Skipper calls for unity ahead of crucial week

Why pull together for next three games only?I really do despair.

Turning against the manager and the players at this moment in time is stupid. Get a grip until after the semi-final, hopefully the final as winners.

Jagielka's rallying cry seems half-hearted, a bit like his post-match interview after the Man Utd league game.

The club is clearly in disarray and it is more in hope than expectation that any positivity will be forthcoming from this week's difficult tasks, based on recent performances.

Everyone bemoans the waste of this year's talent, and while that's a fair sentiment, all is not lost yet. I want to see the players show some spine and fly in for every lose ball and tackle like they did against Chelsea.

Fortune and luck has got nothing whatsoever to do with the last TWO SEASONS !!

Phil try "incompetence" .....might be a bit nearer the mark

Liverpool progressing, our awful management, and poor season in the League. Is there any way we can salvage the season with a win over the RS, and a victory over Man Utd in the semi? They are both more vulnerable than in past years but are we capable of beating them?

The whole outlook could change completely. If we win the first game, we will be high on confidence for the second. Therefore we have got to beat the reds at their place. We could dent the Klopp media love-in, and get ourselves up for beating a very ordinary Man Utd side.

"As hard as it is for the players and the staff it must be especially difficult for the supporters to watch indifferent performances week in, week out. We need to find a consistency between playing in the big games and remembering that Bolton is a massive game as well.

"This is where we see the true leaders and the true team spirit that we were lacking at Bolton." — Tim Cahill in 2011

Want us to win desperately tomorrow. My lad has a season ticket with me and he has not actually seen us win at home as he missed the 4 games we've actually won. That's just not acceptable.

Get behind them this week – yes but, regardless of the outcome with the FA Cup, he MUST go at the end of the season.

I'll stop being negative now – come on, Blues.

Everyone would know he was right and would respond accordingly . . but this whiney shite about being punished for "every single lapse of concentration"? Who does he think he is kidding? We are getting away with fucking murder and could easily have lost heavily at Watford and Palace.

Wise up, Jags... stop smiling at the referees and the opposition. Stop bleating and start snarling, get some fucking nasty into yourself. Don't come cap in hand for our support, COMMAND IT!

Stride out at Anfield shaking your fist and sneering at the 40,000 gobshites who will be expecting you to role over. Batter fuck out of anyone in that dressing room who doesn't fancy it.

We've got some big units in this team acting like tarts. We like them . . but we will never love them until they become nasty bastards

GRRRYERFUCCCCKKKKKERRSSSSSS !!!!!!

I've been supporting the Club paying my way in since 1961. The problems are there and those that can are NOT rectifying them. >It is not me dragging anyone down, you should direct that remark to Everton Football Club.

These halfwit players and coaches are wheeled out week after week coming out with more repetitiveness than us on here. They then go out on the pitch and do absolutely nothing different from the crap they produced the game before.

We have had Martinez, and even more sickening, supporters. blaming us for performances. Now our motivational Captain calls for us to all stick together. Wel,l him and his cohorts need to give us something that will enable us to do so.

These soundbites from the Club actually do nothing other than to cause even more embarrassment. Don't forget, Ged, me and you will still be here long after these imposters have disappeared from the scene.

And the reference to the next week being "as big as it gets for Evertonians". Hmmm.

I believe the reason that many of us lack enthusiasm currently is the lack of any real passion, or tactical direction on the pitch. It's really difficult to see what we are trying to do or achieve.

Humming the Z-Cars theme tune doesn't do it as there is no climax. I think we need a new song. Any requests?

We desperately need a real leader on and off the pitch...maybe Besic, from the fight he shows.. but he's not had enough time / opportunity this season due to injury / Barry & McCarthy.

Sometimes you wish they'd just say nothing!

Phil has been a relatively quiet, weak captain. I want to see some fire and passion in him. I want him to be open about the team's issues. I want him to march into Martinez' office and tell him his time his up and that the dressing room is lost.

Phil is toeing the party line unlike Mr. Baines who, at least, had the balls to suggest there were discernible reasons behind our shite performances and results.

Is there anyone in the current squad who would make a decent Captain? Barry? Or seeing as he was the only one to speak his mind - Baines? Coleman can get a bit vocal too?

I don't need you to tell me either, that I, or anyone else who wanted Roberto to succeed, is a deluded acolyte, either. You're "even more sickening, supporters, blaming us" is putting blame on people who are pointing out that WE, can make a difference. That isn't blaming other supporters, it is a point of view that states WE, US, the paying public can and do have an effect.

There's a lot more going to go on in the next coupler of months at EFC, and I hope that Mr Moshiri will have already scouted, and got, several managers lined up for interview.

We can do one of two things, we can play a part bin ensuring that the dead atmosphere carries on, what do the away fans sing "It's like playing in a Library!" Bloody pathetic!

I've had arguments with Darren about booing or showing displeasure and whether it does any good or not, but I've read his post and that is just the medicine what's needed.

The trouble is, we don't have a leader on the pitch. Jags, even if he was playing, is too nice. The Refs must think he's the school monitor.

So tomorrow; and the next two games to follow are important to us, the fans! Not fucking Kenwright, and his sidekick; but US!

So we need to play the part of Leader... because there's no fucker else, who can do it! So,right from the kick off, put the thoughts about Martinez, away. We all know, that if we had our way, we'd have another manager. But we haven't got our way. That is for others to decide.

We have one week really, that's it, to salvage some pride in being a Blue and if nothing else, we go down fighting! Not die away with a whimper. I was at Wembley in 1966 and it looked like we were up shit creek then. The supporters didn't give up though, did we.

This team is going out representing us, Everton Football Club. It seems like they've lost their way. Well lets see what we can do to help. There's no one else who'll do it.

Give us all the "I told you so"s some other time. Get roaring the team on and frighten the buggers into pulling their tripes out.

Bainsey told us what was what it was like in the team, Martinez seems incapable of getting the ingredients right, so we maybe can bung a bit of chemistry in ourselves and see what happens.

If the players show some balls we can win this cup and beat the RS – it's a case of how badly do the players want it and how willing are they to fight like hell for it.

The next week will be definitive – either it will show that there really is potential in this squad or that it is too weak and submissive to ever achieve success.

What's it to be boys????

At Wembley none of us will need any of these arseholes to get us up for it, thing is will they respond? Easy to blame the support, after all we're only the last of everything else that's been blamed.

I have no chance of standing up and leading thirty odd thousand, but I'll be standing up in the Upper Bullens and shouting our team to get into the bastards. (nothing against Southampton by the way).

I won't be surprised if the team don't start off like an express train, but I'll be shouting to the heavens for to get stuck in.

You're wrong about every single game as well, we stuffed Chelsea twice, the last time when I think they thought they'd turn us over. It was the supporters who got the team motivated, not the other way round. How can the team play "phenomenally from the start" by the way.

All I'm saying to you, is you do the supporters bit from the start , instead of sitting there. If we then play like a bunch of useless fuckwits, you've not lost anything have you... except maybe your voice.

The team performance does have an effect on the supporters; but it's vice versa as well. Martinez ain't going to inspire them, the captain. even if he was playing, couldn't lead a carol service, Kenwright ain't going to give out a Churchillian speech. It's you, never mind anyone else, you could make a difference

If you sit there and wait for someone, something to happen.

Seriously, this woe is me carry-on has become ludicrous.

Prefer Martinez wasn't in charge?

Don't we all, but this constant incredibly repetitive whining is almost making me hope he stays, just to piss off those who post every fucking day to say the exact same thing.

As for the sentiments expressed by Jagielka; ok it wasn't the Gettysburg address, but for better or worse, he's the captain and after a shite few weeks may have felt a rallying cry for the next few games might help.

(and keep in mind, whatever his limitations, over the years he has taken four score and seven adidas tango caseys in the grid for the cause).

If you shout and bawl at the team and try a bit of encouragement, then, who knows? You've nowt to lose... except maybe your voice.

Good post, Eugene.

I do not know you and as far as I know have never accused you personally of "blaming the support". If you read my post you will see that I am pissed off with supporters blaming other supporters for our performances.

Recently we have had posters saying that we have been booing the players constantly, continually getting on the back of players from the off etc. When I and others have asked these supporters where they sit and what games... well still waiting on a reply.

A couple of my cousins sit in the Upper Bullens and have done for years, when I have asked them if they've heard these things they are as bewildered as me. Yes, there is booing and a lot of anger at some of the crap we have witnessed but all in all the players are getting away with murder!

You mentioned the two games against Chelsea can you think of any other game? I seem to remember the Derby when the team got the full support.... look how they repaid us!

You can only give the full backing for so long once these wasters do not respond, well, I don't have to tell you how we react. Sorry, Jim, these bastards have done for me.

Obviously the cup is a different matter but league wise these arseholes have had more than enough time and support. Maybe booing or the silent treatment is the only thing they'll recognise.

Forget the derby game. Do you think the RedShite would prefer to win that rather than Everton win the cup?

Other people say things like; "Please let's all stick together. We will achieve nothing if we aren't all together."

Just quickly to your last: Why do I go if I know they are going to be shite?

Well an easy answer... I'm an Evertonian

Would love to fuck them off but can't. I have had sore throats more than hot dinners due to supporting them through thick and thin.

Unfortunately like a lot of us, especially those getting a bit older, going now is more a chore than enjoyment but what can we do. As I mentioned earlier I will still be there long after all these chancers are gone

Yeah, I can think of other games. The Arsenal game, the West Ham one, the Leicester one, the Derby, the Newcastle one. The team might have done for you John, but my guess is that they need us because Martinez isn't inspiring them.

It was his treatment of Bainsy that finally done it for me with him. I could have seen the end of the season out in the knowledge (or hope) that Mr Moshiri will tell Kenwright "Thanks, Bill but you can leave it to me now" – and picks an outstanding manager. I was more or less content to se the season out with the thought that we would be seeing a new manager in the Summer.

I didn't realise (or perhaps I should say I didn't click,) that Martinez had lost the dressing room until he came out with the public dressing down of Bainsey.

You call the lads wasters, when you know that they're not. They're the same lads who shocked the division in the first season. There is something wrong, in my view, and I don't look at the players as the cause.

There's a feller at the row behind me who has never yet supported the team, even when we were playing fast exciting football. Why the fuck he goes, beats me but that's his choice.

What I'm saying now (repeating myself, I know) is that the Martinez situation is out of our hands, the Captain is injured (lovely feller but never a Captain) and there's no Peter Reid, no Andy Gray or Kevin Ratcliffe. No Big Nev, there's no-one in that team who can grab them by the short and curlies and do a bit of snarling at them.

There's a bunch of lads who, to me have lost the cohesion and spirit they once had , as Bainsey puts it, the Chemistry. So there's only us. I can't argue if you've had it with them, John, but seeing as there's only us. my way will be to shout at them encourage them and bollock them... then I'll probably get thrown out by the stewards for shouting at Kenwright!

So my apologies for ranting before; but this is the week, the only week that matters until the end of the season, unless we somehow get to the Final!

Shakespeare p.57

If only our boys were capable of being like greyhounds in the slips, straining upon the start, rather than the fluff it like a bunch of goofies.

As always, the contract for the fan is we cheer when they give us something to cheer. If I'm just supposed to cheer the team, no matter what... I may as well stay at home and roar my delight at the Everton bedspread.

"Martinez and his deluded acolytes"?

Not sure when I said that.

Well it'll save you a few bob Peter.

May as well stay at home and leave the ground full of Martinez' "deluded acolytes" ??

At the same time it just hits home how messed up we are at the moment that these arguments are happening.

The rest of the competition must be looking at us shaking their heads in disbelief! There is a simple solution to this conundrum. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Martinez can't explain the team's poor home form. £60k per wk and he can't see what is plainly obvious to countless thousands.

Whoever is responsible for the players' lack of fitness should be publicly shamed then stoned to death.

I couldn't agree more.

This club is running around a little like a chicken with it's head cutoff.

Martinez is desperate, and his questionable tactics are almost becoming even more so (if that's possible).

His lip service with post match interviews is just that. A bunch of lip. People are angry at him for not owning up to his own failings, but it's not going to happen. And people are getting angrier and angrier, to the point where they're getting frustrated with the players themselves.

If you want to be mad at specific players, be upset when they give a half ass effort on a tackle, not when they're trying to right the ship as best they can.

The problem I see is Martinez has drained all emotion, desire and intensity out of our club and every game we play is like a testimonial. The players look as though they can't be bothered playing for him and are fed up with his tactics. Then if they speak out they are ridiculed in front of the press (unless your Lukaku) and its a difficult cycle to get out of.

The only solution I can see is to remove the manager now (I know it's not going to happen) and put say Royle and Unsworth in charge until the end of the season.

As for blaming the fans, I know the atmosphere is not great at the majority of matches but its the same at most other home grounds unless its a massive game.

Here's hoping my fears for the next week are unfounded and we as a club show the passion and desire which we will need to get results. COYB.

Jags is a great bloke but not 'Captain' material / Baines came close with his comments but was told off (publicly) for his efforts by the de facto manager (what a twat).

Jags sentiments are logical but he should do his talking on the pitch....

Put up or shut up, don't keep blaming bad luck...

The dressing room has been lost....

I have just read the latest offerings of Roberto in the Echo, and honestly, without sarcasm, cynicism, black humour or bitterness, I think RM is ill. His latest musings, block of games important, the result against Southampton is not important, we are in an important moment, to roll out the latest 2 of 3 youngsters (like a Hollywood red carpet night) when we all know the lack of form and injury mean the opportunity has been forced on us to try something new...

But what does the idiot manager do? He puts yet more pressure on himself and the youngsters instead of sliding them in under the radar...

Seriously he is showing signs of mental pressure breakdown. I don't know the name for it but clinically he must be in need of help. The situation is toxic and affects the commercial interests and feel good factor of thousands of people, all in the public spotlight,

I think it has all the makings of a film script; different from, but as interesting as the Leicester story.

Seriously, I am not taking the piss. He is genuinely unstable. How the hell we expect the team to perform when the captain of the ship and his lieutenants are in a completely weird, different place is beyond me! Seen in this context, Jags, whilst not the best hard-nosed captain material, deserves our respect. Ultimately I love Everton more, much more than I hate Roberto and his cohorts for what they are doing to my club.

Whatever the outcome of this current (mental) block of games, he has to go before the next season, otherwise we will follow the likes of Villa. Would anyone see a role for Roy Keane in any future set up? Just a parting thought....

I work in heavy engineering... if I have a lapse in concentration, someone possibly dies.

Referees must love our games, I can imagine them at a meeting: "It's great to referee Everton, they just accept as much shit as we can give them." and "The captain is as weak as piss."

What a fucking cheek, putting the onus on the fans.

We forgive everything else, mistakes, missed chances etc but when you don't give your all for the club (which you havent done, Chelsea aside) then you reap the whirlwind.

Sort out the dressing room and the rest will take care of itself. Put in substandard performances and you get what you deserve. Simple really.

I'm anticipating a drubbing at Anfield.

I'm expecting to get beat in the FA Cup, but if we perform like world beaters against Man Utd then one thing is clear – Martinez has lost the confidence of the team and they want him out.

Ah, I see what you've done there, you've taken me at my word, you've called my bluff.

To avoid the incredibly repetitive, I said in my post (42) - 'If there is anyone who hasn't posted 'grrrrr Martinez!' put it in this thread then knock it on the fucking head - please'

So you thought 'ho ho, ok I will then!'

That showed m...hold on, you've also posted..

07/03/2016 - ‘Martinez is a wannabe poor imitation of the real deal. I cannot wait for him to go..'

And..

08/04/2016 - ‘Martinez needs to be shown the door. Only the Best is Good Enough. He's not good enough.

And..

0/03/2016 - ‘Sorry but he's got to go, he's inept at defence - it's time for somebody new.'

Erm..Just to spell it out for you, I'm not advocating repetitiveness (because as I suggest, listening to people angrily saying the same thing over and over, is fucking boring).

Martinez (and it's-actually-all about-me, repetitive drama queens) out!

I've often thought that for the bigger games, a manager could do a lot worse than letting a sensible, passionate fan into the changing room.

I asked my mate who knew an Everton player, to ask him, to ask Moyes, if I could do the team talk before we played Liverpool at Wembley. Moyes was supposed to have said that this was one of the reasons he loved Everton, because of the passion of the fans.

Myself, I was sitting behind the goal fuming with the rest of the Evertonians, because my team-talk, was only going to be about one thing. The one thing we really lack at Everton. "FUCKING BELIEF".

I came out the Stadium of Light, where six thousand Evertonians had just given some of the finest support I have ever witnessed, and it was my own belief that it was because we fancied playing Liverpool at Wembley.

Phillip Neville (he's still in Spain?) said we expected Liverpool to throw the kitchen sink at us in that second half because we were winning. Darren Hind, would have said, "Stay on the front foot boys, because these are fucking shite" and maybe we just might have won.

In short, if you have a fucking good go, boys, those fans will never ever get on your backs. The time for action is now!

I lost faith in Martinez months ago on the grounds of consistency, but I can't help still believing that something special can happen two more times this season and we actually win a trophy. Does nobody remember how good Wigan were in beating us 0-3 in the quarter final? And that team was comfortably relegated.

Martinez's problem isn't that he's an idiot who can't do anything right, it's that he's intransigently committed to a flawed ideal and unwilling to put the work into fixing obvious weaknesses that would make us perform consistently. This seems visible to everyone, even our own players, so they no longer believe in what they're being asked to do.

For two more games this season, that simply might not matter. If our players decide they really, really want to win they FA Cup, they will.

Darren Hind @20 –has it spot on. Show us that Jags and you won't need to ask for support.

A question back: How long do we blindly support the manager and weak performances by you players before we are allowed to show our displeasure?

Will he have to apologize?

But we have a decision to make. We can park our concerns, cynicism and anger because all we are doing is adding fuel to the fire of discontent, creating an environment that is a death knell for our hopes.
We know how poorly the team have performed, we are angry at the way our intelligence is undermined by a manager who has been laid bare.

But this is our love, this is our club, this is a major part of our life. This week we have to lock away our cynicism and support the team as well we have never done before if our voices can inspire a player to go for it when before he would give it away, then we have done what we could.

The weeks ahead require us to shut up and cheer, encourage and lift a team who is struggling. But we are Everton and right now, right this very day, our team needs us. We want to win for the team too, do our bit. Despite how we feel, the love for this club is mighty, the passion we have just needs inspiration and all we can do is create the atmosphere to make it happen.
It's up to us as well.

Grrrr Martinez!

Well that's my turn

Who's next in line?

We can come back to the issues surrounding the manager after this. Next, join me into the unknown again Southampton.

COYB

(no I don't ride about in a twatty red jacket, what I mean is..)

Well I've no idea of what effect any posts on TW will or won't have, but to be clear, I'm not against anyone posting and expressing doubt and despair (although preferring informative, illuminating, insightful or genuinely humourous posts myself).

What I am against is expressing doubt and despair on every fucking thread, every fucking day and basically coming across like some boo-hooing actress 'victim' guest on Opra.

I'm not against the message, but the constant repetition of anything is fucking annoying.

Link

The only way to stop these negative posts is for the team to do the business on the pitch. Here's hoping...

Not that I disagree with the reasons for our current predicament nor with the majority of supporters feelings towards our current manager, but we must try and lift the feeling of gloom if we are to have any chance of success.

Jagielka calls for unity as they know how the fans are feeling, but for me the players need to lead the fight and "win the crowd over". We have seen little of this at home this season (exceptions like the city cup game at home, when the crowd were ignited after some aggression from Besic) The Chelsea quarter where we chased and harried everything that moved, have been rare. Win the crowd and the unity will follow.

Every true Evertonian will – as always – get behind the team over the coming weeks but don't try and divert attention and blame onto the fans. Focus on your job on the pitch and stop the pathetic PR exercise.

No-one wants to see you making yourself look as daft as our demented manager. It is the players and the useless, useless manager who are the cause of all the anger and frustration this season.

100% of true Everton fans want an FA Cup Final win and their team to win every game. But 80%+ of us also want the deluded Martinez out of the club regardless.

As long as we see desire and commitment, the Goodison crowd will get behind the team.

Sounds similar to what we are experiencing at the moment. We can see things aren't working but nothing seems to be changing and frustration is growing.

I look at teams like Spurs who are similar to an Everton '80s team in that they can do anything. They have leaders, players who can put their foot in. They can play football or go direct. They score goals from all over the park. One way of playing is great when you are Barcelona and have 3 of the top forwards in the world and a team who can all play 5-a-side football but the Premier League doesn't allow for this every single week.

Sorry childish 'Anchorman' reference pun

Ian totally agree.

I have never known Goodison so quiet.

Not sure how many Southampton fans were there but they had a free rein on the support stakes.

If it wasn't by design the fans were so silent it was deafening!

And on the brief Shakespearean theme let's look forward to Kenwright assuming the role of Hamlet holding the court jester Yorick's/Bobby's skull, to Mr Moshiri's Horatio;

"Alas, poor Bobby! I knew him, Horatio, a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy. He hath bore me on his back a thousand times, and now how abhorr'd in my imagination he is!"

I really hate that.

What's that?

People who keep saying the same thing over and over again.

What repeating themselves?

Yeh, the same thing over and over again.

What never anything new to say?

Yeh, constant repetition. Exceedingly boring. The same repeated thing over and over again.

Etc.