This week's English League Cup semis

[Jodami]

Stones is another hugely talked up but totally sub standard and defensively flawed English centre half who will get found out continually on the big stage.

Should have cashed out in the summer.

[Rudolf's Mate]

Well yes

 

but the goal should not have stood

It's called goal line for a reason. If someone handles the ball into the net you don't turn and say well goal line technology didn't work there

[bertracoon]

Odd how Sky have just glossed over a blatant goal scored after the ball goes out of play and then an offside goal.

tbf I thought Aguero was onside-level. The first one though..

[bertracoon]

Otamendi with another reckless lunge. He's just as well Bobby Madden isn't refereeing or he'd have been sent aff twice already.

[MrRobbo10]

Well yes

 

but the goal should not have stood

The reasioning of a madman

[Tiberius Stinkfinger]

tbf I thought Aguero was onside-level. The first one though..

Possibly, they have e still managed to gloss over both important passages of play.

[Cairneyhill Jambo]

tbf I thought Aguero was onside-level. The first one though..

He came back from an offside position to receive the ball.

[Rudolf's Mate]

tbf I thought Aguero was onside-level. The first one though..

Tough one as his body is however his head isn't. At leas tit looked that way to me.

[bertracoon]

He came back from an offside position to receive the ball.

Doesn't matter where he was until such time as the ball is played and he becomes active.

[Rudolf's Mate]

Technically the whole line from corner to corner is the goal line - albeit I appreciate goal line technology is only used for the bit between the posts.

 

Sorry to be a pedant!

True however my point re the technology is correct. Or rather the point I was making.

[Mikey1874]

It's called goal line for a reason. If someone handles the ball into the net you don't turn and say well goal line technology didn't work there

Well done

 

very good

[Rudolf's Mate]

Well done

 

very good

Thanks

[Rudolf's Mate]

Absolutely. Was just pointing out you were wrong in stating it wasn't the goal line, that's all.

Which is why I said true. Happily acknowledging my error.

 

That is all.

[Malinga the Swinga]

Lovely, hope Martinez chokes on his sour grapes. One of the most over rated managers in charge of a seriously under performing team. Could do with Man City humping the English Celtic in final.

[Jodami]

Must be frustrating following Everton, some really good players but the defence look like they've been introduced 15 minutes before every game. Martinez really needs to put his hands up and bring in a specialist defensive coach, it's painful to watch.

[Thaw]

Must be frustrating following Everton, some really good players but the defence look like they've been introduced 15 minutes before every game. Martinez really needs to put his hands up and bring in a specialist defensive coach, it's painful to watch.

 

Thought the defence played quite well tonight, Funes Mori beginning to look a player, but like so many teams nowadays they tried to swing the referee by simply stopping playing in the lead up to the second goal. Poor decision but Everton should take their share of the blame.

[colinmaroon]

Odd how Sky have just glossed over a blatant goal scored after the ball goes out of play and then an offside goal.

 

 

It passes all understanding how that idiot who is co-commentator keeps glossing over a fundamental error by the officials.  They do get paid quite a bit of money and, it's not good enough to say they never saw it so you can't blame them.

 

It would have taken the 4th official seconds to review that, set off the numbskull alert on the ref's arm and say, "Ball out of play!"  Plus, with a goal being scored, the play had stopped.

 

Huge amounts of money, careers, depending on a bunch of amateurs masquerading as "professionals", both in running the game and officiating.

[Thaw]

How do people mean they 'glossed over' the mistake by the officials, when they showed at least four replays confirming the mistake?

[Shaggy2]

It passes all understanding how that idiot who is co-commentator keeps glossing over a fundamental error by the officials.  They do get paid quite a bit of money and, it's not good enough to say they never saw it so you can't blame them.

 

It would have taken the 4th official seconds to review that, set off the numbskull alert on the ref's arm and say, "Ball out of play!"  Plus, with a goal being scored, the play had stopped.

 

Huge amounts of money, careers, depending on a bunch of amateurs masquerading as "professionals", both in running the game and officiating.

Good post. I swear if that had happened to Hearts I'd be up ALL NIGHT on here screaming blue murder to anyone who'd listen! I was bad enough after Sunday

 

Three shocking lino calls in the last three games I've watched. I suppose we're the lucky ones in that our lino's "guess" never led to a goal, only thanks to a great block by Paterson(?) it must be said.

[Thaw]

Not a fashionable opinion, but I think the standard of officiating has improved overall in the time I've been watching football. It's far less common now than it was 20 years ago to see a goal allowed to stand when replays show the player was yards offside (or disallowed when he was well onside).

[Maroon Sailor]

It passes all understanding how that idiot who is co-commentator keeps glossing over a fundamental error by the officials. They do get paid quite a bit of money and, it's not good enough to say they never saw it so you can't blame them.

 

It would have taken the 4th official seconds to review that, set off the numbskull alert on the ref's arm and say, "Ball out of play!" Plus, with a goal being scored, the play had stopped.

 

Huge amounts of money, careers, depending on a bunch of amateurs masquerading as "professionals", both in running the game and officiating.

I agree

 

There is time to review the build up to a goal if it seems the ref and the assistants have failed to give the correct decision. In this case restart the game with a goal kick to Everton.

 

In the game last night restart the game with a free kick to Liverpool.

[Jodami]

Thought the defence played quite well tonight, Funes Mori beginning to look a player, but like so many teams nowadays they tried to swing the referee by simply stopping playing in the lead up to the second goal. Poor decision but Everton should take their share of the blame.

Agree on the second goal. Third goal no-one closes down the cross, it's like they're not sure what to do in certain situations which suggests a coaching issue. With the exception of Jagielka who I have always thought was poor but is now worse they are talented footballers but they are not natural defenders. Martinez's Wigan team were similarly vulnerable which once again points to a lack of coaching.

[Hendricks]

I like Martinez and think he is a terrific football person and coach however the defence are very suspect. They have lost 3 to Bournemouth, 4 to Stoke, 3 to Leicester, 3 to Chelsea, 3 to Man City, 2 to Swansea and thats just since December. The interesting bigger picture for me is that you have 3 England squad players (maybe 2 of whom are close to starting the Euro's) in the team one of whom is being touted at 50 million+!!! That says two things, one as we all know the English market is astonishingly bad value and two England seriously struggle for top draw defenders. Both Baines and Stones are excellent footballers, good technique and the latter is certainly a player who is going to sign fro a bigger club very soon but defensively nah, as England will find out again in the summer you need to know how to do the dirty things way better than they are capable.

[Golden Vision]

 

That was an absolutely scandalous decision, if I was an Everton fan Id be ******* raging

 

I am an Everton fan and I am ******* raging

 

How many shocking decisions can a team reasonably expect to suffer over the course of a few months? Bournemouth and Chelsea being allowed to play injury time overage against us until they score, John Terry's flagrantly and obviously offside equalising goal being allowed to stand and now tonight's nonsense? If these things really did even themselves out over the course of a season then I'd be backing us for a Champions League place.

[benny]

I am an Everton fan and I am ******* raging

 

How many shocking decisions can a team reasonably expect to suffer over the course of a few months? Bournemouth and Chelsea being allowed to play injury time overage against us until they score, John Terry's flagrantly and obviously offside equalising goal being allowed to stand and now tonight's nonsense? If these things really did even themselves out over the course of a season then I'd be backing us for a Champions League place.

Dry your eyes.Your luck ran out eventually against City.

Sterling stonewaller in the last minute in league game not given.

Navas stonewaller not given in the first leg.

Foul on Aguero not given leads up to your goal tonight.

Karma is a bitch.

[Golden Vision]

I like Martinez and think he is a terrific football person and coach however the defence are very suspect. They have lost 3 to Bournemouth, 4 to Stoke, 3 to Leicester, 3 to Chelsea, 3 to Man City, 2 to Swansea and thats just since December. The interesting bigger picture for me is that you have 3 England squad players (maybe 2 of whom are close to starting the Euro's) in the team one of whom is being touted at 50 million+!!! That says two things, one as we all know the English market is astonishingly bad value and two England seriously struggle for top draw defenders. Both Baines and Stones are excellent footballers, good technique and the latter is certainly a player who is going to sign fro a bigger club very soon but defensively nah, as England will find out again in the summer you need to know how to do the dirty things way better than they are capable.

Not sure every Everton fan would agree about Martinez. For me the jury is out at the moment. Defence has been awful for two seasons yet in Martinez's first season I recall it was a rock and Goodison was a fortress. Hard to see what has changed except perhaps a bit of ageing and the departure of Silvain Distin (many of whom would have thought would have brought an improvement). Baines is not back to the player he was before he was forced out through injury and has also suffered through the absence of Steven Pienaar - back in the day the two of them were magical down the left. Hopefully Pienaar will become a regular again after looking like he could get back to his old self against Swansea last weekend - one of the shining lights in an otherwise anemic display by the Toffees. As for Stones, he (like Barclay) are paying attention too much to their own publicity and need to get back to doing the basics well - something of which they are eminently capable when they are not trying to look too flash.

[Golden Vision]

Dry your eyes.Your luck ran out eventually against City.

Sterling stonewaller in the last minute in league game not given.

Navas stonewaller not given in the first leg.

Foul on Aguero not given leads up to your goal tonight.

Karma is a bitch.

Oh please, take off your light blue tinted specs and get ready to roll over and have your tummy tickled when you meet the Red Side at Wembley.

[Hendricks]

Not sure every Everton fan would agree about Martinez. For me the jury is out at the moment. Defence has been awful for two seasons yet in Martinez's first season I recall it was a rock and Goodison was a fortress. Hard to see what has changed except perhaps a bit of ageing and the departure of Silvain Distin (many of whom would have thought would have brought an improvement). Baines is not back to the player he was before he was forced out through injury and has also suffered through the absence of Steven Pienaar - back in the day the two of them were magical down the left. Hopefully Pienaar will become a regular again after looking like he could get back to his old self against Swansea last weekend - one of the shining lights in an otherwise anemic display by the Toffees. As for Stones, he (like Barclay) are paying attention too much to their own publicity and need to get back to doing the basics well - something of which they are eminently capable when they are not trying to look too flash.

 

Accept that being an Everton fan you will clearly have different perceptions. I was talking about Martinez as a football person in general, I think he comes across very well, is clearly hugely passionate and well liked and has a great reputation. If Everton do look in a different direction he will easily get a job at a very high level. I note that David Moyes is still out of a job....!!

[Golden Vision]

Accept that being an Everton fan you will clearly have different perceptions. I was talking about Martinez as a football person in general, I think he comes across very well, is clearly hugely passionate and well liked and has a great reputation. If Everton do look in a different direction he will easily get a job at a very high level. I note that David Moyes is still out of a job....!!

I too like Martinez in a number of ways and after his first season was a big fan. Dismissed last season as a blip with the distraction of the Europa League but there are no such excuses (other than huge amounts of bad luck, see other posts) this season. I was referring to many of the posters on the Everton equivalent of Kickback, who see him as not having moved on from the days with Wigan which ended with relegation.

 

Having said that I am not sure under whom we would fare better. If  we get a Sugar Daddy a la Liverpool / Chelsea etc then we may need someone different but for now, as long as we do not go into freefall this season, IMHO I would give him another couple of years.

[Thaw]

Agree on the second goal. Third goal no-one closes down the cross, it's like they're not sure what to do in certain situations which suggests a coaching issue. With the exception of Jagielka who I have always thought was poor but is now worse they are talented footballers but they are not natural defenders. Martinez's Wigan team were similarly vulnerable which once again points to a lack of coaching.

 

I agree generally that Everton have a problem defensively, but I always think players get a hard time from fans and the Press when they have to play the likes of Aguero and De Bruyne. It was an excellent delivery and a first class finish and that is why they are such sought after players.