absolutely fucking despair.

Basic, basic psychology states that cheering a player will give confidence and help them do better. Booing them is GOING to make them a worse player. The difference between the best and the worst footballers at this level is confidence.

People who boo are idiots in not realising this simple fact. They're not proper fans either. If they're not simply thick, the only other rational explanation is that they have frustrations elsewhere in their lives and let it out through football.

Frankly, it is only lack of passion or effort that annoys me and I rarely see the latter. If a player is played out of position in a formation that does not suit, he does not deserve ridicule if he gives his all.

By all accounts, Kone has been poor. However, he didn't set his fee, deliberately get a horrific injury, and he does not select himself for the team.

Charlie Austin.

Bid fast!

I'd be moving heaven and earth to get Austin in, if he really is available at £15M that's a real deal.

We all nowadays blame the Chairman and the Chief Execs do all the transfers now so blaming Martinez is pointless in that aspect, at least he's identified the areas, which 90% fans think we need.

We've had a decent end-of-transfer-window period before, so I wont be panicking till the window ends and we have nobody. I think Van Dijk and Sergi Roberto would be a good start. I have a sneaky suspicion we will do a loan bid for Negredo as well.

Age 24, 6'-1", better than any midfielder in our squad. Wears the number 10 for club and country, fast, skilful, two- footed, good in the air, a great passer and can score goals. A terrific box to box player with current value around £2M.

Unfortunately for Mix, The signings of Poku, Lampard and Pirlo have pushed him down the ladder and the game at the weekend saw him playing 45 minutes on the right wing.

Three years ago I wrote to Mr Moyes to put him in the picture with regard to Mix but the reply from his secretary stated that tha club were aware of the lad. I even wrote to Tim Howard but heard nothing.

The are many good reasonably priced players out there but we continue to look in the wrong place.

Hopefully he has the money to go out and get in the required players of the required quality, cos they're needed, badly!

Osman
Hibbert
Gibson
Kone
Oviedo
Pienaar
Mirallas

Five gone frees up a ton of wages. All seven? The owners will have to do some fancy financial (even for them) tap dancing to explain why Roberto won't have lots of money this window next season.

Yet, here they are, all seven, under one more year of contract. Given that, and owners who pinch every penny hard enough to push Lincoln's beard to the back of his head, what's available this window for Roberto to spend?

The other five?

We have to keep in mind, all seven when fit are in the squad. That's a LOT of replacing this time next year.

Just following the money, that means Roberto has to manage his ass off this season. Because the true "clearing out" will happen next June.

Then what? With our owners . . . . .

Diego from Fenarbahçe could be a relatively cheap option for a No 10. He's still only 30. There's plenty of players I'd prefer to buy, but for the money he could be a very good signing and a player who is a true archetype No 10.

I have no doubt he HAS to wait until the window is about to close in hope that he can replicate the Barry/Lukaku loan signings.

Winter and Summer 2016 windows are where the big doings will occur.

He'll be fine in MLS.

If we've got an abundance of cash to spend (very unlikely) we should buy proven No 10 too. I was agreeing with Harold because we need to think out of the box when money is scarce. A more obvious name but another option for the same sort of fee could be Diego from Fernabahçe.

I love him. But he's an MLS-level player.

I am also beginning to think it could just be routine too, but for some reason, this season more than any other I'm seriously questioning my decision.

Firstly I am aware I am an Everton supporter who follows my team. Players and managers will come on go and the constant is us and our club. But I am really worried about the total clowns in the important seats at our club.

It is bad enough having owners without a business brain between the lot of them, well when it comes to running a football club that is.

But I am becoming more annoyed by Martinez by the passing days. How can he carry on just thinking everything is going to be OK? He has no idea, his tactics are floored, hence the fact everyone got onto us last season, but yet he is sticking with them.

The newest and biggest problem is similar to the Gareth Barry situation from last season. Every fan could see Barry was struggling, but still Martinez persisted with him. Same with Howard, Robles is not the answer but he was in a decent bit of form but Martinez wouldn't have it.

Now he's at it again, this time with the striker situation. Every fan knows Kone is not good enough, and most can see Naisy is a trier but he's also a Championship player at best. Yet with all that it takes Martinez until now (even though he trains these lads all the time) to realise that we are in desperate need of a striker.

Pre-season has proven what we already all knew, Rom and Miralas are our biggest threats but we need more. Without them getting goals we have proven during pre season that we won't score.

I hate to be negative but I can't help but feel the best thing we have to look forward too is a poor run until Christmas so Roberto is out on his ear. Sorry but it's how I'm feeling.

Very good post that I find hard to disagree with any of it.

Martinez is a stubborn man; trouble is 'stubborn' is bad when your team is clearly not very good, your tactics not very good, and your comments are just downright bizarre, the Lukaku comments about "not having had a chance to be part of the group yet" had me laying down in a darkened room.

Sadl,y Ant, I truly fear it's just going to be much more of the same this season only without the welcome distraction of Europe which got him off the hook. I tell you this, Europe or not, this team will do no better while they play without direction or leadership.

Looking at the fixtures before November, it's not far fetched to think we could be in the bottom three or four; it's then easy for people to say we have winnable fixtures but the teams like Sunderland will be fighting tooth and nail. I tell you, when your down there, no game is easy.

I want to be positive about the new season but my slight tiny bit of positivity only lasts until I see us play; it's then when I realise this is one of the poorest most punchless Everton sides over the last 15 years. Even the sides that struggled against relegation never went long without a leader: a Watson, Gough, Hutchison, Kevin Campbell or a Carsley or a Cahill..

I just don't see it in this side.

I have the feeling the board aren't backing Martinez case they need to take swift decisive action if we start dreadfully.

I was rushing to get the match, and my genuine thought was, "Here we go again. I'm like my team, I'm just not ready for another football season just yet".

I think we can put up with most things, being Evertonians, but this boring football, has had such a draining affect on the terraces. IT'S JUST NOT EVERTON at the minute.

RM has his targets for each position and say there a 6 in each then it all depends on the players club, the player himself and the agent.

It is quite natural for Champions League football to take precedent for players and then quite natural for every selling club and agent holding out for the best deal and getting 2-6 clubs interested in their asset to get maximum bucks.

Only later in the window do the agents and selling clubs get real. The clubs are also in the process of buying replacements that do take time too ...

RM has done very well buying so far this window with Tom and Gerri -- great additions with little outlay and money available for a Number 10 and a striker.

I went to the Leeds game and also yesterday against Villarreal... Browning is a £20M+ CB in the making -- there is also Galloway who looks the business across any position in defence.

We really only need a CB in case of serious injury to Jags or Stones.

So the clever strategy that BK, the board and RM have is to promote youth and then spend big on attacking talent is coming together nicely... IMHO...

I think back to going to watch Everton even in the dark days of the 1990s and, as much as we were truly utterly dross in some of those relegation nearmiss seasons, and never would I want to witness it again, the one thing I could always say was that I was never ever bored.

There was always excitement and thrills, lots of frustration and pent up anger because we were giving it hell on the pitch but the players were just not good enough back then, but at least they played with tempo, with heart and passion to at least invoke some kind of reaction from the long suffering fans, and then finally along came a talisman like a Duncan Ferguson or Andrea Kanchelskis to give the fans hope.

I look at this team now and I don't see cohesion, don't see passion in the way we play, don't see tempo to our attacks or us committing men into the opponents box trying to score, I just don't see anything, it's like every other week last season you felt like you were merely going to watch a glorified training session when really it should have been matchday at Goodison Park and the opponent should have been terrified of the Goodison roar.

Frankly, I got bored... and it lasted a whole season -- and as for this new season? How long will patience last?

'I want to be positive about the new season but my slight tiny bit of positivity only lasts until I see us play.'

Absolutely nailed it, Jim.

I look through the team and there are holes, of course, but I still think we have lots of very talented players. That optimism precedes every game... and lasts until about 5 minutes after kick off. We are absolutely mind-numbing to watch. The worrying thing is how content Martinez seems to be. He meanders along while we are tearing our hair out.

This striker situation is just the latest in a long line of head-scratchers. Every man and his dog can see that we are screwed if Lukaku is injured. The lad has 'heavy legs' after a few friendlies... what's he going to be like after playing 90 competitive minutes twice a week???

I can't get my head around how a young physical specimen like Lukaku can be heavy-legged already either, unless he's being very poorly coached fitness wise.

The one thing yesterday proved is Evertonians need a hero, they need that cult player, just look at the attendance yesterday, and why? Because two cult former heroes were playing in a blue shirt and it roused the support just seeing them warming up.

We just don't have one anymore, do we?

Lukaku had the makings of one when he first arrived, a battering ram of a striker in his first few games, but his demeanor and what looks like a lack of interest or willingness to work in certain games means it holds the fans back from truly worshiping the guy.

We had hoped Barkley, born and bred Blue, could be it but for me he's just not got that same leadership or aggression that Rooney had; Ross for me is just too timid, for a midfield player he doesn't put himself about even as much as Arteta or Cahill used to.

Evertonians need a new modern day hero but sadly I just can't see it happening anytime soon.

It's true what you say, Nick, why keep him if you're not prepared to back him to the hilt after last season's atrocity?

Some may say Martinez could have gone after the Hull debacle on New Year's Day, an abject display following a nightmare run of defeats and performances.

But they didn't sack Martinez; instead, they keep him on and give him next to nothing in a bid to not only arrest last season's slide but to get the club back challenging a Spurs or even a Swansea again.

They are an appalling mess.

Like it, James, first crit of the 2016-17 season by a mile! Come to think of it, the club hasn't said a dickie bird about signings for 2017-18 either -- what's going on?

He clearly hasn't changed his tactics since last season's farce and this season he won't be able to excuse using the Europa League and its many distractions, apparently. Roll on Watford.

A striker will improve us. Like others, I assume we want one because Martinez has realised that Kone is not up to it. But we need a CB first. I can't believe that we are still looking for a 3rd choice senior CB with 5 days to go until kick-off. It's disgraceful. If Stones turns around tomorrow and asks to leave, or if his knock keeps him out for 2 weeks, what are we going to do? Stick in a completely unproven kid? We are taking risks with results and, perhaps more importantly, the development of potential future first teamers. We all saw what happened to Chambers last season, because Wenger played the 㾼mil teenager when he wasn't ready.

I want to give Martinez a second chance this season. I am trying my best, despite my numerous reservations, but he doesn't make it easy.

We've got 5 days left. Let's get someone in, and kick off with a win against Watford. Watford seemingly have not fixed on a formation, approach or starting eleven yet, and have favoured the guaranteed-to-fail scatter-gun approach to signings. We need to get at them with our pace and power and start the season with a result so that we can boost the players and ourselves.

I second Yarmolenko, Alun. He looks a top player.

We need cover at right back. Let us hope that Oviedo recovers sufficiently to cover for Baines as we have already loaned out Garbutt.Who will cover McCarthy or Barry now that Besic is out? It seems that Cleverley will be used as yet another defensive midfielder if either Barry or McCarthy get injured.IMO we need three or four players at the very least and they should already be training with the team in readiness for the Watford match.

In the Brazilian league someone like Rafael Maquez from Palmeiras could prove to be useful, and relatively cheap.

Our lack of anything in the final third is worrying. Martinez has 10-12 games to get the team playing; with our difficult start, he has it all to do. It

But it's about time we got proactive in the market. The season begins, and as it stands the first 2/3 games will be the responsibility of the current line-up.

But let's put a something to bed: Martinez being Spanish does not mean he has or should have more international contacts than any other manager. A manager's contacts depend on his intelligence and ability at making contacts, it's about having strategically developed network of scouts.

"If that is the case, Martinez feels he will need half-a-dozen signings to supplement what he already has to cope with the extra demands. Given he hardly spent in the January window, Everton's manager will have a transfer kitty of more than 㿀million to assist him.

Martinez says it is too early to start talking about potential targets but he is keen to land Jack Rodwell from Manchester City, while Everton will also bid to sign Romelu Lukaku if Chelsea let the Belgium international to leave. Gareth Barry should also become a permanent signing.

"We haven't budgeted for players yet," said Martinez. "Where we finish in the league will be a big factor in that. Whether we are in Europe or not is a big factor. We've got money but I didn't want to spend it in January. That was clear. I didn't think spending in January was the right thing to do.

"If we get in Europe I think that makes a difference of six players. I always found you can work on a squad of 21 players in the league and for domestic competitions. You need around 27 players plus keepers for Europe. It doesn't have to be 27 senior players, it can be young players too, but 27.

"We're not working on the targets now; that is wasting too much time. At the moment we are focusing on the games ahead. We are working hard on recruitment and we have identified what we need for next season in terms of the areas, and then you start working on your wish-list.

"If you get into the Champions League you can look for your number one choice. If not, you're going to number four, five, six and maybe seven or eight sometimes. But we have got money and the money is there to be spent."

Everton have been creative in recent seasons, tending to offload a big name to bring in three or four additions. Martinez, though, will be under no pressure to lose any of his current squad, as Everton still have funds from the sales of Marouane Fellaini, Nikica Jelavic and Victor Anichebe.

Not all the money Everton have in reserve, however, will go on players, as Martinez has plans to enhance the club's Finch Farm training base.

"Every year you need to improve," Martinez said. "We need bedrooms here for the first team and the option to get digs for the young players on site as well. We are two pitches short and need a full size indoor facility for all the age groups. The demands every season change.

"That cash has been there before but it is just down to the manager to use it in little bits or use it one lot. I prefer to work in that way, to stockpile for the summer. Use short-term players and loans and create a big amount of money."

Someone, somewhere is neck-deep in porkie pies.

No creativity yet still plays with two sideways and backwards defensive midfielders... SMH... He's learned nothing from last season.

Virgil van DijK in at CB -- these three players and a striker would make it a good pre season for signings. Right now I'd settle for just one of these three such is the lack of belief I have in the board.

I'm trying to wait until the windows closes before casting judgement.. but we've spent just ٢M so far, that's shocking.< We're being out spent by Swansea, West Ham, Palace FF'S.

The board has allowed the club to stand still but now I feel we're going backwards Whilst others are making big strides forward. Where's all the money goin??? -- we'vwe've had to sell off assets and rent them back, something is radically wrong. With the RedShite's new stand going up -- they're going to increase the gap between us significantly with the revenue generated not to mention the amount of money & signings they've made.

They also seem to be signing every future wonder kid under the sun.... With our lack of funds surely we should be targeting youth players, where's our scouting system?

Last year we signed Henen, I thought that was a sign of things to come but v little since then On this front.

Things have gone so quiet and bad in the transfer market for us that I got excited when I heard that we had "signed" a 14-year-old "wonderkid" yesterday only to discover even that is beyond us and most likely an Internet hoax.

The clubs that are overtaking us now are clubs like Swansea, Newcastle, Palace -- come on.

There is just no excuse for it this from our board, Swansea are a club that is partly owned by the fans, they came from League Two 11 years ago, almost went to The Conference and were this close to going through. They do not have billionaire owners, they are living proof that if a club is run correctly and professionally with a vision & a plan it can grow & grow exponentially.

In that time, our Club and board have allowed them to become rivals to us and will if things continue overtake us. All we get is soundbites from Kent right about how much he loves the club. The situation just seems to have become accepted -- Kenwright isn't even under pressure anymore to answer questions about finding investment. He's in his element now, no pressure -- just hop between the West End & Good is on enjoying his two hobbies. He puts himself & his ego before the love for the club!

The newspapers don't care -- we're not in London, they're not asking where the money goes or why investment hasn't been found in 10+ years, why we're now being out-spent & overtaken by clubs that 5 or 10 years ago were divisions below us.

I'm just thoroughly pissed off with the status quo and what's worse, I can't see anything changing for minimum 5 to 10 years, I dread to think where this bunch of dinosaurs will have taken us by then.

Rant over... for now!

We need players to fill the bench as well as the first team, players you look at and think we have a Plan B, Plan C etc. You look at our bench and realise that isn't the case.

The team has become stale BUT we do have promising youth, who will hopefully get a chance this season but they also need help from a few new players in addition to Tom and Geri.

My concern is, once the season starts, the lads that have had some first-team game time will slip back to the U21 set-up until next pre-season needs the bench padding out.

As I've said before, our business model is based on playing transfers late, that's what'll happen this summer. Won't change till we get new owners. Didn't stop Martinez finishing 5th so we/he can't use that as an excuse.

Maybe Lukaku is heavy-legged because he's had to work during pre-season? I remember a few seasons under the previous manager when a few players looked heavy-legged at the start of the season, no doubt due to the conditioning pre-season. It often paid dividends in the second half of the season.

Who knows what goes on in the strange world of Martinez's fitness regime?

If, by Christmas, we're in a bad position and we've added no real quality to squad, then yeah I would be the first to get on his case... but, for now, it's not helping us or the club by demanding his head.

Leicester City sign Yohan Benalouane and N'Golo Kante

For those who don’t have a chance to read the article, the summary is as follows: Leicester City have signed N'Golo Kante, a French Ligue 1 midfielder from Caen for an "undisclosed fee".

I do not expect or even particularly want EFC to be throwing money around like the Sky 4 or 5. I have no idea if this player is any good and whether he will get into Leicester's team or just ultimately make up the numbers in their squad.

The point I am trying to make is one of refreshing the squad with low-cost players, whether from home or abroad (though I guess abroad is more likely). I know that's a bit of a Martinez word to use, but I mean it in the sense of just spicing things up, keeping the existing players on their toes and giving the fans some unknown quantity to be excited about going into the new season.

You might say I'm advocating just buying numbers instead of quality -- in a sense, I suppose I am. Bryan Oviedo is a great example, bought at low cost, from an interesting country and league, just something a bit different. Even the signings we have made in Cleverley and Deulofeu have either played for us before or are established, solid but rather uninspiring Premier League performers.

It is apparent that we are effectively skint. If, come the end of yet another unbearable transfer window, EFC really have signed another striker, Number 10 and centre-back and not sold anybody then I suppose this post will be fairly meaningless. Firstly, however, I seriously doubt we will and secondly this obsession with leaving it till the last moment and lying (badly) about it being searching for exactly the right player when we all know it's Bullshit Billy keeping the purse strings tightly shut until the last week of August just drives me mad.

Why can Everton not use the limited funds available to buy 3 or 4 "undisclosed fee" type players from places like Ligue 1, La Liga, Bundesliga, Eredivisie etc? They're out there and affordable, even for a club in our position for heaven's sake! I honestly believe that, despite all the concerns about tactics, directionless passing etc, if there were those 3 or 4 unheralded and even perhaps unheard of, new players in the squad going into the new season, the fanbase would be more upbeat and optimistic.

I think the fact the squad is never refreshed and we go in season after season with largely the same playing staff, just a year older, plays a strong role in fans feeling bored, uninspired and having a downer on our prospects before the season even begins.

Hopefully fellow ToffeeWebbers will see the point I'm trying to make here. This is not fantasy football, it's not a whinge that we can't spend 㿨M on new players, it's questioning why we do not appear to be cutting our cloth according to our means and signing the low-cost players we know to be out there to give the squad a kick up the backside?!

Finally, before anybody replies to that effect, I'm not trying to name potential signings here. I hope that we have scouts actively working the leagues I mentioned and more players the world over want to come to the Premier League and it's a fallacy to suggest they cannot be attracted without European football -- see the Leicester example above. Somehow though, I can just imagine all the scouts we do have turning up for work every day at the JJB Stadium in Wigan!

Other teams look full of life and ambition against us.

You could put Cruyff, Pele and Messi in our team and they'd end up wandering around looking lost as they chase aimless flick-ons from the feckless Naismith & Co.

Shocking.

We're a laughing stock, a joke -- even the rags are picking up on our lack of signings now -- and it won't get any better until people give tight-arse, 24/7 lying get two fingers and stop going.

We're probably 10 players shorts of a "squad" and there is very little, in fact, zero competition for places. And it's been the same for years. And that's the real tragedy here.

I think our squad depth means that we do not have to favour such a scattergun approach to buys. The approach, as the likes of Sunderland and QPR have demonstrated, rarely works. We have to be careful with money, and spending ١-5mil on a player/or several for the sake of freshening things up could be the death knell for a club with our financial restrictions. I like the optimism transfers brings, but that optimism is pointless if the players add little to the squad in the long run.

I share your frustration though, I can't believe we've not added a centre-back, and the lack of talk regarding other players is frustrating. But in my opinion, there is one obvious reason for it: Stones.

If Martinez wants three players for the squad, because he trusts the rest of the squad, then the potential departure of Stones has created a problem. Without Stones leaving, maybe we have 㾶-12mil to spend on those three players. If he goes, maybe we will have 㿔million (plus we will need an additional CB).

I wonder if the uncertainty surrounding Stones is constraining our transfer plans, because his departure will enable more progressive investment. Personally, I think we need to tell the world that Stones will not leave this club during the transfer window, or agree to sell him once a replacement is in. The uncertainty over his departure will effect morale, and could derail our season. The whole Lescott debacle hindered us badly that season, and whilst Stones is not speaking out, there seems little doubt that it will be unsettling for those involved. I think we need to sort the situation one way or the other, so that we can concentrate on the season and on our transfer plans.

BK needs to be forced out by hook or by crook. Let's get the banners out at games (no it's not Kopite behaviour), organise another Blue Union march. Whatever it takes, to get rid of these self-serving vampires sucking the life blood out of our great club.

Stones goes and we're minus three CBs. We have five players out with hamstring injuries. There is no cover for Lukaku.

It's a fucking mess, mate, and it has nothing whatsoever to do with Stones. That if anything is a convenient smokescreen for our pitiful board and feckless manager.

We've had one season where we finished in the bottom half, after a decade of consistent top 7 finishes. We have many young talented players, and reasons to be optimistic. Get a grip.

Another example of the mindless exaggeration which pervades in part because of the advent of 'trolling' media. Something can't just be bad, it has to be terrible. It has to be the worst. We are being surpassed by Leicester City now, who scraped clear of relegation and have a massively inferior squad...

I also don't understand how you both describe as a laughing stock, but think that we can realistically attract one of the best managers in the world to our club.

Aug 2011: Lack of transfer funds frustrate Everton chief Kenwright

Also, click on the link in the article from Aug 2008....it's the same story, year-in & year-out, but we just keep on clapping...

All we have done so far in terms of players out is release players who were out of contract. We haven't brought any extra cash in outside of what the TV deal will pay us at the end of August. This makes the 㾻M spent so far seem even more sizable. It doesn't look like any of our fringe players, like Jelavic or Anichebe in previous years, would bring in anything more than a pittance. We couldn't give the likes of Kone or Hibbert away given their age and recent injuries.

I think we have two options if we are going to sell someone like Stones. The first option is to avoid selling him to Chelsea at all costs. One just to piss them off and two just to ensure that they don't take all the Lukaku money in one go as part of the deal. We sell for cash plus players on a permanent deal to Man Utd or Man City. This way we can try to add decent players and still have some sort of cash injection.

The second option is to hold off on selling anyone and ensure that the likes of Galloway and Browning get proper game time over the season. This way, if we have to sell next summer, we have a better chance of replacing the likes of Stones and Coleman next summer without being under financial pressure.

Listen to any pundits talking about us and they all say the same thing: the build-up is to slow, and we don't get enough players into the box. Now you either take the line that RM is a genius and all the ex-professional players are talking rubbish, or they are right and we are in serious trouble.

Another point - I was at the Community Shield final yesterday, and watched a really rusty Chelsea. I watched as they brought on a CB (Zouma) for a left back, because they have only one left back in the squad. In fact, Chelsea only have 5 senior defenders in the squad at the moment.

There are a million miles from us, and have problems we can only dream of. But let's not pretend that these problems do not afflict other clubs too, especially when the window ends almost a month after the season starts. Bullshit notions about us needing 10 squad players do not only ignore the practicalities of a team of our status, but the nature of even some of the biggest teams in world football.

It is possible to criticise the club and maintain some perspective.

If some on here want to blame Martinez for all our ills, carry on; if you think changing the manager is the answer to our lack of success, I'm sorry to say we'll all be waiting another 20 years.

The seasons not even started yet! Do you think Martinez wants to start the season by spending bugger all on players? Do you really think he's that thick that he doesn't realise buying quality players makes his job easier?

Dean on another thread showed that Martinez's first two seasons are very similar to Moyes's last two seasons in stats. Make of that what you will, but changing managers won't make us a successful side.

Had a player done that from a team out of the top four going playing for his old top four club, rest assured press would have been all over it, former player set to go back to his former club after enjoying being back.

Forget about our star players being linked away, the media will do everything they can to try and make their darlings stronger, and the also- rans weaker which is where they want them.

New Number 9 please, Roberto.

Martinez stated last summer we needed 6-7 new bodies "to supplement" the current squad. They never came. He also said 27 + keepers. We have 25, the same as Leicester City who finished a mere 6 points behind us last season. Obviously we are comparable on those statistics, a club of our practicalities.

We have virtually the same squad as 2 years ago. In the last 5 years, we have brought in 22 players and let 33 go. We also have, without being sensationalist, one of the oldest squads in the league. Some of these players might need replacing at some point, some may argue now.

Poor old rusty Chelsea have a squad of 33 with 15 out on loan, and our dear neighbours are literally bursting at the seams with 42 players in their first team squad.

We are a laughing stock. But that doesn't mean we are consigned to such a fate. You can achieve pretty much anything if you show enough willing, and ambition. Quite frankly that seems well beyond this board, regardless of where John Stones ends up.

Martinez said 3 players - defence, midfield and attack positions. Splash the cash: Van Dijk, Yarmolenko and Austin.

Has BK decided not to back him financially unless it's a certainty we get value for money? Maybe we would be better having a transfer committee, like the RedShite.

Where did Martinez say that? He also said we need 2-3 a few months ago, so based on your logic of following Martinez's rhetoric, does that mean that we have a great squad?

Why on earth would we need a squad of 27 plus?! We are not even playing in Europe this season.

And yes, Leicester, without playing Europa League football, finished six points behind us in our worse season in 11 years. That means they are surpassing us. Because only a year matters in football, and they finished below us without playing in Europe.

We are no laughing stock. The only laughing stock is the odd self-entitlement of fans who think we should add 7-10 players to the squad. Given that we've already added two seniors, that means we needed 9-12 players at the start of the last window? Really? Can you honestly even pretend to defend a claim like that?

And what do Liverpool and your erroneous stats have to do with us exactly? 42 players? do you actually think a team should have 42 players? Liverpool have pissed away almost £200M to give them an incredible bloated squad. And where have you got 42 players from? Liverpool do not have 42 players! You've either missread something (I assume you've looked at a squad number list without recognizing the missing numbers) and included youth players, or you have just straight up made it up.

And if you think Leicester's side or squad has anything on ours, then you do not understand football. How many of their team would make our first 11? Schmeichel maybe? Mahrez? Vardy? Okazaki if he performs? It's absurd. Even if Martinez fails to learn from last season, we will finish well clear of them this season.

The 42 players in Liverpool's first team squad is golden though. Even they haven't signed that many players. They could put out two different squads of 18 with 6 left over!

Can we please get some perspective please! We finished 11th last season, after consistent top 10 finishes for a decade! We have some very good players in this squad. We have Robles, Stones, Oviedo, Lukaku, Cleverley, McCarthy, Deulofeu, Besic, Barkley, Garbutt and Coleman all 26 years old or younger! We also have Browning, Galloway and McAleny on the fringes of the first team.

We could put out the following side:

Robles (25)
Coleman (26), Stones (21), Besic (22), Garbutt (22)
Cleverley (25), McCarthy (24)
Deulofeu (21), Barkley (21) Oviedo (25)
Lukaku (22)

With Browning (21), Galloway (19) and McAleny (22) sitting out.

We have much promise in this team, and have a contingent of young players which few can match in this league. There is much frustration around at the moment, and last season was unacceptable. I would be happy if Martinez left tomorrow. But let's not lose all perspective because of last season. We have plenty of players who can develop in this team, and the season before last give us many reasons to be hopeful. If we sign the players Martinez claims we will sign, then we will have a healthy squad.

Naismith can find the net occasionally but is, like Osman, a player who tries hard but doesn't achieve a great deal where it matters. Everyone agrees about Kone's inabilities and Deulofeu is another who can score goals but is more of a wing man and yet to prove he can be consistent.

McAleny may be useful sooner than later but RM may indeed bring in someone who is quick and ready to slot in alongside Lukaku. Ross Barkley can finish well but usually from outside the box and really is a player when on form plays well coming from deep.

However, when all said and done RM may just feel in his own mind that his current available squad will be good enough to start the season well and if not, as many of us think, then the axe will fall pretty soon. (We hope!)

Imitate Liverpool's disjointed transfer tactics... imitate the biggest wasters of money in the league over the last few years?

Please tell me that you are being sarcastic. If not, point me in the direction of the nearest wall.

With the silly Sky dosh pouring in, it's a no-brainer. Wayne has won plenty of trophies, will stay in the England team (playing with Jags, Stones, Baines and Barkley, and he will be coached by his hero Dunc.

Make it happen Bill.

If we had added 3 players, well the 2 we all thought and now he's realised we need a striker, then I'd be happier. I'd be much happier still if he wasn't using the same God-awful mind numbing, obvious and totally ill-suited tactics we had to endure last season throughout this pre-season.....which I know doesn't matter etc etc (although it was a good indicator last season!).

And further, as I've posted previously, the club has net spent zero millions in the last five years. That is not ambitious rather duplicitous and I, like may others want to know where all that cash is going. Until this can be explained to me and the club commits lets say £5m net outlay in the transfer window over the next few years, it remains a shambles/laughing stock (which is the way the media view us).

Trying to spend money wisely seems to be the norm except for one or two deals like Lukaku and Fellaini, neither of which brought results although Lukaku may still do that, we hope.

Aspiring to greatness takes ambition and there doesn't appear to be any at Goodison anymore.

We still have a window of opportunity to get rid of Martinez and get in a decent manager who can take forward a squad with some quality players Moyes nurtured and left us as his legacy. The longer we leave it, though, the bleaker the long-term future for our club. I sense the Board recognise this and won't entrust multimillion investments with Martinez, so we are stalled. Just get rid of him now so we can move on before we are sunk.

If you add in the toughest start to a season in recent memory -- we could be well adrift by November and getting rid of RM then will resolve nothing.

I renewed my season ticket as a matter of loyalty but, if I had to pay to go to the game as a matter of choice, I seriously doubt I would be there at the end unless it was a shit -or-bust game to avoid relegation... and I don't think my ticker could take that AGAIN.

They are the people we pay good money to watch and if they don't produce for whatever the reason they should be the ones who get the flak -- as well as the manager -- if things go awry. I just hope that the players do find the desire and intensity required come Saturday onwards; otherwise, it will be yet another wasted season.

For RM and Everton then it is a hope that the top 1-3 targets per position skate by so you don't have to go with the last few names. Everton have not been in the running for the top one or two at the striker, creative attacking mid ,or center back. Everton seems to have been in the running or at least some reciprocal interest for the next 2-3 at each position before losing out to West Ham etc.

So now RM is down to his number 5-8 targets at each position needed which is why I believe two things have occurred. One, we haven't gotten anyone else in yet . Second, RM hasn't publicly identified anyone yet so as not to tip his hand. These type of deals have to be close to the wire so it limits the ability of other teams to muck it up. I wish Everton was not operated this way and could buy whomever they chose, even if the club didn't have a particular need for the player at that moment (Like City and Chelsea).

Much as I worry about RM and his style of play, I actually am not worried about the lack of signings at this point. RM has someone in mind and will likely bring them in. The quality of the players he brings in is a question in my mind but time will answer that. I do wonder if Michu is on his list since we have a young striker but need a secondary striker/creative attacking player with proven ability and who is valued at about 5 million pounds.

You are using data which includes youth players, but you are not doing so for Everton, presumably because you've not checked the official site only Wikipedia (which is written by various people and consequently different statistic measures appear). If you include those players, i.e the likes of Stanek and Ledson, then we have a squad of almost 40 players.

Do you really not see the issue here? You can't claim that we have a squad of (enter number) players, and then that someone has a squad of (enter number) using different statistical measures, especially when you misread those measures.

It's funny that you don't see the irony in me bringing up a subjective comparison between Everton and Leicester's team, but you continue to make spurious claims based on your own readings and subjective measures. Please explain some things for me.

How can you claim that Leicester are surpassing us, when we finished 6 points above them. Why do you ignore the fact that we played in the Europa League, and Leicester didn't? Why do you ignore an extended recent history, and only concentrate on one season?

Your post represents a common failing. Your original consensus, which you've utterly failed to defend, is representative of the type of exaggerated sensationalism which is increasing creeping onto the boards:

1)You've bizzarely suggested that we need to sign 10 players to have a good squad. So that's 12 including the 2 seniors we've signed (ignoring Henen). You've then reduced that to 6-7, so 8-9 transfers this summer.

2) You attempt to support this incredible squad claim by misappropriating Martinez's quotes. Martinez clearly referenced young players, i.e non-senior players, in his discussion of increasing the squad size to 27. That's not six signings, that's a mixture of signings and youth promotion. Not only that, but Martinez's squad comments refer to Europe. Are we in Europe? No we are not. So why do you use those quotes to trying and substantiate a claim that we need to buy anywhere between 6-10 players, including the two we already have signed!

3) You claimed we are a laughing stock, but should sign one of the best managers in the world. You fail to respond to this contradiction when pressed.

4) You erroneously use 'stats' to make your argument. You include youth players for Liverpool without first team experience in their squad, but ignore ours? You then use that measure to claim that our squad is almost half the size of our neighbors. It's more intriguing given that you are misappropriating a Martinez quote which refers to these very youth players.

It's hard to say non-offensive stuff about this kind of logic. I understand that you are frustrated, and want better. So do I. So do all of us. But can you please take a little more care with your argument, and not throw around ridiculous claims.

Surely we want to sensibly discuss our club on these forums? What sense does it make to make outlandish claims about how many signings we need to have a squad, which are clearly wrong, and to claim that a team who finished well below us, a team who haven't finished above us in years and years, have now surpassed us?

It's just talksport-esq drivel.

I'd offer £13M & throw Kone into the deal; he might be better suited to drop down a league and QPR could be a good home for him.

It's easy to cherry pick a handful of quality signings by a manager who was in a job for over a decade. Yes, he made some amazing signings like Lescott, Baines, Coleman, Arteta, but for every good signing he signed a Koldrup, a Shandy van der Meyde, a James Beattie. The list could go on and on. And don't even get me started on some of his loan signings like Anthony Gardner.

I don't think the issue with Martinez is his signings. I for one trust him to spot a player - The two he's been allowed to make so far this summer, aren't too bad for 4.2m are they?! In the short time he's been here he's made 2 truly awful signings in Alcaraz and Kone and one was a free transfer and the other one had a career ending injury, which you can't really blame Martinez for.

So I totally disagree with your continual put-downs on Martinez's transfer acumen. If there's a criticism of Martinez it's the one trick pony tag that's hanging over his head. And whether he's a motivator. He's not going to be sacked so lets hope we have a start like his first season.

Andy, I honestly get the impression you would hate that to happen mate.

Anyway, my point is we are and have been woefully short playing staff for years. On the Barcalys site we have the second smallest squad. This has also been true for years. It's also the fifth oldest. We are amongst the lowest spenders in the league and have also been for years. Bottom half spenders in last
ten years, and twenty years. It's on transfer
league.

Roberto said, not me, we needed 6-7 players in, pre-European adventures and that didn't include loans signing on. He said that might include youth. Might. Read into that what you will. I also added that we are in the eyes of the media a joke but that that doesn't have to be the way with a club of our standing. Hence the Klopp quote. He shouldn't be too big for us otherwise we really are average. He got his first team relegated in the first season I seem to remember. Last season they were crap.

We've signed two players. One a former loan and another a former Wiganite loan. And let two go in a key area plus youths. Keep burying your head in the sand and we'll be fine.

If we win handsomely on Saturday, I'll feel a bit better. We're already five down due to hamstring injuries yet again. Where did the medical staff go? One of these is an ex-loan now new player. No strikers. Brilliant. Much tougher games await.

One would think, with the influx of TV money we might have added some players to the squad. But no, this is Kenwrights Everton. Mean as fuck that fella. Go and have a read what he's like with his shows, how much he pays his staff.

Forza Everton

Don't get me wrong, I'm fully aware that we won't be bringing them all in, but I do believe that to have a genuine shot at top 4 we would need to add a new keeper, 2 centre halves, cover at right back, a creative force and a striker. If Browning or Galloway can make the step up to regular top flight football then maybe it's only one centre half, but I think the others are essential.

I've not felt that such major changes were needed at any point in the last 10 years, and it's so frustrating that we seem to be going backwards just when we thought we might be on the cusp.

We pass the ball okay, but there is no desire in the team, to try and get after the opposition. Nobody really hurts themselves to get in their opponents box.

Two players could really change the dynamics of our team, but this really counts on two people. The chairman, to provide the money and the manager, to get us the right players.

It's got to happen now though, because living in hope, is already starting to desert us.

I don't want to be a fan who goes the game to moan, but as we have said (along with Tony at 77) our football is sole destroying and boring.

I've paid my money to watch us when we was usless, and I knew that we were rubbish, but we have moved past that, we should be able to expect better.

We have good players, young exciting players who a good manager would flourish with. I'm not asking for Jose Mourinho or Pep Guadiola, look at some of the managers Southampton have had the past few years. Ronald Keoman and potchettino, look at what Gerry Monk has done too.

A bold manager with ambition and bright ideas would use Baines and Coleman as lethal weapons. They would flood the box to get support to Lukaku, and accommodate extra attacking midfielders instead of using Barry whilst pushing Ross Barkley out wide. Most would have tried Eto'o upfront last season alongside Lukaku instead of waiting until he was gone and trying it with Kone.

I truly hope Martinez can prove me wrong and I can look back at my rants and laugh, but I would put anything I had on us watching the same rubbish we had to watch last season and see our manager clap on the line like flipper at players trying to play his way whilst falling flat on their faces.

I think Moyes was a better manager and I think it's only natural to compare any current manager with the previous one, whoever they were. That's my view so I guess my posts will have a consistent message. We all have our views!

I think you've been a little unfair to Moyes though. Don't forget he also bought Jagielka, Pienaar, Cahill, Stones, Fellaini. He also wasn't as blown away by Barkley as everyone else appeared to be a couple of years ago but now he looks like he may sadly have got that one right too. I think he has a much better eye for a player than Martinez. I don't think Martinez's signings have been particularly good. You mention the two obvious disasters, but also Lukaku although good enough on his day is not a 㿊M+ striker in my opinion, we paid well over the odds.

Delboy, well he's still not proven but I do like him. Besic similar story. I would never have bought Barry either; he was too old to put him on 𧴜k a week or whatever it is. McCarthy wasn't great last season either and it's a big season for him coming up.

Roberto inherited a team that did not concede goals, he was then handed close on 㿊M to invest on a striker to push us on and instead he took us backwards. Moyes on the other hand was crying out for that type of backing with it falling on deaf ears.
I honestly believe if we had given Moyes the striker of his dreams (ie, a 㿅M one, remember Torres and Suarez across the park both cost less and were the noticeable difference between us and them for years) we would and could have pushed on.

In my eyes, Roberto should never have been given the job in the first place as his management style at Wigan was comical. After watching Premier League seasons of the past again throughout the pre-season, I can't help but notice a fool talking rubbish every time I see him interviewed. Each of his Wigan interviews mirror his lame excuses and down right ignorance he shows when speaking after our matches.

Moyes did have some issues which I did not like, hence the talk of 'knives to a gunfight' etc.. but as he was with us for over a decade I fail to think anyone can come up with as many embarrassing moments (interview wise) as I witnessed from Roberto last season alone.

For me, the long and short of it is Roberto needs to go asap.

No doubt there will be more spent by us and other clubs but it shows how behind the curve we have been so far.

Will we ever challenge for top 4 again? Hopefully. But I can't see it happening this season.

Geri was a no-brainer, keeps the fans happy, and Cleverley was a free... Worrying.

Also, not a chance we can challenge for top 4 atm.

Moyes was/is a defensive manager and we were all screaming out for goals when Moyes was in charge, no attacking football, we were all saying we need a striker, our top scorer was Fellaini and he was bought as a defensive midfielder.

I have to agree with you that Moyes has a good eye for a player but he had to with no money available each window. The story behind Moyes and why he didn't use Barkley hardly at all was because he had a big injury when he was developing and Moyes was strict that the youngsters go through the channels before they get their chance to wear the mighty Everton shirt; it's not a charity.

He did give Ross a chance and he didn't know when to pass at the correct time, his passing was blind, he dribbled in our box and I can remember he lost the ball doing something stupid which caused a winning goal and that was the final straw for Moyes. Thinking about it now... that sounds like he hasn't learned from all them years back; it sounds like last season.

Okay, we bought Lukaku for £28M; over-priced, I will agree... but we were dealing with Chelsea who are the best at negotiating. We paid £4M to loan Lukaku for the season and we somehow managed to sign him for £28M with installments of £5M in each year of his 5-year contract.

When his contract is over, the average striker will be worth £40M; all he has to do is get that one good season when he bangs in 30 goals and he will be sold to a Champions League team for big money. Well, he's got four seasons left to achieve that.

I don't know where you got the information from that Barry is on £100k a week... I did laugh; Eto'o was our highest payed player and that caused mayhem so that's why he was out the door quickly. Barry will be on £50k/week max, I would say, and to be fair his experience is amazing for our youth. Against Villarreal in the first half hour, he looked amazing for a old guy; he was spreading the ball around like he was in his prime.

To be fair, to comment that McCarthy wasn't that great last season, I ain't even going to waste the effort in typing for that comment -- he was the glue of our team last season, mate.

I think RM has his targets, but he doesn't want to let out how important it is to sign them. We all know how there is lots of activity near the end of the window, but there is often one or two key deals that then open up this chain.

We've seen RM likes to get players in early if possible but that's only been possible in the two deals we have. If we need 3 signings let's say we have £20m then we way end up getting all three for close to £20m at end of August. Moving early we may be faced with those 3 costing £30m which we can't afford.

Yes, we'd all like them bedded in before the start of the season but I understand why this may not be possible.

You've mentioned the other big signings he made: Jagielka, Fellaini and Pienaar... but there's no mention of Richard Wright who cost us a big fee at the time. So did Simon Davis. Then there was Anderson Da Silva and Lars Jacobsen.

In another post on a different thread, you mentioned selling Stones would be destroying the 'Moyes legacy', but you can't use that player to deride Martinez's transfer acumen. If anything Martinez spotted him before Moyes. Moyes doing the old Harry Redknapp trick (I'm thinking Kyle Walker & Kyle Naughton) and buying him when he discovered Martinez was going to sign him for Wigan.

I think Moyes certainly gave us stability and he was good at what he did -- getting his teams playing workmanlike reactive football, but he shit it whenever it mattered, never winning away at any other top 4 sides in over 10 years. He said it himself by saying we would be lucky to get out of there alive when we went to grounds like Old Trafford.

Can you imagine Jose Mourinho saying or having that mindset when he took the comparatively small FC Porto to play at Manchester United? The very top managers tend to see the glass as being half-full instead of being dour and looking at the negatives and reacting to them.

For a great part of Moyes's tenure, I always looked at BK as the villain with Moyes fighting our corner, but retrospectively I think he was a Machiavelli of the highest order. He played both sides brilliantly only revealing his true colours when he accepted the Man Utd job and played Kenwright by continuing to take the money while daydreaming about his new job.

Of course many supporters thought the dithering over the contract was because he wanted allowances from BK that there would be greater transfer funds at his disposal. BK loved him because he deflected the spotlight away from his failings and most of us loved him because we bought into the idea that he had his hands tied and we were lucky to have him. The biggest winner was Moyes and the Moyes myth was created.

To Martinez's credit, he blew some of these myths out of the water when he won at Old Trafford on his first attempt and got more points in his first season than Moyes did in any during his entire reign as Everton manager.

Of course having Martinez as Everton manager looks a different proposition after last season and there's big question marks over him continuing as manager going into the new season. My personal misgivings about him (which are to do with motivation) will be put on hold until the end of September.

Until the window closes and we've seen some competitive football, I don't see the point of a Martinez Out campaign when he's not going anywhere. Especially with tired arguments seen through blue tinted glasses that -- "This wouldn't be happening under David Moyes."

Also, as we have allegedly paid Cleverley £65k a week then he can only offer £25k a week to any new faces. Perhaps in hindsight he shouldn't have given Barry £68k a week for 3 years now...

So far, since last season finished, we are minus Distin and Alcaraz (no great loss but still two bodies gone); Lennon although short term has left, and for me he is a loss because, I believe we could have had a guy who could have been quite useful both on the right flank and coming inside. He was showing promising signs every time he was cutting inside making our attacks more incisive.

All we have added is another central midfielder in Cleverley, who possibly you'd have to say so far in his career is more suited to deep sitting than progressive attacking.

Then of course there is Deulofeu who can be both maddening and magical but won't work as hard off the ball as Aaron Lennon did; another worry is his hamstring troubles.

We need at least three players, Martinez says he knows the areas we need them in... Let's see him given the financial backing do it then.

A successful company listens to its clients and acts accordingly.

Yes that's the problem. It's as though we have ToffeeWeb full of discontents and everyone else is happy with the status quo.

I am dreading the new season. So far we have signed two squad players with 4 days until kick-off. Not a sign of a new player, not a word from the club. The Guardian predict 8th place for us. I predict big trouble.

Either Martinez is hamstrung by lack of backing or he hasn't got a clue. It's probably both. It feels like we are fading away and nobody cares apart from the fans.

If that's the case, don't expect shit until that happens. There's probably only a few pence left in the bank after BK's 'backers' have cleaned us out.

Martinez can't really be compared with Moyes because he had a totally different job to do. We were already a good side when he took over. Moyes's last game we played some cracking football and Mirallas was on fire. I dread to think where we would be now had Martinez inherited the club when Moyes did.

Two seasons ago, a lot of fans here were rooting for Barry to be signed up. Yes, there were those who wondered if a 33-year-old should be signed, but the overall sentiments were that he brought stability to the midfield and allowed the rest of the midfielders to play.

Likewise, while there was a debate on whether to blow £28 million on a single striker (Lukaku), there was also a good number of fans here who felt that if we cannot make a statement of intent of competing with a singular buy, we are letting ourselves down, especially when a proven goalscorer (Lukaku still scored 55 goals in 3 seasons).

So, the fact is that hindsight is 20/20. Barry's decline is probably a lot more rapid than what people expected. I still think that we bought potential in Lukaku. So if players like Ronaldo took a few seasons before he really peaked (and that was in a Man Utd team that were getting back on top), then Lukaku can be given more time.

I too am concerned that we don't have that Number 10 who can play in the final ball. At the same time, looking around, none of the Premier League contenders bought big this season.

Not Chelsea (Falcao perhaps); not Man City (Sterling is definitely not); not Man Utd (Depay is still unproven); not Arsenal (promoting from within, other than Cech); not Spurs (who did they really buy?) ... Maybe Liverpool (Benteke)...

My point is there seems to be a paucity of striking and creative talent all across the footballing world.

Diego Costa won't be doing as well this season. Last season he is too easily injured; this season he is starting it injured. He is almost 30 years old already. Thus, while many people point to the fact that Costa was only a couple million pounds more expensive than Lukaku, I foresee that Costa already has had his best season. Like Van Persie, Costa is already on the way down.

As like any other hopeful fan, I am hoping that our young players will come good this season. Barkley, Deulofeu, Browning, Galloway, Garbutt, McAleny, Dowell etc.

Here's to hoping that we do a Man Utd (1996) and win something with kids!

The first season in charge, everyone had a lift as it was a new exciting regime the loan signings paid off and fine margins went our way!

As soon as the novelty wore off and his real personality was shown, the cracks started to appear. The players don't like him or his stubborn boring style; there is no respect, belief or trust for the man in charge, and it's plain to see players are not giving their all for him.

He's got two more transfer windows to make a big difference or he's got to go next summer before the rot sets in for Jagielka, Baines and Coleman!

I expect us to get a couple of players in but well into August. He did it his first season (Lukaku, Barry, McCarthy) and although I'd prefer to get all our targets in before the season starts, Chairman Bill seems to prefer to wait until very late so I'm not panicking just yet.

As for who those players will be, I haven't a clue as everything is dead quiet right now and has been for some time. A terrible state of affairs but neither this manager, or his predecessor, are to blame for this.

I watched him in the Guinness Champions Cup thingy over here in the States and I thought he looked very impressive.

Incredibly comfortable on the ball. His technical skill was superb. He played on the right, but from what I saw he could easily slot in behind the striker.

If that doesn't work I echo Harold's sentiments regarding Mix Diskerud. I've been saying for about a year and a half I'd kill to see him in an Everton jersey. I think the kid is class.

If if's and but's were candy and nuts we'd all have a Merry Christmas...

Just hoping we're not missing Stones, Lukaku, Mirallas, et al come Saturday...! DelBoy is already out... We need these players healthy to hit the ground running with our difficult fixture list the start of the season.

Two players gone from key positions, I take it you mean Alcaraz and Distin? The latter didn't play for 6 months and the former... well, no-one seemed to want him in the team anyway! I agree, the positions need strengthening... but come on!!

And as for the youths released, how many played or were part of any matchday squads? Will they really be missed!!

What has Kenwright's theatre employees got to do with Everton?

Which parts of the media are laughing at us?

Perhaps the money that was used to buy players last summer was borrowed against the Sky money which arrives this August. When that money is repaid on the 15th according to Colin Glassar, the club will then be in a position to borrow against next August's TV money.

I'm not certain that's the way it works but it would seem a plausible explanation.

We have at least five (if Martinez isn't lying) hamstring injuries already -- is that okay?

What happened to Danny Donachie and Steve Tashjian?

Why did Alan Myers leave so abruptly?

Are you happy that we're consistently amongst the lowest spenders in the Premier League?

Are you happy that Kenwright has invested nothing into the football club and sold off all the assets?

Are you happy that we've got a ground that is on its arse, described as the worst in league by our CEO?

Are you happy the chairman said, over 10 years ago, that he is the best man to "sell" this football club and here we are, years later, with nothing to show for it, no investment, nothing?

I'm not spending all day arguing with delusional Kenwright apologists again. This is Everton Football Club and it should not be consigned to the pages of the history books, just yet.

Now you can pick and choose bad buys, which the very best managers in the history of football have plenty of, or you can look at his complete transfer record. That record speaks for itself, via the transformation of our side and squad under Moyes. For some of the stinkers, there are the likes of Jagielka, Lescott, Baines, Coleman, Arteta, Pienaar etc. Even some of the fails, like McFadden, were sold on for a profit. Moyes's transfer record was overwhelmingly successful -- if it hadn't had been, then we would not have moved forward as a football club.

I also do not understand how you can deride the Stones deal based on hearsay? We were clearly tracking him for a while, and brought him. He was purchased by Moyes, and goes down as another one of his great buys.

I also do not understand how you, or others, can still keep bringing up that big four stat.. firstly, it's wrong. We won at Spurs and City when they both finished in the top 4. For some reason that's ignored, because of some peculiar historical revisionism that you accuse others of engaging in.

It was a problem of Moyes's of course, the big game failing, and symbolic of us under Moyes. We were the nearly men. But we were incredibly efficient, and over-achieved in view of the money spent. We did not overachieve in the eyes of the generation of fans in the 80s, but we did overachieve for a club who spent ٟ-2M a year net. But we often failed on the big occasions, even if there were some stories of success in there (like the FA Cup Semi-Final with Man Utd). When Martinez came, he was heralded because he demonstrated an ability to win in those big games under Wigan.

Unfortunately, we've only realised what we've lost when Moyes left. His stability, and the sense that the club would retain its top 7 in the hope of finding a buyer who would allow us to compete with the top 4. Now we face the possibility of losing that status us a top 7 club, under the tutelage of a manager who is less tactically sound than the often dour Moyes.

They both have bad points, but I know who I'd rather have buying our players. I also think that Moyes was hamstrung by our financial position, and that we would have achieved the success we wanted if we had had an extra 㾶-15M a year like the clubs around us.

Martinez is also hamstrung of course, but nonetheless had the luxury of investing heavily last season. But I would rather someone like Moyes spent our money, rather than Martinez, because I feel like Moyes brought with a plan in mind.I struggle to understand Martinez however, and his penchant for a short passing game but his desire to invest in attacking players who run with the ball, who shoot too often, who play with their head down, and who do not pass the ball quickly.

I'd also echo James last sentence: 'I dread to think where we would be now had Martinez inherited the club when Moyes did.'

Moyes, in my opinion, rescued us and an awful squad. He had his failings, but I do not think there were many better relative successes in the history of the Premier League.

Under Martinez last season we lost our way, and I think he made so so many mistakes. We were not fit, and our pre-season was wrong. We needed another creative player. We played in a way that did not suit the players, and isolated Lukaku. We lost our defensive solidarity. We had our worse season in a very long time.

Martinez has a chance to make it right, but I feel that it will be a struggle. The Stones affair hasn't helped, and I'm struggling to see how we will be in a respectable position after our opening run of horrible fixtures. That would be the same for any manager of course, but it will be a problem for a manager and squad under pressure. Fans will line up to criticise him on here, irrespective of the circumstances. Lukaku will be insulted left, right and centre. Barkley too. I expect that Martinez's job will be hanging from a thread by the end of October.

Unless, of course, he can do what we hoped he would do. Win some big games. If he does that, then things will look more optimistic. We need the 3 players Martinez mentioned, but we do have a good and very promising squad. As I referenced in a post above, we have 14 very promising players ranging between 19 and 26 in our squad, who can form our future. A few of these, Lukaku, Stones and Deulofeu, have the capacity to be top players for the best clubs in the world. Some of these, namely Coleman and McCarthy, are good enough for CL clubs.

It's not all doom and gloom, and maybe, just maybe, we will get 3 good players before the window shuts, and we will still have Stones? If Martinez fails, then I expect he will go, and then we can hope that a better manager inherits our squad. A manager with a lot of Moyes about him, but with some of the adventure of Martinez.

This notion that Martinez is ’adventurous’ or the often spouted line on MotD, ’He likes to play good football’. It’s absolute shite! I would hand on heart rather watch us punt it up to a 6ft-8in striker all game than watch this ponderous dirge.

Martinez’s entire gambit is that you can compete with the big spenders by being a well-oiled unit and getting very good at what you do. I agree, but sadly I think he’s taking us in completely the wrong direction.

Every team in the modern era that over-achieves does so because of fitness and desire. Dortmund, Atletico Madrid, the Chilean national team... they all have technical players, just as we do, just as every team does... but they had the desire and workrate that we have abandoned.

You go through our team and I genuinely think we have top players all over. We just completely lack direction. Two of the best full-backs in Europe and yet we refuse to get a cross in. We actually deliberately try to play through the middle... where our own manager admits we lack a Number 10 to unlock defences. Talk about playing to your own weaknesses.

㿈M on a striker who attacks very well and holds up play terribly. Every single ball he gets he is asked to do the latter. I’m not comparing the two, but it’s like buying Aguero and then asking him to flick on long balls.

It’s so fundamental, it hurts.

I know Spurs selling Bale offsets the accounts but more often than not they make a profit every window in recent years.

I still expect us to have at least one more exciting permanent signing (hopefully of the double figure price bracket) backed up with a loan move for a wise old-headed CB for cover.

"Bournemouth's story stimulates me. It's very refreshing and I told the manager that. All the lads are very humble and generous in their work," Distin said.

"They haven't been touched by the amazing things that the Premier League brings, maybe, but also they haven't been touched by the downside. The complacency, taking things easy, taking it for granted.

"They know they are living the dream now and they want to fight hard to keep that dream alive. It's beautiful and refreshing for me to experience that."

We keep hearing how the dressing room is a tight-knit group and has an all-for-one-&-one-for-all type of spirit but how come we haven't seen that manifest itself on the football pitch in the heat of battle too often in the last 12 months?

You may be right expecting one more exciting permanent signing and a loan player but quite honestly if we don't sign at least three permanent high quality players (centre back, Number 10 and striker) we are going to struggle. I would like a top quality goalkeeper as well.

What we really need are new owners urgently!

Specific to Garbutt, I believe that his man had settled the particulars with the Club long before he re-signed. Do I KNOW that? Of course not. We can only look at what happened. His man did not take him out onto the market, the Distin/Alcaraz wages came free 1 July, Garbutt re-upped a couple days later.

Anyway, my Garbutt opinion was just in passing. I was thinking about Roberto's ability to re-freshen the squad and why I think, in this window, he's (sorry) hamstrung.

It's been mentioned in here over the years that our wage-scale is budgeted for 10th place. I'm not sure what's that based on. But I do recall that TWers saying so, where fellows who routinely chime in when it comes to the money. So I accept we're budgeted for 10th.

This, and the Garbutt signing having to wait until other wages dropped off the ledger, leads me to believe that Roberto's big decision-making will be this time next summer.

Let's say, certainly possible, Mirallas and Oviedo do well this season. With the other 5 departing (which I expect), plenty of wage finance will be there to sign them. Let's add, by some divine intervention Gibson actually stays healthy. Money for him too.

Which still leaves us with the wages available from Osman, Hibbert, Kone, and Pienaar departing (Realistically, despite my pie-in-the-sky hopes, Gibson too). In EFC financial terms, a major chunk of dough for Roberto. In 2016, for sure not now. That's me speculating.

The Garbutt signing was just of a piece.

As an American Everton fan, I always love hearing of American players being suggested as options. But even I would have to say "nay" on Mix Diskerud. He's just way to inconsistent, and we would need for our new buys to be an instant impact. I don't think he has the pace right now or the physicality - he'd get knocked off the ball a lot; good passer, OK ball skills, kind of a weak shot (not that we ever shoot the ball). No European teams showed interest after his contract elapsed at Rosenborg; just other Norwegian teams and the Columbus Crew. So that makes you wonder. He was basically asked to be the play-maker at NYCFC before Lampard got there, and before Pirlo was even being considered; and he couldn't do it.

I would actually be interested in activating Nolito's buyout clause. I think he would be brilliant; instant offensive production and versatile; unfortunately in his late 20s. But I think he would be a game-changer for us.

More and more people will start waking up from Martinez's reign of verbal diarrhea after the first few games.

Moyes's teams were not only better organised, fitter and meaner than Martinez's, they were also prettier to watch.

The team at the moment looks like it's been told to just go out there and make it up as they go along in the idea of playing some sort of total football. It's a total cop-out.

Our cowardly board instead of either coming out and backing him or sacking him is painful to watch.

It has been obvious to a blind man that we have needed another "quality" goalscorer for over 12 months now and IMO RM is being told to either make Kone or Naismith work or sell before you can go out and buy.

If Lukaku doesn’t play against Watford and we do not get all 3 points then the whole club should hang it’s head in shame.

"If you know yer history," Bill. Well start making some now instead of carping we have no money while sending millions to the BVI every year.

If we are only sending ٦ or 9 million a year to Chelsea for Lukaku then according to the accounts and my reckoning there should be about 㿊 million plus the extra TV money this year available for new signings and extra wages.

Where is the money, Bill?

It seems certain Kone will play a lot of games this season with virtually no goal return.

Yes, there's time left to buy, but this pre-season has only highlighted the fact that we haven't learned a thing. I can't be bothered with fake positivity. Even if we buy 2-3 players, I don't believe RM will have a clue what position to play them in or what tactics will get the best out of them.

For us to be positive, we need to see something that ignites some hope and passion. I don't think we've witnessed anything close to that in the last 12+ months. Where is it going to come from? We don't have a leader on or off the pitch and there's no direction!!

I hate the fact that I'm dreading the season starting. I feel like I give my all. All of my children get home and away kits every season. Lunchboxes, gloves, pencil cases and bloody duvet covers!!

We go to as many games as we can afford. I've paid my dues and I don't deserve to feel like this!!! It's a bloody cheek to treat us with such contempt!!

The board won't give us what we deserve, the manager isn't capable, so I look to the players: Play to your strengths, play with passion, leave everything out on the pitch, and I will forgive any mistakes or failings!!

Just show us that you care, and regardless of whatever shitty tactics you have been given, work your bloody nuts off!!!

firstname.lastname@Evertonfc.com

and tell the manager what you hope and expect. It's what we all want.

Jay Harris (#181) :His comments appear to be right about the Chairman and Board, but unfortunately this is not something new with these people.

We were all aware that we needed certain types of players brought in weeks ago, and maybe Mr Martinez is bringing it up now to cover himself, after being told by the Chairman and Board he will have to wait until the end of August.

Something has to give this season.

Yes, something has to give... but what? When? Not with this lot in charge. They are like the orchestra on the fucking Titanic!!

My question mark over him is, will he make the right choices?

The minority of people who are proactive and try to organise something will then be shouted down by some of the said moaners for having for having RS tendencies. Part of me thinks that we set our bar in life and we deserve what we get.

What's the saying... Shame me once, shame on you;shame me twice, shame on me! But in Bill's case, he shames us year after year, usually when the early bird season ticket notices come through. :-D

On some of your other points (I don't need to retype what I said on the previous post points I was replying to), No, I'm not happy that the ground is in a bit of a state and that we don't spend the same as some other clubs.

In regards to the two medical staff members who left, they worked under a former manager, people leave when there are changes in management every day so nothing unusual there.

Alan Myers we might never know the real reasons he went but he seemed happy and was doing a great job at getting more people involved and raising the profile of the club. It might have been nothing as much as it might have been something sinister; we can only speculate... and that's generally when shit gets made up.

The medical people that left were highly rated in the game and a couple of them basically said they could not agree with Martinez's training methods.

My view, for what it is worth, is that Martinez did not like all the loyalty felt towards Moyes and decided to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Whatever he has done is academic now anyway.

He will stand or fall on the performance on the pitch and the supporters will soon let him know if that is not working.

1. If we do grab someone, he saved on not paying out pre-season wages.
2. How many times have we had that last minute deal that didn't go through or had a medical on the last day and didn't make the time or we discovered something but it was too late?

For example Leroy Fer. What Ever happened to that Belgian kid when Kompany tweeted that Everton have just made the signing of the window?

Who else? Let's try list the ones that an excuse was made for?

You could argue that Barry, Besic, McGeady, Kone etc haven't set the world alight too.

I happen to think that Fer is exactly what we need. A real box-to-box MF player. I think Besic is very similar but slightly more defensive.

Is it the Board, or is it the manager? History shows it's usually the last day of the window, which most definitely indicates, it's the Board.

How can a team even be remotely successful when they are still planning for the new season long after it's began?

Has the man got any grudges to bear or something because he nearly always negative about us these days. Is he bitter about not getting a role within the club or something because I can't remember the last time he said something positive about us.

Even when he summarised our European games last season for ITV he was grudging in any praise he gave us.

The news above about Distin is interesting (Patrick #173), and it reflects on something I wrote towards the end of last season. That half of the side seem to be in their comfort zone, day-dreaming their way through their careers, thinking of getting home to the luxury pad and the gadget-heavy lounge with the skinny WAG knocking out a protein shake and filling the jacuzzi with demi-sec.

Jags and Baines look lively, as does Coleman and Barkley. Cleverley looks a good buy, but Kev looks like he is trying to catch the eye of a Champions League club. Naismith looks pissed-off, as does McCarthy. I suspect that the players are as non-plussed as the rest of us. Barry will stick around for the money while Rom and Kev will hope for a move to Spurs.

Lots of problems ahead, with the injuries already piling up and players asked to play unfamiliar roles. It is mostly down to Martinez. He just can't inspire them. We lack creativity and it was amazing to see Rooney being so dynamic and positive in his play.

We need to throw off the shackles. I hate it when I see Roberto explaining to every sub what his role is, as he waits on the touchline -- he even did it to Rooney, in a friendly, for fucks sake. I'm glad Wayne didn't listen to him, or he would have sat just in front of Jags and read the Beano.

I took my 6-year-old up to his first game last Sunday, all kitted out in the new kit, spent a fortune on loads of knicknacks in the clubshop trying to encourage his enthusiasm, but when he turned round to me halfway through and said "Why are we so rubbish, dad?" I didn't know what to say to him.

You can rightly put a lot of the blame on the Kenwright and the nonexistent board but, with the players Martinez has at his disposal, we should be playing a far better brand of football than the dirge we've been serving up for so long now and I just can't see how that's going to change, with or without any new signings. Seems like, whoever plays or comes into the side, it doesn't make a scrap of difference to how he sets the team up or how we play.

People keep moaning about it being too negative on here but, like most people who go to watch us regularly, I just can't see any positives at all and unfortunately can only see another bleak season ahead.

Martinez backers, please feel free to slag me off and tell me how the tactical genius is going to turn us around, but I will take plenty of convincing!

If it takes us till the end of the transfer market to get the right player at the right price for Everton, then we have to wait. It's frustrating... but part of the Everton way. Do we want to be in dept up to our eye balls just so fans are happy we have the players in early?

We have a good team that just needs a little tinkering; we will be okay. Let's all have faith, a friendly isn't the same as a real Premier League game.

Otherwise, we will be having Januzaj for a season then handing the guy back.

How do you expect an established Premier League team with a guaranteed 䀏 million a season in TV money to compete with a top six Championship team.......?!

But apart from that, watching football for years have teached me at least one thing: pre-season games, and dare I say even the transfers in the off-season, say almost zilch about how the forthcoming season is going to progress. The first two seasons under the helm of Martinez are more or less exact copies of Moyes's first two full years.

At the start of his third season we seemed to have a very poor squad, sold our biggest asset and got next to no one to replace him. A year later we were playing in Champions League qualifiers. I do not expect that to happen this season to be honest, but I refuse to participate in doom mongering before the season has started. For me, it can really go either way this season.

You say that pre-season games have little bearing on the real thing but, after last season's debacle, it would've been nice to have seen just a hint of a visible change in attitude and playing style. But sadly, I haven't remotely seen any signs of that.

I honestly hope that you're right and once the season starts, I'll be proved wrong and we'll at least have a team that's exciting to watch and worth me travelling the 250-mile round-trip I undertake every week... but I won't hold my breath!

Don't worry about not being too optimistic; things will look a lot better come the 11th game.

I recall you're a fully paid up member of the "give him 10 games" club.

I really hope he has a rabbit trick!

COYB

Rhodes is an out and out striker, good in the air, handy with both feet, and will get you goals.

Be gutted if he ends up at Boro.

His tactics don't work and he lacks the character needed to push his players to go the extra yard. He's an idealist and part of his projected Utopia is a conflict free happy place where you don't have to deal with confrontation.
He's trying to create his own comfort zone where he feels safe and football is a happy place with beautiful goals and rainbows .

Unfortunately football like any place of work, has a proletariat (players) who will want to do the minimum amount of work for the maximum reward Vs the bourgeoisie (BK) who's interests are to achieve the opposite and get the most amount of performance at minimal cost.
Between these two categories is the manager. It is a managers job to maximize the labor output of the players, so already there is a natural conflict there.
In management we'd all like to be adored and respected by our staff and only have to delegate the nice jobs like passing and ball work. But, to get the most out of your players you have to be willing to enforce the difficult shitty tasks too like fitness training, defending set pieces and taking somebodies head off if they don't give 100%.

Last season was a disaster so he's on a short leash right now. Only time will tell but with this board any manager will struggle.

Conor, there's nothing I can add to that. You're right.

Even if he does, he'll be shopping at Poundland, not Harrods.

Martinez, who dismissed the suggestion that Lukaku has a hamstring injury, had insisted Lukaku would be ready to face Watford this weekend.

But the Everton boss now concedes he is unsure if Lukaku will play.

"He hasn't done much with the group," Martinez said.

"The next 48 hours are making sure he doesn't get a bad reaction and we are going to be very careful with him before the weekend."

He added: "Rom needs extra assessment over the next 48 hours to see what his role is going to be at the weekend."

Stones probably won't make it either. How many times did this happen last season! More lies and deceit. It's a disgrace.