Robles restates backing for Martinez

Please do not start telling the supporters that Martinez is intelligent and perfect for EFC because it is as clear as day that he clearly is not intelligent or perfect for this club with his decision making, team selections, training methods and league positions since being manager proving otherwise.

Martinez out!

A sort of charm offensive to ease their joint passage over thé last four games of the season although not necessarilly of Robertos reign !

I take what Robles has said with a pinch of salt. He has been probably told to say it. Its seems like the dreaded vote of confidence.

Did not not need to say anything about Martinez's Position at the club.

Also Saturday is going to Mad and I don't Think Robles we have seen our passionate fans give it to the board and Martinez.

Tennis Balls anyone?

Martinez persisted With Howard until the situation felt unmanageable for him I reckon

Joels a nice guy but I've want to compete we need better.

Look at the big sides Chelsea (although they have stunk this season, but are currently still Champions) have Court, Leicester have Schmeichel, Arsenal Chec, Utd De Gaye, City Hart, Spurs Loris.

Robles isn't that type of level unfortunately.

Joel as you came here from Atletico Madrid, can you go back and get Simeone for us please. Tell him we are just getting rid of one incredible and phenomenal manager and we need to replace him with another.

He said himself, it was difficult to wait 2½ years to get to the Number One spot! Doubt he wants to lose it again when a new guy comes in.

As for the above - well of course he has some loyalty to Martinez. He played him in the cup final for Wigan, he brought him to Everton, he put him in the team and has stood by him so Joel owes RM.

Not everyone hates him, clearly, and Joel isn't doing anything wrong backing him just because we all want him out. There's another side to every story.

I'd be looking at a quality European keeper if I was going to buy one at all.

1. No he is not.
2. No we are not.
3. No we can't under this guy

On Saturday I was seated behind our goal in the first half. Approx on the 30 minute mark or so a Man Utd attack ended with the ball skidding along the turf towards the goal line / six-yard line and it was the keepers ball all day long, Robles started to come and stopped and it necessitated an outstretched foot from Stones to save us. This sums up Joel.

He is an average keeper and I for one do not see the potential within him for great improvement. He is not in the top 14 keepers in the existing Premier League, (Mannone is better). The real tragedy for us is that Martinez never realised that we needed a top class keeper brought in prior to the start of this season. Robles is on a par with Bobby Mimms. What we need is a Gordon West or a Neville Southall.

Please Joel Robles just shut up, Evertonians are not fools.

With all this player support getting wheeled out, I've got a terrible feeling the alleged board meeting this week is for a vote of confidence. Hope I'm wrong!

Have been pretty impressed by Robles this last month. He's a good shot stopper and big enough to claim in the air easily. His positioning and decision-making can be ropey but have improved recently. If he performs well in the last 4 games then i'd be quite close to saying that he's earned the GK spot for next season and we should look for an understudy as opposed to splashing big on a new no.1.

By all means play your fantasy football where we can go out and buy De Gea or Lloris but I don't see it happening.

Robles has been here a while and been playing very well for the most part since he took over. He's only just had his first proper run in the team since he got here and is improving match by match in the same way De Gea did after a very ropey start. If he carries on improving then its very possible that he could become a top keeper as he has some of the basics for sure. My mind's not made up on him but I think on current form he deserves a shot at least.

If we can save ourselves £10m on some European kid who may or may or may not be the best new thing by sticking with someone who might be better and knows the club and the league then why not.

Pretty sure Nil satis nisi optimum doesn't mean run around throwing money at every perceived problem like Roman Abrahmovich's spoilt younger brother. I like to think we have some more class in giving chances to young players who have earned it.

“England is the best league in the world, I like England a lot. After the World Cup, Everton came in and clubs from England, Italy and Spain as well but I told my manager I only wanted to go to Everton," he said of his thought process.

“The manager, Roberto Martinez, is one of the reasons why I chose to come and play here. I've learnt a lot from him."

I hope that we will spend it where necessary on good players but also continue to give our youth and those who deserve it a chance. Flashing some cash doesn't always improve you... look at Newcastle.

We don't have to agree with Robles, so denigrating his ability just because he says something we don't like is bollocks frankly.

1. Identifying problem areas - where we don't have the best player(s);
2. Identifying the best players available to put in those positions;
3. Making realistic bids for them.

I argued at the start of the season how far we had fallen behind. Only now is it so glaringly obvious. Unless 24/7 Bill has pulled another fast one with Moshiri's promises of investment, coupled with the huge influx (again!) of TV revenues, then we should be going all out to get this club moving forward. Ruthless fucking ambition.

How to bullshit, obviously.

"why does he have this obsession with South American defensive players? It's not exactly their forte is it!"

I suggest you look closely at the nationalities of some of the very best defenders playing for the very best teams in the world.

An absurd statement and extremely trite stereotyping.

Your debating style leaves a lot to be desired.

Thank you. Job done.

Roberto Martinez was equally pleased with his signing for conference side Everton. "If you can't bring Mohamed to the mountain you bring the mountain to Mohamed. We've been on an incredible journey these last five years learning about life in each division. Now in the conference we get to see the real grass roots football and how we are prepared for that. Kissock is in a great moment in his career. He scored a goal a few months back, he has joined weight watchers too. But we need all the fans to get behind him and us on this wonderful journey."

Meanwhile Phil Jagielka was asked to comment on Everton's demise from EPL to conference in five seasons. "it's a strange one really. We've obviously lost most of our games and people dwell on that but we know we are a Champions League team so it falls to us players to show that starting this week at Bishops Stortford."

Get down off your high-horse and learn to play nice with the other children. We're all on the same side here, mate. Leave the trolling to Eugene.

Of course the keeper can make a difference (I was one for a long time) but you also have to take into the account the amount of help they're getting from the outfield players - in our case, not enough in my view.

You wave your list of players backing you and we will wave our "Martinez Out" flags - game on.

Buckle up for more phenomenal and incredible moments ...

Jay, are you familiar with a columnist in Viz magazine 'Britain's most ill-informed man'? You should throw the towel in now as you've got no chance of getting a word of sense out of TW's Farage-style shouty alehouse lawyer ' now that you (obviously) have him on the run.

As you can see ('We're all on the same side here, mate. Leave the trolling to Eugene') he resorts to desperate panic and deflection once you start to punch holes in his insight-free, uninformed 'arguments'.

I thought that with his previous comment - or were they part of the same interview?

You "liked" a Martinez out tweet and are now on the naughty step. As for the the "we need to learn and we will" ballocks, I'm assuming the two years in which the club has taken massive steps backwards in which you have been involved have been erased from your memory?

Well they haven't mine and I'm fucking sick of it.

The more bullshit that spills from the club at the moment, the more angry it makes me.

MARTINEZ OUT.

Perhaps you could clarify why you are so sure that's not the case for 25 yr old keeper who's performed very well in a poor team for the last month.

"TW is about opinions, not who's right & who's wrong."

Agreed ... but ... two points here:

1) Some opinions can be proven to be right and others can be shown to be wrong. That leads to questioning and debate, which you seemingly resent.

2) In this case you offered an opinion @ 20 and presented it as fact.

I challenged that opinion, you acknowedged I was right and retracted.

But then, as is your inclination, in the same breath @ 47 you get all pouty (without justification) adding:

"Your debating style leaves a lot to be desired."

You further compound that @ 47 with:

"Get down off your high-horse and learn to play nice with the other children. We're all on the same side here, mate. Leave the trolling to Eugene."

I'll just say this the once, because I have no intention of getting into a tit-for-tat with you James, but clearly, judging by your (numerous) indignant responses to other posters who challenge your opinions, you have a very fragile ego, resent having your posts questioned and are very quick to cast yourself in the role of the victim. Grow a thicker skin.

Back to footy debate ... @ 47 (possibly in an attempt to save face, having retracted your earlier post) you state:

"but we're not a top team and we get the shitty South American scraps on the cheap."

Again, 2 things here. Firstly, the implication in your words that other than the very best South American defenders playing for the very best clubs, the rest - as per your original claim - are 'shitty.'

Not so. There is barely a European side in all the top leagues that doesn't boast at least one South American defender in their squad.

Secondly, to date Martinez has recruited just two South American defenders - Alcaraz (on a free from Wigan), who due to injuries was not a great success, but still had some outstanding games for us. And Funes Mori, a regular pick for his national team and considered by some (not me) as the best out and out defender at the club. He is our 5th highest record transfer of all time, so hardly cheap.

So that's another opinion offered by you that doesn't stand up to much inspection.

Hey Ho Silver, Away!

I'm desperately sorry to have bothered you today, and hope you can enjoy your afternoon without my witless and ill-informed opinions getting in the way of your important daily duties.

In fact, I should probably just stop coming on here altogether, since my thoughts and musings are so ill-judged and upsetting. Maybe I just should support Liverpool from now and leave you to it.

Sorry, Jay.

Best leave it there then, eh?

If ever there was a more self-affirming post on TW, I must have missed it.

Have a nice afternoon.

Settling for mediocrity will not get us moving forward. Hanging on to Robles smacks of Billy Liar, 24/7 search, like-a-new-signing finances. It won't do anymore, for me at least.

Good luck with that Nick. If we don't buy De Gea or Courtois you'll be cheering Man City next season then.

We still need a number one keeper, and Robles should listen to what the fans are saying about Martinez and keep quiet for a while.

Come on! Your argument was good enough without resorting to this bare-faced whopper. Was injury the reason he utterly humiliated us at Anfield and in Kiev? Not that he gave a solitary shit mind, the man was a total mercenary. You'll have to remind me when these outstanding games occurred.

But we are on the same side, like.

It's just the present chairman and manager that's holding us back.
Robles shouldn't have been allowed to come out with that garbage especially, after Roberto's two defining games, both defeats as usual.

The biggest fear for most Evertonians is if he is given another go ahead players who are maybe just thinking of transfers will leave, if he stays then those thinking of 'success' will look elsewhere rather than take a chance on a proven failure who refuses to change his 'my way or no way' attitude', which will hasten the demise of our great club even further

You will get no argument from me of how poorly Alcaraz played in the (first!) 4-0 humiliation at Analfield (drafted in when injured, mind...), and again in Kiev.

I was very clear that I did not consider Alcaraz a success, but I'm not over-egging it or telling 'whoppers' when I state he had some outstanding games for us. He did.

There was a spell in RM's first season (maybe around Xmas, New Year, I recall) when injuries to both Jags and Distin forced RM to partner Alcaraz with Stones, who was a mere fledgling at that time.

They played extremely well together and Alcaraz was also credited for guiding and talking Stones through the games.

Memory jogged..?

Beyond this less than startling development, I wouldn't read too much into it. Players trotted out to back manager is a staple diet of the 21st century 24 hour media cycle. It doesn't generally have any bearing on real decision-making. After a manager is sacked and goodbyes said, the caravan moves on with most players inside for the new ride. In this case I suspect that Robles will be in the back seat as he's a very average goalkeeper. We need better to compete at a higher level.

Obviously we all want Everton to be the best we can be and to improve but I choose to do so within some realistic parameters. Sorry to disappoint you but we are not going to go out and buy Ronaldo and Messi. Nor are we gonna be buying any of the GKs from the top 6.

But that doesn't mean that we have to accept mediocre results. Just ask Leicester.

p.s. If you are going to come off your line then do so and get there. I hold you responsible for getting beaten by a relatively soft shot from Martial because you were once again standing in no man's land giving yourself no reaction time to make the save. The gulf between you and De Gea couldn't be more obvious.

United had a couple of like for like chances in the 1st half where Joel came off his line with no Everton defender in sight and made 2 good very good saves. I couldn't envisage Tim Howard choosing to rush out like that unless he did the starfish (an easy goal at Goodison by Wolves, Kevin Doyle comes to mind) for the result of that manoeuvre. Joel played well on Saturday and was the only Everton player who came out of the derby with any self respect.

Joel may not be the long term answer but Martinez was right to drop Howard. His mistake was being too loyal to the hapless American and not dropping him sooner.

As for fan dissatisfaction with Martinez, the most simple protest is to take a white hanky (or tissue) if you haven't got one, and shake it to show displeasure as they do in Spain.

No official or steward with search you for these, or see them in your pocket ! easy gents.......

As for Robles, good shot stopper and no doubt made some very good saves against United and the RS, but anyone else thinks he suffers from Howard's syndrome (whose symptoms include being stuck on your goal line, even for crossed balls in the 6 yard box)?

Aside from the coaching abilities of Denis Lawrence, I have often wondered about Inaki Bergara. Are continental goalkeeping coaches suited to coaching EPL keepers?

I honestly think Martinez will end up with Leeds. I live over In Yorkshire and the last phrase you will ever here over here is "And one for yourself love" at any bar. Apart from Leeds fans who are from Armley and city centre. They are quality.

Things will move quickly fairly soon. Sack off Lukaku and Stones for good money and bring in De Boer or Koeman.

I actually think Barkely along side Rooney (the dream team) would do well.

BK and RM please do one....

He was also given the opportunity, by Moyes to choose between Turner and Ruddy, who stayed and who went, he chose to keep Turner.

I agree Robles might be coached into a very good keeper don't think Woods was very good at the job.

As for Everton, I want my fucking money back from that wasted journey on Saturday. Apart from some twat pickpocketing my sunglasses while queuing up. And that spineless first-half performance. Can't motivate yourselves to want to reach an FA Cup Final.

Look at Leicester, run their tits off until the final whistle. Right, glad that's off my chest. Tennis balls at the ready...

MARTINEZ & KENWRIGHT OUT!

It's part of their job, they're contracted to do it, there are rules against them refusing to do it. It's not like they could be sitting at home but they get bored and ring up a journalist because they're just desperate to get these thoughts out.

Mostly they're being polite to jobbing hacks who need to fill some column inches, and ToffeeWeb whack the story up because there's not much else new to talk about that day.

It really isn't worth any fury.

What part of my post did you not read? Did you translate it into some other language? The point I made was raised by my son, an Everton fan and college GK. It was actually, what the fuck was he doing standing out there?

I didn't mention Howard at all. Reread the post. Howard is gone so he is not in a position to challenge for the number 1 spot. Robles currently (God help us) is the number one choice and that is frightening. Robles either needed to come all the way or stay on the line. Had he stayed on the line he would have had reaction time to stop the shot which was neither well struck, nor particularly difficult to get to.

To save me from having to respond to you again, please reread this post before responding. The point was and is Joel is not good enough for this club. The comparision to De Gea was supposed to illustrate that. Remember, it took Smalling's backside to score on De Gea, not a relatively soft shot past an out of position GK.

It is only the average ones who are coming out praising him.

It's all gone too far now.. time for a change.. players 'backing' their manager are just sucking up to stay in that manager's team (while he's still there) anyway!!!

Your post was about the gulf between the best GK in the world and Howard's replacement, Joel. You criticised Joel for being in no-man's land for the 3rd goal.

It was me that mentioned Tim Howard because of the irony of your comment. You have defended Tim Howard all season and now you slate his replacement for not being decisive about coming off his line. Do you realise how that sounds, Jim?!

I've never heard you criticise Tim Howard for being in no-man's land like being caught out for the penalties he conceded against Leicester and Swansea for dithering whether to come of his line or not. It's like you calling Donald Trump an evil right wing buffoon but letting off Adolf Hitler, saying, lets go easy on him he was just misunderstood.

Joel kept us in the game in the first half against United. I'd argue he was very decisive when he rushed out and made 2 very good saves when there was no Everton defender near the oncoming United player.

We will buy a better GK in the summer but I wouldn't say it was a foregone conclusion that we've seen the last of Joel. He might not be at David De Gea's level... but who is?!?

Also the fact that they have already heard his bullshit and have somewhat acquired a taste for it!

2. Spanish goalkeeper is supportive of Spanish manager who gives him extended run in first team; well, there's a surprise.

3. In Robles' current first team run, how many 'howlers' and I mean real 'howlers' has he committed .... err.... that would be, none.

4. He is a young goalkeeper of talent, who is worth persevering with, and who, when given a chance, hasn't [generally] been found wanting.

5. No, he isn't as good as De Gea ..... but neither is anyone else!

Howard was not in the game. What part of the post do you not seem to understand? Robles drifted out and instead of retreating or going all the way, he did nothing, except cut his reaction time. It was one example during the game of the class difference between the two keepers on the pitch and why Robles is not good enough.

I suppose next season you will still be trying to take shots at Howard for whatever daft reason you can conjure.

However, Gavin, of the four keepers either on the pitch or on the bench three of them would, in my opinion, have made the save on that shot. The one who wouldn't, didn't.