Sunderland v Everton Wednesday 11th May 19.45

[Smally]

Martinez showing again why he's not cut out for this level. Can't wait for the season to end and him gone. This is almost as bad as the Walter Smith days pumping long balls up to Steve Watson and an immobile Kevin Campbell every game

 

[johnnytodd]

TBF You cannot blame Martinez for the last 3 performances. The players are professionals and never did their job.

 

[shane]

TBF You cannot blame Martinez for the last 3 performances. The players are professionals and never did their job.

Agreed. Martinez will take the all the shit for the last few matches and will (rightly IMO) be let go at the end of the season but the player's conduct has been appalling.

 

[JimJams]

It's partly because their heads are elsewhere, I imagine Stones and Lukaku are thinking about who they can get to come and rescue them during the summer, but it's also partly because frankly they're shit and have been poor all season. While Lukaku can hold his head up for the most part because he did his job and has probably earned himself a move away, Stones has been utter gash all season and doesn't deserve any of the credit as the next great England defender because he's been pish. Funes Mori has been better this season.
Obviously Martinez being an attack mindded manager gives the big Belgian more chance to shine than his defensive teammates, but Stones hasn't shown anything at all. His ball playing ability seems to have greatky overshadowed his defensive inadequacies. Maybe he'll be Etihad bound in the summer.

 

[AFCB_Mark]

I can't help thinking that had Stones come through 10-15 years ago he would have been a central midfielder and probably a bloody good one at that. It's only the modern fashion for tippy tappy football that's meant he'd been pigeonholed into being a ball playing centre back, a position in which he's been hugely exposed this season. You're right that Funes Mori, an actual defender if a slightly limited one, has been better.

I hope for England's sake that Stones improves soon, we need every player of his kind of ability we can get.

 

[GodsGift]

That's a bit of an old fashioned view Mark, i.e. if you can play football, then you can't play in defence.

Stones is a fabulous talent who needs a competent manager who actually appreciates the art of defending. He'll never get that with Martinez in charge. In hindsight, he probably would have been better off signing for Chelsea and having a year learning from Terry.