Everton FC – Who is to blame?

It is a sorry state of affairs at Goodison throughout this period of time. 12^th in a Premier League table with an improved squad from last season. Early knock-outs in the two domestic cup competitions, both against opposition that surely could have been overtaken with our squad. And further disturbance and dismay within the camp, with the latest casualty being the departure of the, once magical, Samuel Eto’o, who has recently completed his move to Serie A’s Sampdoria.
So what exactly has gone wrong as of recent? Would it be the Manager? The Chairman? Board of Directors? Or maybe, just maybe, could be the players?
Many fans are quick to criticise the actions and behaviours of the Everton manager, Roberto Martinez, due to his lackadaisical choice of player positions. An example of this would be the turmoil fans have to put up with whenever Barkley is put out on the wings, when it is clear to see the lad is a midfield maestro. But surely it can’t be his fault? As a player, you must play in a number of positions to adapt to the various styles of play within a game. This would be down to the players.
So could mean the problem persists within the camp? Well, there have been numerous rumours floating around Twitter that Samuel Eto’o had been the catalyst of controversy within the dressing room; speaking over the manager’s orders at half time, influencing the younger members of the squad to ‘look elsewhere for a future’ and causing rifts against other strikers and attackers within the team (Lukaku, Mirallas and Distin to mention a couple). If this is the case, then good riddance to him. We had a tight well-oiled unit beforehand and if it were true, then he could be the main cause to our problems.

So with all of Everton’s current problems, is it all down to the Manager? In a word, partly. Yes, the fact that the same deadweight players such as Distin and Barry are still having more game time than other influential players when 9 times out of 10 they are the weakest links within the team. The substitution decisions have just been plain baffling to the fans at times, Besic who seems to be the main target. Another highlight would be the spare changeover of substitutions when in some instances, the game is crying out for ‘game changer’ or stability throughout the team. Instead nothing changes for 90 minutes, or a McGeady or a Hibbert approaches the scene and it all goes to pot. Although the manager may suffer the majority of the blame, there is a lot of responsibility that rests on the players’ attitudes and enthusiasm for the game. An example of this would be the tally of individual errors within games that lead to goals, which will inevitably continue to grow unless their focus has been corrected. This could be due to the fatigue within the training ground, over working players causing them to become ‘leggy’ and tired. Or would it be the disinterest from some of the important players, do they have something or somewhere else on their mind?

Source: evertonfc.com

Another key point is the disruption within the squad, which was highlighted in the game against West Bromwich Albion, involving that ridiculous penalty decision from Mirallas. In crucial times like these, it is wise to let the designated penalty taker to slot the ball away, however the ignorance from Mirallas is one that had me riled up and dissatisfied. In relation to this, as good of a player he may be, I do not believe Phil Jagielka should have been elected as the club captain. I am a big fan of Jagielka, however he backs out of every argument against the opposition (an example would be Costa against Coleman where Howard had to intervene) and as evident as it was against West Brom he does not seem to want to get involved with team disputes. In future, delegate the responsibility to someone who has character and passion, as bad as it may sound, someone who has the desire like Gerrard for Liverpool. Someone who will do what it takes to earn all three points, get in the oppositions face and be a leader. Throughout this season, I do not feel Jagielka has been the appropriate person to step up to the plate and control the team on the pitch.

However not every single factor is based upon the players, captain and/or the manager. Within a majority of games within the season, the referees’ decision have been downright woeful and Everton have suffered from them. Albeit this may be a biased decision, however other refereeing officials have made note and demoted those offenders who have had appalling games to lower league matches. Yet nothing had been said, not even a sorry. Roberto Martinez had sent an official enquiry into the officiating decisions, criticising their opinions on serious matters within each game where he felt actions should have been taken. As many suspect, we can expect a fine being sent from the FA for approaching the board of referees, but he is doing the right thing. If he believes things are being treated unfairly then he is right to put his fist in the air and make a change.

Through the midst negativity in the air, there are also signs of positivity. The amount of goals conceded has dropped in recent games, the style of play has been more adaptable to the state of play (as shown against West Ham in both FA matches) and with rumours of possible top signings coming within January (with the likes of Alexandre Pato, Pierre-Michel Lasogga and Stephen El Shaarawy) being muttered around Twitter and major tabloids, could there be a change of season on the table? With the next game against Crystal Palace just around the corner, could this be the ‘1^st final out of 11’ that will change our season? Only time will tell. I for one, am trying to remain positive for the rest of the season. There is still the possibility of progressing further within the Europa League which can ultimately open the door to the ‘golden chalice’ of the extra Champions League place. Finally, the January transfer window will be closing in under two weeks. And as recent figures have shown, Everton are the 20^th richest club throughout the world. Should this be the time for the board of directors find suitable financial solutions to find solace within this season? We will just have to wait and see what can be produced.