It is now time to switch to a new Money AM football blog as the world cup is now over and we all look to the future.....World cup 2010 is over, Bravo Espana, and Forlan, once again and bring on the new season !.....I never expected the last thread to be such a success...thanks all.... so this new one might go on for years without the need to edit the title...we shall see...

The FA Cup, family, and us

by Peter Mills | 21/04/2016 11 Comments [Jump to last]

It's been a day of contemplation for us all. A tough day, having been humiliated at Anfield. Heartbreaking to find ourselves in such a shambles on the eve of an FA Cup semi-final.

Then, at just after 1:00pm, I was listening to Radio 2 and heard Jeremy Vine talk with Dame Vera Lyn, the woman whose songs kept alive the spirit of millions of people during World War 2. Songs that were cherished by my father, who spent 5 years away from home flying in bombers, scared out of his wits, winning that war for our freedom. The other things that kept him going were family, and Everton.

That man survived, and took me to the FA Cup Final in 1966 and 1968. We took him in 1984, 1985, 1986, 1989, and 1995. He stayed at home in 2009. He took them in his stride, revelled in the victories, was philosophical in the defeats. He understood that no matter what happened, there was a bigger picture. BUT it mattered. The match mattered. Whatever was going on, Everton mattered.

So, whatever my feelings towards the inept manager and the wastrel, millionaire footballers, I'm going to go down there and support Everton FC. Thousands and thousands will do the same. Many will have similar family histories. We are born, not manufactured. It's what we do, it's who we are.

Embrace the day. As the old fella would say, "The darkest hour comes just before the dawn".

Reader Comments

As you know, Peter, I agree wholeheartedly with your sentiments. Watching the shambles on Wednesday took me back to January of 2014. Watching the awful loss at Anfield Road, another 4-0. I thought that my day could not get any worse. But it did. I got a call from my brother, Mike, telling my that my Dad had died in hospital. The result did not matter any more.
But knowing our Dads, such good friends, they would want us to be at Wembley on Saturday regardless of the current circumstances. The club itself is much more important than the present chairman, board of directors, manager, players, coaching staff. And the club always deserves our support. I will be watching on TV but I know you will give the Boys in Blue a cheer for me. COYB.


Like most ToffeeWebbers I have been venting spleen for weeks now at the appalling management on show. However Peter, thanks for your article. Spot on. Frankly made me reflect on the nonsense of it all and the future somehow looks brighter when put into proper perspective. I appreciate that. NSNO, COYB.


Are you reading this Roberto, and understanding what the Club is really about?


Should be read aloud to the players before they leave the dressing room on saturday.......by Duncan Ferguson!

Everton vs Manchester United

by Lyndon Lloyd | 22/04/2016 130 Comments [Jump to last]

FA Cup Semi-Final Preview


With the pressure on, Roberto Martinez has some selection headaches for the biggest games of the season

It should be the peak of the season so far — thousands of Blues descending on Wembley, a place where the Twin Towers were once like a second home in the 1980s but more recently the new arch has cast a shadow on Everton on two of their previous three visits. Real hope of an FA Cup Final and a chance to erase the misery of 2009 and 2012 by ending a 21-year trophy drought should be lifting those Blue hearts as they journey down; instead they will do so with very mixed emotions.

Evertonians will travel in hope, but it will be almost forlorn hope that, first and foremost, whatever team Roberto Martinez can patch together can unite, dig deep and produce a performance worthy of the badge. Wednesday's disgrace at Anfield may never be forgiven nor forgotten but with no activity from the board with regard to the manager's position in the ensuing 36 hours, the recriminations and angst will have to be set aside, for 90 minutes at least, in an effort to will the Blues over the line.

For Martinez, the outcome will likely dictate whether it's his last match in charge or whether he is able to cling to his job for the foreseeable future. This semi-final has been central to his rhetoric while his team's awful form since the quarter-final win over Chelsea in the Premier League has dragged on and it's now do or die for the Catalan.

Unfortunately, his preparations for what is the biggest game of his career since he steered Wigan to FA Cup glory three years ago could not have been worse. Beginning the week with his captain and first choice right back rated as highly doubtful to figure tomorrow with hamstring injuries, he lost his most influential midfield player in Gareth Barry to injury in midweek, saw one centre half pick up a suspension and the other come off because of illness, all against the backdrop of the worst ever performance by an Everton team in the Merseyside derby.

It means that Everton could be down to the bare bones at the back. Stones should recover from his bout of gastro-intestinal distress in time to play. Jagielka meanwhile has, apparently, been doing light training in the last day or so but it remains to be seen if he will be pitched in half fit in desperation at the lack of options. Assuming he doesn't make it, Muhamed Besic could drop into the role emergency central-defensive role Barry would surely have filled had he not picked up a groin injury. Or, if reports of his recall are correct, Matthew Pennington could get the nod.

That still leaves a hole at right back where you would assume Bryan Oviedo will never be required to play again after his personal nightmare against Liverpool. Pennington or Callum Connolly could step into that role, as could Aaron Lennon or James McCarthy.

In central midfield, it's a case of perming two or three from Besic, Tom Cleverley, Darron Gibson and Leon Osman and the choice of wingers surely depends on how much Martinez wants to balance containment with offensive threat in the first half. Lennon for his graft and Kevin Mirallas for his early forays at Anfield could be selected for the sake of continuity, with Gerard Deulofeu left in reserve to see how things are later in the game.

Much improved United, who since exiting the Europa League so meekly to Liverpool, have won five of their last six in all competitions, could not be approaching this tie more differently. Louis van Gaal remains unpopular among many Red Devils fans who still don't see him as the man to lead them back to the title but his side have found the kind of consistency and rhythm in recent weeks to eke out results that Everton would kill for.

The meeting between the two sides at the beginning of the month, settled by Anthony Martial's second-half strike, was a case in point. Everton were toothless and lifeless and United just needed the one goal to take the points. Whether it's that tight on this occasion remains to be seen but in Martial, Marcus Rashford and the fit-again Wayne Rooney, Van Gaal certainly has attacking weapons at his disposal to exploit Martinez's weakened back line.

All eyes will be looking to see what kind of response Martinez can elicit from his charges after Wednesday's travesty but Blues fans will hope that on this occasion the players will be playing for themselves and the fans; that they can be the ones to end this quest for silverware and salvage something from the season.

Evertonians shouldn't have to balance their hopes of getting through the semi-final to earn a crack at ending a desperate longing for a trophy with the fear that the club will be stuck with a manager whose tenure has become a demonstrable failure, but plenty will wrestle with that paradox when the whistle blows.

Anything can happen in football, though, and while that shot at a trophy exists, Blues fans will have to separate the two issues and let the chips fall regarding Martinez's future where they may. One thing at a time. Pride please, Everton.

Kick-off: 5.15pm
Referee: Anthony Taylor

Comments

It's pretty much a win-win situation for us after Wednesday's capitulation. Victory means a cup final. Defeat makes Martinez's position untenable.


Possibly or very the final act for Roberto Martinez.
The flaws and weaknesses smarter the floor like landmines now and we have seen the real Martinez laid bare this season after the striptease started last season.

This is now where we are at.

One game left to save our season, one game left to save his arse.

The defining week from hell began with the predictable opening of the gates on Wednesday night...

Tomorrow is our date with the real Red Devils and could be the final time this team and manager is thrown into the fire and never seen again.

Unless....



RM has confirmed that Coleman is definitely out of the semi final he thinks Stones will be OK and Barry will be assessed on the day of the game. He made a strange comment when asked if Jagielka would be fit he said "I don't accept that Phil will be fit, but we are treating his feelings rather than his injury".
He said that the group has an incredible togetherness, and he has been working for the last 10 months to win silverware.
He was asked to comment on the speculation over his position and he said it would be unprofessional to discuss that and he was focused on Wembley.


I fear another serious twatting


The paradox has been solved, you know it, I know it and the vast majority of posters on here know it. Everton Football Club are simply bigger than Bill Kenright's ego and Roberto Martinez's so called philosophy. The sooner both of them leave the club the better.
As for Saturday, Evertonians whether there or in person will be cheering the team on, just like we always do. But nobody is under the illusion anymore, that the status quo, as it is can go on.

How a club with our stature can tolerate Wednesday' nights debacle, without even a cursory inquest, will go down as one of the blackest days in our history. It's the supporters alone who have been left red faced and humiliated. And for that, Kenwright and Martinez should never should never be forgiven.


Listening to his press conference, he said ' We put in strong work for 10 months '. Total bullshit. I'm still seething that he's still here to pick a team for tomorrow. I blame Kenwright (what a manager), another bullshitter, who should be gone with him.
Regarding team selection, he has to play Connelly right back, and Pennington centre back, if Jagielka and Galloway don't make it. He cannot pick Oviedo, but then again it is Martinez , if he does Martial will destroy him.


I'm going into this with the enthusiasm of someone who Is about to play Russian Roulette with 5 of the 6 chambers loaded.


Never mind 90 minutes away from the Cup Final, we're 90 light years away from it. Really, United only have to turn up and play to a minimum competent level to beat us. We're so bad, LVG should rest his entire first team squad for the final, and just let the under 12 girls team put us out of our misery.


Two positives:

(1) Roberto is so confused about our tactics, team and his plans that neither the opposition nor our team have any idea what he's doing. Therefore the opposition cannot plan against it. This total confusion and lack of rationality could just work in our favour.

(2) The Manure are expected to win easily. Since neither they nor their manager will get any credit for the victory, complacency or nervousness could descend.



I will wake up tomorrow and head down to Wembley with my young lad who is desperate to go for his first visit. I'll be right up for it tomorrow but I will have to prepare him for a disaster ahead of the game.
However, as for today....

I think it is a huge, huge mistake going with this manager for the game tomorrow (though I hope I am 100% wrong). It is clear the players don't want to play for him and that will detract. People will say that professional players should motivate themselves and yeah, they should. But they should be able to do that for a derby, and they didn't.

Martinez will bring an air of defeat whereas I think just the presence of Unsworth, and Royle for a last hurrah, would have generated a feeling of fight in the dressing room.

Anyway, COYB, and anyone posting on the eve of a SF that they want us to lose to get rid of Martinez should be immediately banned, as per military discipline getting rid of people bad for morale on the eve of a battle!!

I have fallen off my seat Burnley are winning, yes winning 1-0. :-))

Nothing wrong with Burnley. :-))

Preston 0 Burnley 1... Only one should have been 4 or 5 http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36051277

However 3 more promotion pts.

D/C, Have you considered getting some betting coaching.. my rates are not cheap but fairly pre-eminent -):

Lol, Burnley is the first winner on my accumulator.

Who were the others?

Did not win Stan. Lol

Got a nice one today if Leicester and Arsenal win.


Barcelona @ 1/25Match BettingWon

Barcelona v Sporting Gijon

Paris Saint-Germain @ 4/11Match BettingWon

Paris Saint-Germain v Lille

Leicester @ 3/4Match BettingOpen

Leicester v Swansea

Inter Milan @ 1/2Match BettingWon

Inter Milan v Udinese

Arsenal @ 4/5Match BettingOpen

Sunderland v Arsenal

Sporting Lisbon @ 1/12Match BettingWon

Sporting Lisbon v Uniao Madeira

And another if Leicester win -


Sixfold(s) To Win



Atletico Madrid @ 3/10Match BettingWon

Atletico Madrid v Malaga

Barcelona @ 1/25Match BettingWon

Barcelona v Sporting Gijon

Man Utd @ 5/6Match BettingWon

Everton v Man Utd

Paris Saint-Germain @ 4/11Match BettingWon

Paris Saint-Germain v Lille

Leicester @ 3/4Match BettingOpen

Leicester v Swansea

Inter Milan @ 1/2Match BettingWon

Inter Milan v Udinese

Are the odds out yet for next seasons PreMadona winners yet?..If so what are Burnley's odds?

1000/1 :-))

EVERTON 1 - 2 MANCHESTER UNITED

In Roberto Martinez’s own words, this week, with its two massive games, promised to be a “defining week” for him and his players: A Merseyside derby that Everton dared not lose and an FA Cup semi-final that offered the only remaining route to redemption in a season that has very much followed the route to disappointment trodden by the last.

A “pivotal week” is probably closer to what he intended to say but his comments ended up being unfortunately prescient — humiliation on the back of defensive vulnerability and suspect mentality at the hands of Liverpool, the giving up of an injury time goal at Wembley to Manchester United, and failure just when a crack at glory were in his team’s hands have, sadly, come to define the Catalan’s tenure.

After Wednesday’s galling collapse at Anfield, Martinez needed a big performance and the kind of backs-against-the-wall underdog spirit that lifted Everton teams of the past over United at Wembley in 1995 and 2012. He eventually got something akin to it, whether by his own powers of motivation or, perhaps more likely, through a response from the players to the desperation pouring out of stands from 30-odd thousand Evertonians and the realisation on the part of the players that their entire season was circling the drain.

Following 45 minutes of tentative, defensive football that was lacking cohesion and organisation and during which time they fell behind to Maroune Fellaini’s 34th-minute goal, the Blues suddenly discovered the intensity and drive that has been wholly lacking through a run of what is now seven games without a win in all competitions and had Louis van Gaal’s Red Devils on the ropes at times in the second half.

It yielded a penalty, won by the otherwise disappointing Ross Barkley when he was felled in the box by Tim Fosu-Mensah, that was taken well enough by Romelu Lukaku but saved by David de Gea, a goalkeeper who has made a habit of bringing his best form into meetings with Everton over the past couple of seasons. Then, after Phil Jagielka had denied Fellaini a second goal with an unseen handball almost on the goal-line, Everton levelled and threatened to turn the tie on its head with more pressure but, sadly, it didn’t ultimately tell.

Instead, there was the latest in a succession of stings in the "tale" that Blues fans have had to deal with as Martinez’s defence was sliced open one final time and Anthony Martial swept through the breach to plant a cruel winner beyond Joel Robles.

Little of what Martinez said in the aftermath of another crushing loss will have resonated with fed up Evertonians but he was right that, on balance, Everton probably deserved to get to extra time. Their first-half display had been massively disappointing, an echo of the lifeless and unimaginative fare that has characterised a sequence of three draws and, now, four defeats since that potentially catalytic victory over Chelsea last month.

It would be easier to blame the loss of Seamus Coleman, the need to use Muhamed Besic as an emergency fullback, and Jagielka’s injury if the second half from Martinez’s side hadn’t been so much better. Jagielka played — very effectively it has to be said — despite his hamstring strain but Besic was targeted often by the reds down their left and Darron Gibson’s deployment as a deep-lying defensive midfielder bordering on a third centre-half robbed Everton of numbers going forward.

The Blues ceded the ball and territory to United to an unsettling degree and Van Gaal’s men took up the invitation, playing in Marcus Rashford, foiled by blocks from John Stones and Joel Robles; Fellaini, also foiled by Stones; and Jessie Lingard who was denied brilliantly in a one-on-one by the Everton goalkeeper. All that after Martial had lit the touch paper on an open and entertaining game following a pedestrian opening with a slaloming run with the ball towards goal that he couldn’t convert from a tight angle.

And yet the Blues’ tactic of trying to catch United cold with a quick ball behind their defence for Lukaku to chase almost paid dividends on two occasions. First, he rounded Daley Blind to latch onto Robles’ booming kick forward and advance on goal but a heavy touch took him wider of de Gea than he would have liked and his shot into the turf kicked lacked the power to beat Rooney who had tracked all the way back to his goal-line.

Then, on the quarter-hour mark, Cleverley sent him away for another showdown with De Gea but, again, a bobble off his knee took the ball away from him and the angle was too acute by the time he got the shot off and the United keeper saved.

Unfortunately, Besic was ruthlessly exposed for the opening goal, as Rashford accelerated past him to the byline and cut it back to Fellaini to bobble the ball past Robles 11 minutes before half time.

That there was no response from Everton between then and the interval spoke volumes of their performance in that first half but they were a different proposition in the second period, even if they were let down to a degree by their star men.

Lukaku was arguably the biggest reason why the Blues were in the semi-final in the first place given how he almost single-handedly won the quarter final but he came up short just when his team needed him today. And Barkley looked a far cry from the player who had looked earlier in the season like he was back to being the brightest young midfield talent in the country.

The fightback, when it came, wasn’t led by Martinez’s self-proclaimed “style” of possession-based football; it was a last-ditch effort to raise the tempo by a group of players who were willed on by the masses of Evertonians banked in their thousands around one half of Wembley and elimination from the cup rapidly closing in on them.

Lingard made a mess of a left-shot off Martial’s back-heel 10 minutes after the break but Everton then took control and within a couple more they had the chance to level. Lennon and Barkley caught United short-handed at the back, the winger crossed low and Tim Fosu-Mensah chopped the latter down inside the box. After a moment’s reflection, referee Anthony Taylor pointed to the spot, Lukaku took responsibility for the kick but De Gea guessed right and palmed it away.

Fans have criticised Everton for their mentality at times this season but their immediate reaction to that set-back could only have been better if it had resulted in an equaliser. Tom Cleverley shanked a chance at the back post well wide and air-kicked another cross from a central position, James McCarthy volleyed into the turf making for a routine save for the ‘keeper and a magnificent turn by Cleverley to skin his marker ended with a teasing cross that Lukaku headed over, unaware of Besic behind him who was probably better placed to head home from close range.

By the time Gerard Deulofeu was introduced for Lennon with 20 minutes to go, Gibson had dropped almost entirely back alongside Jagielka and Stones was being given license to maraud forward in mostly impressive fashion to help build attacks. It was Deulofeu who made the difference just five minutes after coming on, though, crossing low looking for Lukaku in the middle but prompting Chris Smalling into slicing into his own net instead.

1-1 but Everton weren’t done and they continued to press for a second. Deulofeu’s placed, side-foot shot was a little tame but it nicked off a defender and the keeper almost pushed the ball straight to the feet of Lukaku. The Belgian then failed to make proper contact on a gilt-edged chance as a cross bounced through from the left flank, and one of the Blues’ best moves of the game ended with Fellaini denying his compatriot with a last-ditch tackle, deflecting Lukaku’s shot behind.

A breathless second half was heading into extra time when United carved Everton’s tiring defence open one last, decisive time, however. Ander Herrera, on for just a few minutes as a substitute and the recipient of a yellow card straight away for a cynical tug on Barkley’s jersey, managed to prod the ball through to Martial who did the rest with just the ‘keeper to beat with less than a minute of stoppage time to go.

In contrast to the manner in which they threw away the initiative in the Capital One Cup semi-final in January, albeit also in controversial circumstances, the “valiant loser” aspect to Everton’s failure plays right into the “unlucky” narrative that will fool some into continuing to back Martinez as Everton’s manager. The reality is, however, that the team was ultimately undone by its failure to turn up for 50-odd minutes, its consistent failings at the back and the leaking of yet another injury-time goal.

“It comes to a point where we have to achieve and this season is very, very important for that.”

Those were the words of Martinez in November last year when he first started gathering the rhetorical rope by which he has now hanged himself. This was back when Everton had a League Cup quarter final ahead of them and were about to move back into seventh place with a win over Aston Villa, one of only four they have managed in the Premier League so far this season.

Since then, with every set-back, every blown lead, and every concession of a painful last-minute goal, Martinez has repeated his assertion that the Toffees are “very close to being a winning team”; the rhetoric shifting from insisting that Everton’s “young” team had to “achieve” this term to a constant readjustment of the timeline. Mañana, Mañana. It’s always just around the corner which is, of course, very convenient if you’re trying to preserve your job.

The Anfield disgrace was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Giving Martinez a shot at redemption with an FA Cup semi-final was either a show of loyalty and integrity, a desperate last shot, an unwillingness to make a hard decision, or simply blind faith on the part of Bill Kenwright and the Everton board. This latest failure should be the absolute final straw for the hierarchy; as painful as it is, the situation calls for ruthlessness with swift action so that the wheels can be set in motion for the next era at Goodison Park with a bolder, higher-profile appointment.

As a tweet from a frustrated supporter implored of the Chairman this evening, does your loyalty lie with one man or the thousands of Blues who deserve better than what they have been put through this season? On the back of a horrible week, crestfallen Evertonians are speaking loudly and in their thousands this evening but is anybody listening?


There are thousands, but this one comment sums it up :-


I personally have not posted since the Southampton debacle. I got into words condemning some who again blamed the support as contributing to the teams shite performances.

I was asked why - if I wasn't happy - I continue to watch them. My answer was simple, I am an Evertonian.

I was asked to basically keep stumpf and just support the whole lot of these wasters in this our most important week of the season.

Well I didn't go to Anfield and it was bloody difficult to keep quiet believe me.

Anyway now I'm back home.

Yesterday was another, in my opinion, load of shite.

I cannot remember one single game since Martinez arrived where we have played 90 plus minutes of all out footy. I've seen Leicester, spurs and our near neighbours maintain high levels of consistency where we are completely knackered by half time if we put the effort in first half, and 75 minutes if we decide to show up for the second half.

Same yesterday. No way we were unlucky, in fact, again in my opinion United were by far the better team over the piece - hate to say that !

Every week the team go out to a game plan that is outdated and easy to play against - if anyone disagrees then just look at the results. Yesterday was no different. The first half was 100% Martinez without a shadow of a doubt.
I reckon the players just came out the second half and just said bollocks to this and got on with it.
Martinez has never changed his philosophy so why would he do so yesterday.

And for any of our posters who have in the past in any way suggested that we are in any way shape or form responsible for our dire performances over the last 2 years just remember that those you blamed were exactly the same supporters who backed OUR club 1000% yesterday.

My voice is hoarse. Mainly from the 94th minute on shouting for the Catalan Clown to fuck off !!

Arsenal should of beaten Sunderland. 0-0

Leicester seem to be doing a better job with Swansea. 2-0 so far in first half.

Leicester stuffed Swansea, without their main man J. Vardy.

Ah yes Leicester.. they may still be capable of being a threat to the Champions elect I suppose.

I say Burnley FC seem to be top of this table as well http://www.transfermarkt.com/championship/fairnesstabelle/wettbewerb/GB2

Dare I say that Uefa/Fifa and the FA have a share of the responsibility of what went wrong at Hillsborough ?.....the fences caused the pressure build up...who ordered them to be put in place ?......and what about ticket sales ?....FA cup semi....only fans with tickets should have been let through turnstiles.....have all issues been addressed in the final conclusion to this terrible tragedy ?....and is there some sort of cover-up for whose to blame ?......also did I not see shoving and incredible pushing by fans as I was in front of the TV that day....there was no need for that to happen....strange that it has taken all this time to end like this......

"and is there some sort of cover-up for whose to blame ?"

RF have you just landed from Mars or what?

Martinez has departed!