So the millionth ( or something like that has arrived ), unusually the 1st one of the season is at the cesspit, a place we haven't won at since Super Kev scored the winner ( a good night was had by all in town that night but I digress ). Both teams arrive with stuttering start to the season & shocking defending, especially in our case. Another embarrassment like in Jan and maybe, just maybe, Martinez needs to start looking over his shoulder. No Coleman leaves us with Stones having to play right back again with Distin/Jag at the heart of the defense. I am hoping the 2 game rest for Mirallas & Naismith is sufficient for them to come back into starting line up which looks weaker every time I look at it. Starting 11 expected, Howard, Stones, Jag, Distin, Baines, Mac, Barry, McGeady, Mirallas, Naismith, Luka. I can only see a high scoring defeat for the boys in blue, 4-2 or 4-3 defeat
I have thought long and hard since the match was finished about what sort of tone this review should be. Do I account for the fact it was the derby, not always the greatest games anyways. Do I account for the fact we scored In last min to get a draw when all seemed lost from the most unlikely of sources? Well no, am not an apologist. Never have been and never will be so this will be a true reflection of the game so stop your crying, don't press send on your inevitably boring, patethic sorry excuse for a reply. On the back of recent performances, Martinez needed to go big & show us he hasn't completely lost the plot. Unfortunately he didn't, his grand scheme was to a play a 3rd def mid ( Besic, more on him in bit ) & more worryingly he thinks that Moyes free signing, Naismith is a better forward option than his 28m buy, Lukaku. On what ********ing planet? It sort of worked once last season but its not go to option when you have run out of ideas how to manage your team, he is a striker & should be played as such. The fact both had a stinker as well underlines this point. Onto Besic, a player I don't like & if am honest don't want to like, he is the Bosnian equivalent of Barton, only without the talent. He looks a ******** & his performance was terrible, constantly passing to a red shirt or out of play, I also lost count of the amount of times he got knocked off the ball. This is probably one of the worst derbies in living memory with neither side producing enough quality to warrant a victory, Howard should have done better for the Slip up Queen Fk & what on earth happened when Jag hit that from 30yds? Try that another 100 times Phil, I suggest we would still be talking about just the 1 goal! Some final musings, Roberto if you dont like Hibbert then just ********ing say so, don't drag him into his 1st start in the league in way over 12 mths then hang him out to dry by having no cover in front of him leaving him totally exposed time after time with 2 on 1 situations. Mirallas injured leaves us desperately short of wide men & non now with any quality ( yes am talking about you fat arse Aiden ). Was Kone actually 1 big mind ******** last summer, he doesn't actually exist does he? Didn't we have trouble obtaining Atsu because they wanted to guarantee playing time for him? Is Balotelli hair cut the worse ever seen on a football field?
I thought Hibbert did quite alright considering his lack of playing time. He's certainly a better option at 2nd string RB than Stones. It seemed like Stones used to make at least one dangerous gaffe per game, but he's becoming much more reliable. From Besic's play thus far I wonder what on earth Martinez saw in his game to bring him to Everton.