Seasons » 2015-16 » Everton News
Besic: Substitution against Arsenal the right decision


The Bosnian could barely put a foot right in a match that Everton lost in awful fashion to goals by Danny Welbeck and Alex Iwobi and he was withdrawn by his manager at half time in favour of John Stones.
A fan favourite for whom fans have been clamouring to play more games, Besic had come in for the suspended Gareth Barry ready to stake his claim for a regular first-team berth but it all went wrong for him.
"It was the worst game I have played in the last five years, Besic admitted to the Liverpool Echo. "Normally, I am always one of the best on the pitch and I can't remember when I wasn't.
"I don't know if this game was in my head, it was just a bad game to be fair.
"Maybe it was the injuries, I have never had it before. I went into the game, I looked slow, every second ball I was not there. The gaffer changed me at half-time and it was the right decision."
With Everton struggling for form, Besic could get an opportunity atone for that performance against the Gunners sooner rather than later. He was an unused substitute against Manchester United on Sunday but his view of that display, also a limp defeat, was that it was little better than the Arsenal game.
He says that the players know the fans are behind the team but that they have to show them more than they have in recent weeks.
"Arsenal and United... I don't remember us playing two games as bad," the midfielder continued. "[Against] United, to be fair, on the day were not good either and we had so much space but the Arsenal game was the same.
"When we are ourselves we can beat them easy because we are strong team but we have not shown it in the last two games.
"The supporters are always right and when they are not right they are right because they are our supporters and we have to win them back and win games.
"They are always behind us and I am not worried about that."
Reader Comments (58)
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2 Posted 05/04/2016 at 21:27:51
3 Posted 05/04/2016 at 21:30:36
4 Posted 05/04/2016 at 22:02:28
5 Posted 05/04/2016 at 22:05:30
If only his body would stop failing him.
6 Posted 05/04/2016 at 22:11:20
With our new-found wealth, I would be looking to acquire more players of Eastern European origin I find that they generally have more 'substance' and grit about their characters. We need some of that.
7 Posted 05/04/2016 at 22:23:21
Apart from the manager, who is altogether a complete enigma, all these hit and miss performances are due to a lack of consistency and consistency is what sorts out great players from good, bad or indifferent players.
Without consistency, rhythm and regularity, we are just not good enough, to be anywhere near the team we want to be.
This, my fellow EFC supporters is the failings of both players and manager alike. Yes, I might get a backlash for blaming some of the players as well, but if the players can be mercenary and change clubs willy nilly, then the fans have every right to criticise the players and manager alike, in a likewise ruthless fashion.
There is a simple solution; once we have reached the magical 40 points, if we lose the FA Cup Semi-Final that gives us time to get rid of Martinez. Bring in Sheedy and Unsy, or either, and start to turn the end of the (miserable) season into a pre-season by blooding the youth we have in the rest of the games. They will be champing at the bit!
COYB
8 Posted 05/04/2016 at 22:27:37
Not short on confidence is he? Future captain?!
9 Posted 05/04/2016 at 22:37:55
Not many players about with Mo's tenacity. A year or two of conistent performances with lomited injuries and yes he most definately has the making of an Everton captain.
High 5 Paul Conway.
10 Posted 05/04/2016 at 22:43:07
Are you saying it's not the managers fault?
Most dressing rooms don't wash their dirty linen in public!
However, the players have kept quiet up to now. Enough is enough.
Leighton has done what is required.
Maybe, just maybe Bill will realise the fans have had enough.
11 Posted 05/04/2016 at 22:51:19
Get a decent manager in, get some team spirit back and we will soon see how good some of these players are.
12 Posted 05/04/2016 at 22:59:46
But wait, I thought the tactics (possession obsession), preparation (none) and team selection (favourites and undroppables playing every week) were TOO consistent?
Only on these pages could Besic admitting he played shite translate to Martinez being to blame for him having an off-day.
13 Posted 05/04/2016 at 23:10:56
As usual, you miss the whole point of my post which was a general point about all the players who have not shown consistency the last 2 seasons and that in order for us to judge the real ability and consistency we need a new manager.
Sorry you missed the point but surely you can't be advocating keeping Martinez?
14 Posted 05/04/2016 at 23:11:44
Just over a week before that game he had been hospitalised for a couple of days with a serious chest infection. Assuming it was a viral infection (or bacterial) he would have not fully recovered. He may have felt better but it would have been nigh on impossible to have operated at the level required.
He should not have been in the match squad for that game. It made him look bad through no fault of his his.
15 Posted 05/04/2016 at 23:12:50
Have to do much more to convince; he's been here awhile now and done very little.
16 Posted 06/04/2016 at 00:42:23
If I'm missing the point then your "surely you can't be advocating keeping Martinez" is not so much you missing my point but jumping to an entirely different conclusion by putting two and two together to make five.
17 Posted 06/04/2016 at 02:16:10
And I will readily forgive any lapses Rom may have had for the brilliance of what will likely be a 30-goal season and the pure joy of that mind-blowing screamer against Chelsea.
18 Posted 06/04/2016 at 02:47:07
19 Posted 06/04/2016 at 03:18:21
Thank you, Mo. That's what we've been trying to explain for years.
20 Posted 06/04/2016 at 03:38:16
He needs two of the three other defensive midfielders to be injured before the fella who went to South America to sign him will give him a sniff.
21 Posted 06/04/2016 at 06:24:28
Is anyone naive enough to think Mo suddenly thought to himself, "I know; I will go to the press this morning and tell them how shit I played against Arsenal but remind the fans how great they actually are." You're kidding me right? The boy's just a pawn in a chess game the Club are patently losing.
For the record, I'm a big fan of Besic and truly believe he was pissed off with the way he played and wants to put it right. That's how a good pro should react. But to air his thoughts at this juncture doesn't sit well with me because the cynic inside me thinks it's more strategic rather than straight talking.
23 Posted 06/04/2016 at 07:33:55
Mo, is right about the fans. The customer is always right.
24 Posted 06/04/2016 at 08:25:49
But It's good to see he a sense of reality - perhaps more than those who regard him as yey another Wonderboy !
25 Posted 06/04/2016 at 08:35:13
International break? As has been said before, too much talking off the pitch from players. It can only be put right by actually looking bothered during a game.
26 Posted 06/04/2016 at 08:48:18
His words off the pitch seem to back up a no-nonsense, honest approach and I think that's why fans like this lad. Ultimately he needs to really show what he can do on the turf but the approach seems to be spot on.
27 Posted 06/04/2016 at 08:49:57
He knows it's been a stop start season and also knows he's not got a given right to be in the side. If he hadn't have got the injury at the start of the season he'd have been a big part of this team this year, probably in place of McCarthy who's form has been very iffy.
While away he talked positively about the club, unlike some players (Rom/Mirallas), when he signed his contract extension you could tell how proud he was and now a honest assessment of his poorest performance so far and a genuine determination to get back in the side and perform better. What more can ask of a professional?
Okay, he said he's normally the best player on the pitch but that's belief in himself and doesn't come across in the same arrogant manner as when others say similar things.
I get what people are saying about the timing of these comments but at least we're hearing good things come out of the club at last. Trying to look on the positive side. I like Besic, he should play more often but like everybody else on here, I've kind of got to the point where I'm feeling so deflated about the performances that it really doesn't matter who's on the pitch, it's all just the same old shit under this manager.
30 Posted 06/04/2016 at 09:26:18
32 Posted 06/04/2016 at 10:17:03
33 Posted 06/04/2016 at 10:22:09
34 Posted 06/04/2016 at 10:34:43
Or, to be more precise, what doesn't go on. Lack of fitness and preparation is the root cause of the on-pitch problems and there is only one person to blame for that.
35 Posted 06/04/2016 at 10:50:57
I'd love to see him performing in an Everton team playing well, with the Goodison faithful fully behind an entertaining side.
I think he would be a cm that could add more goals and assists to our team (more than Barry and McCarthy put together).
He's shown bottle to admit his performance stunk Goodison Park out last week, but I do feel it's more Martinez fault than Besics.
Let's face it, admittedly I blame Martinez for just about everything, but come on, Besic was clearly unfit for the Arsenal game. He looked slow and out of sorts, Martinez trains the players all week, surly he could see how Besic had performed the week leading up to the game.
Even during the game, Martinez replaces a right decision with a down right stupid decision. Besic off at 0-2 down to be replaced by Stones, a center half!!
WTF!!!!!!
Please get shut of this man so our talented squad can entertain us, if not we will lose all our potential world class players.
36 Posted 06/04/2016 at 10:51:27
Maybe only 3 or 4 players would find themselves automatic choices under a new manager. The rest would either have to man up, or ship out, that's for sure.
37 Posted 06/04/2016 at 11:06:24
38 Posted 06/04/2016 at 11:07:16
39 Posted 06/04/2016 at 12:32:40
I turned to my mate at the Swansea game when he went down injured saying that was the semi-final lost then!!
The only player who can get others around them playing to near the top of their game.
The same with Lennon last season, Besic must embarrass others when they see his workrate and passion for the game.
Make his captain when Jags and Barry retire.
Niggly little bastard too, we need more players of his ilk.
40 Posted 06/04/2016 at 13:26:28
Their only options were to launch it upfield or else lay it back for Robles to do likewise. As happens so often, McCarthy and Barkley had gone into hiding, and Cleverley was playing too far wide to perform this job.
41 Posted 06/04/2016 at 13:45:59
Everyone goes on about his attitude, and him being so 'driven' but what has he actually done on the pitch to have garnered so much support from our fanbase?
Giving 100%? What does that mean when you look at him playing the odd-game? He's always injured, and when he isn't I always think he looks lost, and doesn't really do any one thing that brilliantly.
Yeah he might appear to be a heart-on-the-sleeve type player, but can anyone actually give any proof of him changing games? Making a difference? Doing anything spectacular? One, twice, consistently? I can't.
42 Posted 06/04/2016 at 13:47:25
He's only got 1% at the mo and I think that might be me.
43 Posted 06/04/2016 at 13:52:22
44 Posted 06/04/2016 at 13:54:02
45 Posted 06/04/2016 at 13:58:13
46 Posted 06/04/2016 at 14:02:21
What was peculiar about his performance against Arsenal was that, maybe under instruction since forward movement is not the sort of thing that Barry whose role he was taking does, he was static throughout.
47 Posted 06/04/2016 at 14:15:43
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/35718680
48 Posted 06/04/2016 at 14:21:53
49 Posted 06/04/2016 at 14:35:27
'I'm sorry, I was crap!' = deep-rooted conspiracy ... only in a John Le Carre novel!
As someone else has said earlier: the 'The fans are right, even when they're wrong...' comment is both spot-on, and surprisingly mature.
50 Posted 06/04/2016 at 14:35:56
51 Posted 06/04/2016 at 15:20:24
"To Martinez" is getting a few offerings:
"to frustrate immensely by talking only in soundbites (i.e. 'Phenomenal', 'Unique', 'Character')"
"to watch a completely different game to everyone else."
"to under-perform whilst having the potential to achieve much more."
52 Posted 06/04/2016 at 15:41:54
53 Posted 06/04/2016 at 16:00:08
54 Posted 06/04/2016 at 17:51:14
This lad stops crosses something Baines has stopped doing. Fullbacks used to take the winger out; now, he gives him space and time to pick his pass or cross. Just shit defending, marking space.... Fuck me, we wouldn't do that in Sunday League!
55 Posted 06/04/2016 at 18:49:24
56 Posted 06/04/2016 at 19:14:28
I like him a lot, but, for a young player, he is injury prone, and that does not augur well for him, or us.
57 Posted 06/04/2016 at 19:15:36
58 Posted 06/04/2016 at 20:07:02
Very good of him to come out and say he was crap against Arsenal, as he was, probably his worst performance in a blue shirt, not many players come out and say that, but the cynic in me, just wondering why it has taken so long for him to say it....
In a way, he is defending Martinez's decision to sub him. Although I think any Manager would probably have taken him off that day.
59 Posted 06/04/2016 at 20:34:53
I don't mind them grovelling about winning 3-0 when it should have been 4-0 but about being in the bottom half of the table? They are completely demotivated by dreadful management.
60 Posted 06/04/2016 at 20:44:10
McCarthy and Cleverly are bit-part at best. Mo is the future. He needs to be playing and he needs to be setting a similar standard. He needs to be played every game that it is POSSIBLE to play him and get over this injury affliction.
What are we gonna do instead ... Go out and pick up two midfield players of a similar quality to Barry in the off season? Sure we've now got £60 million lying around due to new owner.
Barry is gonna go over the hill one day soon and if we aren't ready and prepared it is gonna hit hard. Very hard. Mo needs to play in every game possible for him to play.
61 Posted 06/04/2016 at 21:06:10
I like it that he is self critical when he has one bad game, it means he cares. Players like Barry are very hard to replace, so comfortable on the ball.
63 Posted 07/04/2016 at 17:55:56
Sorry to the Besic supporters but I think his "honest assessment" is a little less honest than you do and he will probably be rewarded by his manager for supporting his decision publicly by playing next game.
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1 Posted 05/04/2016 at 21:25:07
This is either the players trying to endear themselves to the fans and get support or the party line at work again. Sadly this looks like players holding their hands up to stuff to give a certain someone breathing space.
He was poor, granted. But there are only so many times players can say they were bad, we were unlucky, refs made mistakes...