Martinez is, in my view, a good choice by Everton. He is young, ambitious and has proven himself to be a winner (and tactically astute) by beating Man City in the FA Cup Final. He is plainly thrilled to be our manager and I am happy to reciprocate that feeling. As with all of this, only time will tell.
All the Jonah’s worried about him taking Wigan down have to remember – they were Wigan after all; that he had little money to spend and had to cut wages; he had a terrible run with defensive injuries and had to deal with that wind bag Dave Whelan. (BK might not be so difficult after all?)
Everton’s solid defense will not suddenly dissolve into frightened schoolgirls overnight. In fact, the signing of a fit Alcaraz, to me, is going to prove to be highly successful – as he is athletic, strong, a good tackler, a fine passer of the ball, experienced and reads the game well.
Martinez’s philosophy is to play football – and therefore I sense that the School of Science has a real chance of a re-birth under his guidance. This will thrill the majority of the Bluenose faithful after so many years of one up front, slightly negative styled play – no criticism intended of Moyes (well, maybe a bit).
Already Martinez has acted swiftly in the market – a big change from all the last-minute dramas (and disappointments) of recent years. Okay, the majority are ex-Wigan players, but if anyone knows how good they are then it’s Martinez. His presence at Goodison alone saw that the Barcelona wonderkid chose us over Spurs – this could bode well for the future as his knowledge of Iberian and South American talent can only stand us in good stead as we move forward. Having played and worked in the UK for so long, he naturally will not be at any disadvantage in the domestic market either.
Martinez has commented several times since taking over the reins how important he sees our youth policy and development programmes – something I think is essential given our limited purse strings and, additionally, I want to see local talent given a chance to become tomorrow’s heroes. He seems to be a very affable man, with the integrity that I so admired in Moyes. This is sure to endear him to players, fans and press alike.
I have not felt this genuine sense of optimism for years. Every pre-season is tinged with the ’rose-coloured glasses’ syndrome, but this one (to me) is becoming exciting. We have left a fairly dour, predictable environment (albeit an admirable one) – for one in which there is a strong sense of the unknown and the feeling of possible new horizons. Okay, I may be getting starry eyed but what the hell – isn’t that what being a football fan should be all about?
I’ve heard both Blues and others say that we have taken a huge gamble in Martinez’s appointment but, when you looked at the realistic names banded about and the internal candidates discussed – I feel that they would have been no safer, sounder or given any more guarantee of what the future may hold. Personally, if it had been someone like Neville or Weir, etc, currently in charge I’d have been fairly deflated, if not irreparably punctured.
Ultimately, if he does play wing backs and three central defenders, then we might, on occasion, be vulnerable to teams who have the players to exploit that system. I feel that we might potentially lose a few more games – but I also feel that the plethora of winnable draws we squandered last year will more likely be victories this year. I don’t believe that he’ll stick to any one predetermined pattern or gameplan as I think he’s tactically astute enough to play horses for courses. I think teams recently knew exactly what they were going to get when Everton turned up – I don’t think that will be the case this coming season.
The transfer market is still open for some considerable time and that might yet see us losing Baines (God forbid) and Fellaini (hopefully not). If it does turn out to be the ‘Apocalypse’ then those players will have chosen their path and there’s nothing Martinez can do (as ultimately if they want to leave, then let them go). Who he brings in to replace them will be crucial. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.
One thing is crystal clear to me and that is he does not fear the "big” teams. I believe we will see some of those highly elusive away victories we’ve yearned for for so long over the next season or so.
I know many will disagree with me – and will see my views as hopelessly romantic – but so be it; I’m loving this feeling of positivity... I hope you are too!
Let’s all get behind Robbie. COYB.
Reader Comments (33)
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2 Posted 26/07/2013 at 16:57:06
He took a low end team into a flirtation with relegation and then got them relegated. There is no argument — that is a cold hard fact.
The good thing is that we are not Wigan (although he is buying his past team members) and we will not be flirting with the lower regions of the league; we haven't for years now.
I am excited too about the new season, as I was last season but ultimately I will not be getting all giddy and starry eyed until we have seen the team perform in the league. It will be a learning curve at first but the players we have shouldn't take as long as Wigan to get on top of their instructions (fingers crossed).
3 Posted 26/07/2013 at 17:02:51
I was watching Man Utd's draw with that Japanese team today, RVP is already playing the flank just like Jelly did all last season, looks good. :p
4 Posted 26/07/2013 at 17:06:24
Those who want to (for their own reasons) will ignore the Wigan circumstance to cast doubts upon Martinez; they will lurk slyly sniping about losing three in a row and judging players because they played for Wigan – shameful.
The less blinkered will say, "How on earth did his team beat the living daylights out of us en route to beating the Champs at Wembley, weighed down by such disadvantage???"
I'm with you Jim Potter and those not should at least be giving the lad a chance – he is Everton's new manager for god's sake.
5 Posted 26/07/2013 at 17:36:51
One small point, you say that most of our signings were ex-wigan players. Thats only partly true. Robles was an Atletico Madrid player, but was on loan at Wigan. From what I saw of him in his first couple of games, I'm happier to have him in goal rather than Howard.
Kone is undoubtedly an improvement on our current strikers given his scoring record at wigan and Alcaraz looks a good defender who unlike our current centre backs is comfortable on the ball....and in any case he was free.
In short I've been very impressed with him so far in what he's said and done; I'm particularly happy that he has a willingness to use and improve our academy players, unlike the last dinosaur.
6 Posted 26/07/2013 at 17:43:06
7 Posted 26/07/2013 at 18:17:09
I can see Martinez being far more flexible than Moyes during a game.
You could argue, I suppose, that those surviving Prem managers will have a good idea how Martinez sets out his teams to play, but, given changes to the EFC playing staff and the willingness of the man himself to change things earlier on in a game than Moyes often did, I'm sure we will have much more of a tactical threat in terms of the opposition manager being given more conundrums to consider than Moyes' "I'll bring on Naismith after 65 minutes", or that sort of rather predictable approach !!
8 Posted 26/07/2013 at 18:39:28
Yes,he won the Cup but staying in the Prem was much more important for the future of his club....and after several near scrapes his team was relegated....however `pretty` they played.
Of course,many of Everton`s players are better than Wigan`s but they`ve been reared on hard work rather than` passing each other to death`( boring,boring!) and I just fear that they will be found lacking in the new style.
If we`re in the bottom half at Christmas,I hope BK will act to find a new love-child without any of his usual fannying about!
9 Posted 26/07/2013 at 19:07:36
What guff.
10 Posted 26/07/2013 at 19:28:53
11 Posted 26/07/2013 at 19:28:06
Couldn't resist - just found the answer.
What d'ya reckon Phil?
12 Posted 26/07/2013 at 19:39:14
http://www.statto.com/football/stats/england/premier-league/2012-2013/table/2012-12-26
13 Posted 26/07/2013 at 19:47:44
I`d would have had him out 5 years ago but I guess he proved me wrong.Hope the same is true of Santo Roberto but........
14 Posted 26/07/2013 at 19:54:09
15 Posted 26/07/2013 at 20:31:36
16 Posted 26/07/2013 at 21:08:09
Good managers make a difference of course they do, but without quality players their goosed, Wigan had to sell their best players each year, they had a policy if the player wanted to leave for a bigger club and the price was right they went.
The manager had to keep pulling rabbits out of hat each year as replacements, it was bound to fail in the end, it was a miracle they lasted so long!
As Ive said in another thread If this guy doesnt make a great manager Ill eat both my caps.
17 Posted 26/07/2013 at 21:30:43
Apparently he's available and been banging them in for the Estonian champions.
18 Posted 26/07/2013 at 23:53:09
19 Posted 27/07/2013 at 02:29:13
20 Posted 27/07/2013 at 03:09:41
21 Posted 27/07/2013 at 06:28:11
The signings, with the exception if the spaniard, don't excite me in the least. I'm more interested in what he can do with the squad, however he plays, to keep/make us a real threat to the money clubs. In particular can he get our best players performing and raising the levels of those around them - he'll have made the perfect start just by keeping hold of them.
22 Posted 27/07/2013 at 08:58:49
23 Posted 27/07/2013 at 10:14:17
I hope he proves to be the miserable git sulking in the corner, someone we can poke with a stick and laugh at just how silly he was.
24 Posted 27/07/2013 at 19:10:02
25 Posted 28/07/2013 at 07:42:27
If they are good for one they are good for the other.
26 Posted 28/07/2013 at 08:15:47
Fuck the statistics right off.
Use your eyes to get your own picture
27 Posted 28/07/2013 at 08:45:52
I'll now prepare for all the abusive messages I'll get about not supporting the club, being a Moysette etc etc.
Sad truth is that just because I'm more balanced than most people on here and am not declaring Martinez a genius because he's made early transfers or comes across as a nice man I'm gonna get abuse! I was the same with Moyes, good manager but had his faults, Martinez, well I worry about my team being managed by this man who through not being flexible in his tactics whatsoever got his team relegated, but of course I want him to do well he's the Everton manager!!
28 Posted 28/07/2013 at 08:53:36
Under Moyes, 4-5-1 too often meant 1 guy up front with 30 yards distance between him and the next blue. It meant too few people being committed into and around the danger area on many occasions.
I think there are many variations of 4-5-1 and it appears that RM's version of it is much more open to players supporting the 1, whether its the defenders or midfielders. This is undoubtedly going to lead to more goals scored. I think and hope it will also lead to more wins and happier better performing players.
29 Posted 28/07/2013 at 20:22:32
I said straight off that the buck stopped with him for the relegation. We're not Wigan and I can see mitigating circumstances that maybe you are less forgiving about. No worries (for me).
The article was really that I don't give a monkey's about statistics and what they are meant to "prove". To me, they don't really mean anything so significant.
It is merely that I am very pleasantly upbeat - and following that footballing win against Blackburn even more so now.
He deserves our backing, as I'm sure he'll get.
30 Posted 28/07/2013 at 21:38:33
I watched Wigan a number of times under RM, they looked clueless in defence and, rather than playing beautiful football that some on here would have us believe, I think they played schoolboy all-out attack football without any real tactical nouse and RM made no attempt to adjust these "tactics" to Wigan's situation. For me this is not good management.
Of course he is now Everton manager and so I obviously want him to succeed and prove me wrong but I just fear for us under him and feel we will slip down the league, so I'm not optimistic, and his signings have done absolutely nothing to allay this, be they early or not.
31 Posted 29/07/2013 at 16:53:04
32 Posted 01/08/2013 at 22:34:34
That alone must say something, but what?
33 Posted 01/08/2013 at 22:53:32
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1 Posted 26/07/2013 at 16:42:52
I am with you on this one. Really excited about the upcoming season.
I don't think we have the personnel to play with 3 Centre Backs though - if they are expected to pass the ball to each other (as opposed to someone like Gibson or Osman). But trust that Robbie will make adjustments to reflect the players we have at the moment.
I am hoping that just as Moyes may not work out too well with a more talented group of players at Man U that Martinez will turn out to be a better manager of Everton than of Wigan because our lads have a better technical ability to play his style - and he will weed out the exceptions over-time.