Seasons » 2015-16 » Everton News
Pennington recalled for FA Cup semi-final

The 21-year-old has been playing an important role in the Saddlers' push for promotion from League One but with Ramiro Funes Mori suspended for the semi-final with Manchester United, Phil Jagielka and Gareth Barry injured and John Stones ill, Roberto Martinez is facing a selection crisis at centre-half.
Muhamed Besic is capable of filling in at centre-back but Martinez could summon Pennington, who made his first-team debut in the Capital One Cup against Barnsley last year, to bolster his options.
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2 Posted 21/04/2016 at 19:33:44
3 Posted 21/04/2016 at 19:36:54
4 Posted 21/04/2016 at 19:37:38
5 Posted 21/04/2016 at 19:42:02
I would sooner Roberto put his skates on and not stop till he gets to Spain.
6 Posted 21/04/2016 at 19:52:41
While we are at it, I'll echo what Patrick Murphy suggested earlier today, bring back Jonjo Kenny for right back, he played at Wembley the other week, another kid who won't be over awed, he'll let United know they are in a match, throw Ryan Ledson in as well along with Liam Walsh, he'll be in the thick of it, they might be young but they will have more fight than a lot of the players who went through the motions last night.
Dowell is another who can come on later in the game with a bit of class, while I'm in the mood get John Daley and Eugene in the dressing room before the game to give the pep talk, no fuck that, the players will be laughing too much, anyway we are not out of this yet, United are not much cop, we can win this.
Just don't let Martinez or any of his coaches near the team, David Unsworth is okay, he can get them ready, especially the young lads, they will run through brick walls for him.Ever fuckin ton!!!!!
7 Posted 21/04/2016 at 20:06:36
8 Posted 21/04/2016 at 20:14:56
I think he'll stick with the old guard which means the terrifying prospect of another horror show from Oviedo.
10 Posted 21/04/2016 at 21:07:34
You know, the basics.
12 Posted 21/04/2016 at 21:22:59
13 Posted 21/04/2016 at 21:23:17
14 Posted 21/04/2016 at 21:26:48
15 Posted 21/04/2016 at 21:32:24
16 Posted 21/04/2016 at 21:56:31
17 Posted 21/04/2016 at 21:58:49
Oviedo
Jagielka or Stones
Pennington
Baines
McCarthy
Besic
Cleverly
Lennon
Mirallas
Lukakuu
Subs: Howard, Galloway, Gibson, Osman, Barkley, Deulofeu, Niasse.
18 Posted 21/04/2016 at 22:13:34
19 Posted 21/04/2016 at 22:25:38
When on paper and forgetting whatever rubbish he's filled their heads with, that forward line and bench are decent. That's why it is shame he'll be managing them.
If BK is persisting because of his Cup final pedigree then he is foolish. LVG has won the Champions League and will be yet another in a long line of managers to school our useless manager.
Something radical needed doing here like firing him this morning and sending a relieved and patched up side down South. Whoever took over for the day might have seen the proverbial dead cat bounce needed to get to the final.
20 Posted 21/04/2016 at 22:30:38
21 Posted 21/04/2016 at 22:33:17
22 Posted 21/04/2016 at 22:38:52
23 Posted 21/04/2016 at 22:47:39
24 Posted 21/04/2016 at 22:50:25
Are they more solid than our first team?
I am sure Roberto has us covered though:
Robles
Oviedo
Lennon
Osman
Baines
McCarthy
Besic
Cleverley
Niasse
Kone
Gibson
That'll surprise Utd. We can play a high line (with our new CB pairing of Lennon and Osman standing just outside their semi circle) and then launch high balls at the front three.
Sorry to mickey take but that's what our manager has been doing.
25 Posted 21/04/2016 at 23:10:11
26 Posted 21/04/2016 at 23:14:29
27 Posted 21/04/2016 at 23:35:15
My main issues for the SF is Martial up against our right back. If it's Oviedo we have problems. Pennington can play there but is more of a CB then Connolly its a big ask to expect him to contain Martial. Then there is Felliani. If deployed off the main striker with licence to roam in and around the box he is bound to win a big share of aerial balls. That spells trouble with Mori now missing as well.
These are two factors that must have a strategy in place to nullify.
Do we think it's been considered?
28 Posted 21/04/2016 at 23:40:37
29 Posted 21/04/2016 at 23:46:28
30 Posted 21/04/2016 at 23:54:06
Say, we pull off a plucky win. Then, win the cup. I would sack Martinez no matter what, but Bill Kenwright will not sack a cup winner. So, the Roberto project is down to Saturday.
I believe that a huge amount of Evertonians want him gone but, if we win the cup, which I hope, and think we will, who on that night, will start a Martinez out thread?
31 Posted 21/04/2016 at 23:57:11
32 Posted 21/04/2016 at 23:57:24
34 Posted 22/04/2016 at 00:17:42
35 Posted 22/04/2016 at 01:00:56
36 Posted 22/04/2016 at 01:41:30
Take a close look at the league positiontake a look at how many games we have actually won..he will relegate Everton Football Club next season. I would not give him anymore timethe experiment is over.
Please remind me when the experiment actually started.the football has been mainly shitethere were even signs of what was to come..in his first season.Some experiment.
Plenty of crap managers and clubs have managed to win the FA cup Martinez and Wigan are on that list..
The real winners are the managers who know how to oversee a proper League campaign. Know how to win football matches.
Not preside over this crapand then try to tell us all how fucking great everything is..
Martinez should not have been anywhere near EFC.he has wasted three yearsand set us back a few years.and finished a few players chances of international glory.The one time "best left back in England" is a prime example. Will Stones and Barkley feature much in the Euros? Is Coleman the player he was under Moyes?.WTF has gone wrong with Mirallas.and Lukaku's dip in form is doing nobody any favoursincluding himself.
Anyhowthis is about Pennington..good luck to the lad..I hope that he gets a game on Saturdayhe equipped himself well in the few games that he did play last season..was one of them against Man Utd?
But I half expect Martinez to load the team with all the deadwood.they should just about last for about 20 minutesmaybe Del might last to half timeBarkley to about 60 minutes. Let's hope that Lukaku breaks sweat. And that Niasse has enough energy to reach the benchI have visions of him being stretchered off the bench..Along with Gibson.
What else can go wrong.The team bus breaks down.and Robles gets injured giving a push God help us
PS.will Amanda Holden be at Wembley? Maybe she could give the pre match team talkcouldn't be any worse than anything that Martinez says.. Now, now – nothing naughty.
37 Posted 22/04/2016 at 02:44:56
38 Posted 22/04/2016 at 03:00:08
They need to summon up the historical sports upsets, Ali's shock in Zaire, the 1980 USA miracle on ice, Aintree's Bob Champion, Dennis Taylor, Tyson Fury, Wimbledon great escape......
39 Posted 22/04/2016 at 03:49:15
Many teams have players in their late teens / early 20's playing regularly. Everton do not. We have bunched them all together in dead rubber games once in a while, but that's the only, and frankly quite useless isolated example of crap management of youth that he's come up with.
We have been treading water in the league for some time, but has there been a structured integrated plan of one new young player? Not bloody one! It is an utter disgrace and is so against the core principles of the Club I am shocked at how he gets away with it. It is one of the biggest failings of his disgraceful managerial incompetence and like the others, it is cloaked under a spin where he repeatedly claims the opposite. Consider . . . . . .
Apart from fucking up Barkley, Stones, and to some extent Geri, he has simultaneously overseen and overlooked :- Ledson, an upcoming star last season) McAleny (star of pre-season and now the main man at Wigan), Kenny,(what a prospect) Pennington (sideshow on loan until he is desperate so then seems willing to risk him in a semi-final against manure . . . .. !), Brewster (maybe a bit early? not sure), Galloway (what's happened there?), Connolly and Davies (did extremely well then immediately ignored), Henen (he was coming on well but it has not been working for a while at Fleetwood . . . . . ), and the exciting Dowell, and Evans . . . .
This fruits of the total professionalism of Sheedy and Unsy (how great has he emerged as 'managerial material' ) is really phenomenal in the true sense of the word, no sarcasm intended, are being ignored, and key development experience is being lost. Simultaneously we have excellent but unfortunately ageing club servants being retained and overstaying their welcome, instead of having a fruitful and dignified retirement plans in place. Instead we have expensive retirees and unfit newcomers clogging up the the bench! Its a bloody disgrace!
So much his managerial thinking and quite potty strategy is damaging Everton's present and the future of the Club Which is costing millions over and above the cost of salaries for him and his cronies.
Moshiri is a multi - multi millionaire. He will not allow this to go on. The theatrical farce will be sorted at exactly the right pace, soon, if not immediately after the FA Cup exit. But I seriously hope he does not overlook bringing forward the qualities and benefits of the youth.
42 Posted 22/04/2016 at 07:07:21
You hit it spot on.
Under Bobby the Loser, its all about trying to do the fancy stuff and forget about the basics.
At.least OFM doesnt compromise on the basics at all. He put together a bunch of rag tags players.and stiched them into a consistent top 7 team simply by making sure the basics are taken care of.
Nothing prolific about our OFM at all. He just takes care of the basics down to the last itsy bitsy details.
We hated him for sticking to Phil Neville through and through but Phil gets things done with no mistakes or errors.
When was the last time we saw Phil Neville making stupid miskates?
I say bring Moyes back for the rest of the season
43 Posted 22/04/2016 at 07:36:23
I suspect Stones will move to right back and one of: an unfit Jags, an unfit Barry or someone completely unsuitable like Besic whose is too small and a penalty/red card waiting to happen in that position.
I'd be amazed to see Pennington anywhere but the dugout.
44 Posted 22/04/2016 at 07:43:58
It's got to the stage now where I'm quite happy to work tomorrow and miss the game, I'm just not bothered anymore. Thank you Roberto, thank you Everton, thank you BK and co.
45 Posted 22/04/2016 at 07:45:03
Time to put the "I told you so" folder back in the filing cabinet.
As Andy # 30 has said the sad tail of this season may still have a twist.
Dave # 6 - thanks for giving me a lift. We are in a semi - we have to be up for it.
Everton youth - giant killers!
46 Posted 22/04/2016 at 08:02:45
47 Posted 22/04/2016 at 08:16:48
48 Posted 22/04/2016 at 09:04:15
49 Posted 22/04/2016 at 09:21:29
I want us to win.
Without that hope we have nothing and might as well not turn up. We got to fight for everything. We got to use this weeks events to fire the team up one last time. We need a leader to emerge... Stand up mo, now is your time.
Perhaps the reason Martinez hasn't been shown the door ....yet, is because our board share the same "unwinable" game opinion as many on here. A defeat may even make Martinez walk?
With the injuries and patched up team, why throw Unsi or dunc under the poverbial bus? It would be extremely unfair on their young coaching careers to give them a days prep, half a team and a stadium full of expectancy for such a big game. I say let Martinez set up his team one last time but get dunc in to try fire them up.
I swear, if we go out and show no passion... It's not just Martinez that should be sacked but the players with them.
50 Posted 22/04/2016 at 09:23:13
51 Posted 22/04/2016 at 10:14:14
52 Posted 22/04/2016 at 11:38:25
Also by the time the final comes around this mini injury crisis will be over with the likes of Jagielka, Coleman, Mori and Barry fully fit/available.
Yes we want a new manager but we also did when Walter Smith was here for three baron and tedious years only to be followed by 11 more years of no success in Moyes. Let's get some silverware then worry about the future.
53 Posted 22/04/2016 at 11:42:12
54 Posted 22/04/2016 at 12:18:52
55 Posted 22/04/2016 at 13:04:43
Connelly is a left back normally but if he plays, he'll do a competent job, Brent don't worry about the kids if they are picked they will not let the club down.
It's unlikely more than one two of them will play but I would have no fear if four or five played they will put more effort into their game than quite a few of the senior players have done recently.
56 Posted 22/04/2016 at 13:11:44
57 Posted 22/04/2016 at 13:50:05
The risk will come from our manager and how he approaches the game and his tactics or lack of them
58 Posted 22/04/2016 at 15:43:04
I just have this feeling that RM will play Howard. Certainly not my choice however there WILL be another "fuck-me" episode to contend with before the final whistle
59 Posted 22/04/2016 at 16:00:58
As always common sense views which unfortunately our useless manager does not have.
60 Posted 22/04/2016 at 17:07:28
61 Posted 22/04/2016 at 22:48:27
All the others are dead wood - old, unfit, chronically injured, young and untried, hopelessly out of form or just generally useless.
I think most semi-pro clubs are better run.
62 Posted 23/04/2016 at 12:36:27
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1 Posted 21/04/2016 at 19:25:39