Answer a few questions on the Toffees?

Alright lads, I'm working on a piece before the season starts for an Everton forum and need some views on how we're being viewed from the outside, so if anyone could answer the questions that'd be great.

1) What's your opinion on Everton's new manager Roberto Martinez?

2) What do you make of our new signings? (Kone, Joel Robles, Alcaraz and Deulofeu)

3) Do you think you'll finish above us next season? why?

4) Where do you see Everton finishing next season?

5) In the next 5-10 years, do you think Everton will continue to progress, stagnate or decline now David Moyes has left the club?


I know the clubs aren't the best of friends anyway, so don't feel the need to hold back!

 

Aren't they? That one's bypassed me then I'm afraid. Prefer them to Liverpool, but carry no more contempt for them than the rest of the PL.

Well I'll be honest and answer as I would to anyone else. Honest.

1) Don't like him. Seems to be the managerial golden boy but his teams often don't start playing until March. Hope that isn't the case for you guys!

2) Three of these are ex-Wigan aren't they? Don't know the other fella. Honestly, not sure if they are better than anything Everton already had,
but if they like playing for Martinez then could be better being in a better team. Which Everton are I'll add, or certainly were under Moyes.

3) No. Because we were piss poor last season with a larger squad... (Small squad size was blamed on our poor showing)

4) In that bit between exactly halfway and where the Europa spots are dished out. I don't think they'll make Europe tho.

5) I think they will plateau out to be a solid mid-table side but totally safe from relegation trouble. Sort of where we'd settle for these days, each season.
I can't see them reaching the same level Moyes had them. However I hope for your sake I'm wrong and Martinez takes them on a level.

Ta, good luck for the coming campaign... I'd ask you a similar lot for us but I can guess and don't want to have to read them!

 

1- Think he's relatively unproven and often seems scared to take the step up (until now)
2- Only heard of Kone
3- No... because of Pardew
4- 8th
5- Decline

 

1. The first thing I would say is he's got the FA Cup on his CV. Moyes hasn't, same as a lot of others like Pardew. He likes to try and play open football, but, is defensively naive. However, with a decent defence like yours, and, if he can find the right balance, it could be a good appointment.

2. Kone - would have had him. Robles and Alcaraz - will they play, if they do, he will be pulling apart a solid defence before having a good look at it. Haven't heard of the Spanish kid.

3. Depends on who we pick up over the next few weeks.

4. Below Liverpool in the group of clubs from 7th to 10th.

5. Having a new manager won't solve your long term problem of being strapped for cash. The top 6 will continue to spend and Everton will be relying on the squad remaining together and adding odd players. I wouldn't call it stagnating, as I think you'll play better football, but as for getting into the top 4. No. Same as us basically.

 

I am not a fan of him at all. But then again would I rather him than our useless sod? I am not a fan of him as I don't trust what he says and he's come across as a bit of , shall we say, a fibber. There is a hint of the whiff of the Pit about him but I would rather him than "Gentleman" Pardew at the helm.

Signings? Is the transfer window open yet? Has anyone informed our esteemed Director of Football?

Oh dear. No. I would like to think so as a lot of us would be looking at the other clubs and trying to pick out three, or four, who are going to finish below Newcastle. Our survival this season is not assured but unless something goes badly wrong at Everton (or something unbelievable happens at StJP) then Everton and Newcastle won't be mentioned often in the same breath.

Just above mid-table but not high enough to threaten European places, I'm afraid.

I believe that Everton will stay as they are for the next season or two and then slowly start to slide. You've lost a very much undersung excellent manager.

I have nothing but admiration for Everton. There's only two honourable clubs within the Merseyside area: Tranmere Rovers, of course, being the other.

Best of luck for next season. You've lost a good man in Moyes who, with the best intentions here, does deserve better things and moving to Old Trafford was about the only step up that he could have made within the British Isles. Everton are a good club and, sadly, overshadowed by those whining media whores next door.

Best of luck next season though you won't be needing much of it.

 

1 - Nothing against Martinez, tries to play good passing football. Only time will tell how well he can get a much better team than Wigan playing.

2 - Kone is a great purchase, he should get a load more chances with you than at Wigan and he knows where the net is. Alcaraz and Robles are nothing more than squad players in my opinion. No idea about Deulofeu.

3 - I can't see us finishing above you guys. Think we'll finish up 9th - 10th with you guys battling with Liverpool once again for 6th & 7th

4 - See above

5 - Martinez seemed to be able to find a few decent players at bargain prices at Wigan much as Moyes did with you so he will need to continue with that. The problem we all have is that Liverpool and the top 5 have much better finances than anyone else in the league so they will continue to spend and improve whereas the rest of us will be left behind with the odd season of breaking into Europe.

 

1) What's your opinion on Everton's new manager Roberto Martinez?

Jury's out - unfortunately for Everton, your team is the one he's going to be found out at, for good or ill. As has been said, only seemed to shine at the very end of the season, teams have been typically easy to beat in the first four months. Added problem for you guys is he's likely to switch to 3 at the back, which although on paper looks good (I've mooted it for NUFC), there's a reason so few teams use it. I also think a major part of your success was in the link-up between Baines and Pienaar on the left. Switching tactics will nullify this (assuming you can even keep Baines). So treat his appointment with some trepidation.

2) What do you make of our new signings? (Kone, Joel Robles, Alcaraz and Deulofeu)

They'll do a job, Kone seems good. Deulofeu looks a bit lightweight to be tried out at Prem level, and I don't expect him to have the impact his reputation demands. Alcaraz just seemed to me to replace Baines....

3) Do you think you'll finish above us next season? why?

Yes, because of the tactic shift, because we don't have European commitments and because your incomings have not added a deal of quality to your squad.

4) Where do you see Everton finishing next season?

Tough one to call. If you keep Baines/Fellaini then top10, but lower than last year. If you lose both....

5) In the next 5-10 years, do you think Everton will continue to progress, stagnate or decline now David Moyes has left the club?

Stagnation beckons for Everton, I think. Well run, but limited club. More money is pouring in around you (Liverpool, Arsenal, Spurs), clubs like Swansea have strengthened and held on to a very strong manager, we won't be as bad and there's just not a lot of glamour around the blue half of Merseyside.

 

1. Never understood the hype about him, his highest ever finish is 15th. Why did that make him an 'in demand' manager???

2. Kone - looked good at Wigan, not convinced he's a 20 goal a season striker, or how he'll play with the Everton creative players (Fellaini, Mirallas, Baines etc.)
Joel - Again looked decent at Wigan, must do some pretty 'special' things at training seeing as how he was picked ahead of Al-Habsi
Alcaraz - Never struck me as a great defender, but was well-admired by the only Wigan fans I know
Deulofeu - Interesting signing. A player with massive potential, but could easily be another one of those who never quite makes it and is playing on potential until he's 26, then people realise he isn't all he cracked up to be

3. I doubt it, we have a tactically inept manager who insists on playing Jonas, Gosling and Shola, and atm little sign of transfer activity. If Everton keep hold of Fellaini, Mirallas and Baines, then definitely. Otherwise I fear we'll both be languishing between 16-11th

4. See above. If Everton keep those players, 9th, otherwise about 15th.

5. Decline, unfortunately. Martinez is setting the club up like Wigan. The only difference being he has a better base to start from. However, once those players leave/come to the end of their careers, I don't think he has the ability to keep the club in the top half

 

1) What's your opinion on Everton's new manager Roberto Martinez?
can't stand him, not sure if the haidara thing made it worse but i just got sick of everyone singing his praises for his great escapes but the reality is he got Wigan into those positions every year.

2) What do you make of our new signings? (Kone, Joel Robles, Alcaraz and Deulofeu)
Kone will be good, though i think Jelavic will return to some great form this year anyway. Alcaraz is neither here nor there for me but deulofeu is worth a punt, as for robles can't say i know of him
3) Do you think you'll finish above us next season? why?
Nar, probably not. more cos i expect a bad season from us. i expect us 14th, you around 9th

4) Where do you see Everton finishing next season?
see above
5) In the next 5-10 years, do you think Everton will continue to progress, stagnate or decline now David Moyes has left the club?
think the answer relies on whether you get yoursen a wealthier owner. Whilst you have Kenwright, coupled with Martinez, I see you literally becoming a higher position Wigan. No progress, always buying cheap relatively unknowns. Christ i sound like I secretly hate yas, do really like Everton fans but just my predicitons really

 

1- Nice guy. It will be interesting to see how he gets on with a fairly big club with better resources and higher standard of facitlities, players, staff etc. Certainly tries to play the right way but still has a fair bit to prove.
2- I think the signings are decent. 3 have PL experience and he has in depth knowledge of them. Kone is very useful, strong and versatile. I think Alcaraz is probably one of the most underrated players in the PL. Paraguay have a long history of producing excellent defenders. As a free you can't go wrong. Robles - I've only seen fleetingly but looked decent and clearly he felt this was an area to strengthen. Taking Deufoleu on loan is potentially very exciting, particularly with Martinez playing a certain way. hopefully he is not daft and it will be a gentle evolution of your playing style which Moyes begun about 3 years into his tenure there.
3- No. You have years of consistency of top 8 finishes and have had the beenfit of giving a manager time to build a structure to the club that will serve it well heading forward. We're not as far down the line in the process of establishing a structure, style, culture and consistent placing. To be honest I think our lot will turn on the manager early doors - just the way things tend to pan out here! The smart money would be on yourselves. If we could get in the top half we'd have to be happy. You have a new boss of course and things could take a little while to bed in or he could be too radical in terms of change, but I just don't see it.
4- 8th
5- Difficult to say. You have progressed over a long period of time. Much depends on finances and whether it works out with Martinez. I think it will but I suspect you may stagnate due to a lack of finances. It wouldn't be a bad thing necessarily, I just think it is difficult to make that next jump without finance. You have a good youth system though so there is always the possibility of bridging the gap that way.

 

shogs you're a nice lad/lass/brain in a vat, but I hope Everton are relegated. Your lot apparently hate our lot, and obviously being the mature fellow of this board, I think it's only right you have to watch your team crumble and burn. Bitch

1. Martinez, I'm sure, will turn out to be ****. I don't think he's a good manager at all, in fact I'd venture to place him in the vastly overrated category. Stevie Bruce laid the ground work for the club and Martinez didn't improve the club at all. Not in style (as some would have you think) or league position. But because he fluked a cup and insists on a bit more tippy tappy before the long punt to the wings, he's some sort of managerial superstar ... I'm quite firm on this, there are good deserved winners of cups and ones that get the luck of the draw, the luck of the matches and win a cup undeservedly. Wigan are a statistical anomaly in the cup's history. You conservative hippy-types "any win is a deserved win" can piss right off. You've obviously never gone to a football match before!

2. Kone is the only one I rate, and but I think he's too erratic in form and finishing. Don't think he'll save you if the better players leave.

3. Depends who plays s****er next year. I reckon we could be about equal, even with the regression and stagnation at our club, because I think a drop-off from Moyes is inevitable.

4. 13th. A disappointingly boring season ending in boring disappointment.

5. Decline Decline Decline. At some point your club will be scrapping in the relegation places. Your players are so f***ing old, you need to buy like an entire team soon.

 

Thanks a lot for these guys, hope you have an enjoyable season