The Sword of Damocles

Now all together ' Bring me sunshine........'

Good luck to Mr Martinez....I really wished and hoped that his plans would start to give results and we'd be up there in the top 6 at least.

It just petered out and the dream faded......

What other top 6 club would appoint a manager who has just got his team relegated.

However to give him his due allowing the Moyes system to flourish in 80% of his first season looked promising.

Then the cracks started to show and instead of CL we got 5th.

We then had the most amateur preseason ever seen in the Premiership and a couple of Europa games apart last season was a disaster and he should have gone at Xmas 2014.

His treatment of Distin, Baines, Mirallas and Garbutt shows he wasnt the nice man we thought he was.

No wonder Kenwright liked him because he was a Kenwright clone - cold shoulder anyone who dares to question you.

Good riddance and goodbye.

If you are not careful you are going to get head hunted by a sports editor on a national newspaper.

Great article

I think we all now realise he failed them on a number of levels after that but the focus was there.

In recent weeks, I think he was fighting for his job, the team was playing abysmally and the fans were starting to turn. I mentioned on Twitter the other night when the team for Sunderland was announced that those are not the conditions you would willingly throw young players into. It wouldn't have been fair to them so I can understand the rationale.

I can no longer afford to go to more than one game a season so the idea of seeing an inept babbling fool walk of with millions AND an iota of respect is really hard to stomach.

Keep it up Lyndon .. truly great work...

I traced problems in the pre season of last year. Awful defensive showings against Tranmere, Celto Vigo, and Padderborn would be the start of the demise of the defence. 10 goals shipped in the opening 3 games, with Chelsea scoring 6.

Since then the side doesn't defend as a unit. Individual mistakes get punished as the pressure of chances allowed is just to much.

QED RM and BK

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_principle

But that was the sum total of his ability, as a football manager he just doesn't have a credible plan. Winning the FA cup didn't make him a genius, lot's of bum manager's have excelled in the cups, remember Jimmy Melia ? by his second season he had been totally found out.

Roberto is the inspector Clusso of football, hilarious as long as he's not your manager. Mercifully he's in the past now, consigned to history, time will tell if he has any real ability, he can't damage us anymore and for that, we should all be very grateful.

You managed it eventually but you should have done so sooner. If we are ever going to be successful then we have to have a harder edge and I challenge you and Michael to be bolder.

The site is excellent but I suggest that now you should be aiming editorial fire at Kenwright whose influence is woeful and whose support of Martinez was disastrous. We need him out and you should be taking a lead.

Evertons history and potential that had been long lost under Moyes? Really Lyndon? Don't forget how bad we were when Moyes took over. Moyes gave us back our pride and competitive spirit. Yes he had a glass ceiling but consider what he started with and how little cash he had he worked miracles. Please don't fall into the trap of media driven hype to suggest that we were awful to watch under Moyes because when he had built that team we weren't. Around 2008/09 we had a great team.....all that it lacked was a reliable front man. Much better in my opinion than anything we have witnessed on a regular basis that Martinez could conjure up.

You neglect to mention in Martinezs first season the disasters at Arsenal in the cup, the disaster at the RS. The signs were all there in that first season. We should have romped to 4th place, instead we limped to the finish. To say that we had a memorable double over Manchester Utd, well everyone was beating the mancs away, West Bromwich did it just the week before...hardly cause for going overboard in beating a very poor United team.

His second season was woeful and let's not dress up the Europa League either. Yes we beat Wolfsburg well home and away but let's face it, if the scoreline were reversed then no one could have complained. Only Lille at home and Young Boys were anything to shout about. The rest were laboured and lucky.

As to this season, well I have to disagree that it was full of potential and promise. After last seasons pitiful displays I was dreading it and so it proved. The only displays worthy of mention are City in first leg of the league cup and Chelsea in the cup. Chelsea and Southampton in the league ok. After that I really am struggling.....probably as much as the players struggled with fitness. It's no coincidence that Martinez had created one of the worst atmospheres I've ever known at Goodison. Even with 14000 in the early 80s there was more noise.

He has single handedly set back Barkley Stones Lukaku Coleman....in fact I could go through nearly all the squad, he has killed all natural talent and let them all develop such horrible sloppy traits. They are all shadows of the players that they should be.

He should have gone at the end of last season. Instead we have had to witness a death by a thousand cuts.....very slow and painful. Kenwright deserves never to make another meaningful decision at the club ever again after allowing him to continue after the Derby debacle. There can be no worse a fate than actually having koppites feel sorry for us after witnessing how bad we were. From a footballing point of view I have never been so embarrassed to be an EvertonIan after that game. I have RS fans living all around me and theIr pity for me was painful. Sorry Lyndon he out stayed his welcome a long time ago. He didn't get Everton at all. If he did then he would have known that we forgive most things but to coast through games with such little effort and endeavour is shameful. Allied to that his constant nonsense in his post match interviews just treated us with such contempt. He just assumed we were idiots and would tolerate any old rubbish that came out if his mouth. We don't and we aren't.

Again as others have said....it came much too late. I feel absolutely no pity or sorrow for him. Ultimately he got exactly what he deserved which is our contempt back for him which is exactly what he showed for us. I am actually looking forward to the game tomorrow for the first time in months. I am sure I am not on my own. I appreciate that everybody has their own opinions but as I said earlier Lyndon, we shall have to agree to disagree on this issue I'm afraid. For me all he did for Everton was make us a laughing stock and a joke to the point that that idiot Ray Wilkins claiming Southampton are a bigger club than us. Say what you like about Moyes, and no I don't want him back, but that would never have been said while he was manager.

He really should have gone long before the debacle of the derby game, but no the chairman didn't have the bottle in the end to pull the trigger.

I take no satisfaction from watching Martinez talk like a broken man after the Sunderland game, he simply had run out of excuses.

The whole issue was further compounded by the over 'generous' and fawning Chairman offering the manager a contract extension (and a payrise?) after just one season, impressive as it was.

Kenwright simply needs to disappear into the sunset...and let's start acting like a REAL business.

I don't think Lyndon should change a thing about the tone, position or content in what he writes, however, because, as this excellent piece shows, he has the ability to capture the entirety of the Martinez Era – encompassing the highs and the lows in one well-crafted piece.

Even as the clamour for Roberto's removal became deafening, the position we presented was more to reflect the changing feelings of the full fanbase than to lead the kind of campaign you are requesting. I don't believe we'll be doing that, as Kenwright's time is probably limited, with changes wrought by Farhad Moshiri set to continue as the path of the club's future destiny is hopefully redefined.

Onwards to better things though.

I'm sure you once banned me for suggesting that!

We must also remember that not only did the boring and ineffective football infuriate the fan base, but also feeling insulted after his ridiculous post-match interviews.

I'm pleased he has left, about time.

I do believe that, despite the recent vitriol aimed at Roberto, most fans would actually agree that he is a decent guy with genuine motives. But those same fans would agree that his position as manager was untenable at the end due to the appalling run results and performances. For me he did himself no favours with a series of post match interviews that bordered on delusional as opposed to his intended optimism.

it will be interesting to look back at Roberto's reign in a few years when the current views & emotions have had some time to settle down and a more reasoned evaluation can be taken. Will people say he was unlucky? Unfortunate? Will people remember any positive influences?
Or will his three year stint be consigned to the depths of the vault of 'Managers past', never to see the light of day again. And 'he who must not be named' will become a forgotten chapter in the history of our beloved club.

However, I would have hoped for a more vociferous view over the last few months.The time of Martinez was done long ago and I think, Michael, you agreed. Yet, I felt there was a timidity about the editorial content that was in contrast to the views of the majority of contributors.

I fully appreciate the balancing act you are achieving here but, I think you have quite a bit of influence.

I was at Southampton away that day he stood there, arms folded on the touchline while about 3000 of us screamed at him to make a substitution - he carried on standing there as we lost 3-0. At least I think it was 3-0, as most of us walked out when the third went in.

I'll never forget that day - for me it was indicative of him and his personality, and the day for a lot of us that we gave up on him.

When he was appointed I said we'd get some great results, play some attractive football at times, and occasionally get slaughtered ourselves, and so it transpired. We won away at Utd, beat Chelsea and had a few good games but over the course of 3 seasons we were as predicted - wide open, easy to play against, and lacking any flexibility or tactical know-how.

Defend first, know your roles, work hard, close down the opposition and the rest will come. Martinez doesn't adhere to any of that and it shows in his team results.

I'm glad he's gone, and though I bear him no personal grudge, I'm delighted he's no longer our manager.

Also I agree with Michael in that we don't need TW to initiate a ' Kenwright Out ' campaign, the sacking of Martinez to me, proves we have a new No. 1 at the club now.

Hopefully the hiring of a big name manager soon will also prove this.

Time to turn the page, a new chapter is about to begin...

It is impossible to cover every aspect of his reign in one article but for me two events stood out, one of which has rankled with me for almost 2 years and I posted my displeasure on TW at the time

The first was the lack of pre-season when he over-stayed his time in Brazil. I remain convinced we went into that second season totally unprepared, which followed on from the debacle against Crystal Palace at GP were the cracks really began to show.

The second from the very early days of his tenure was his constant and sycophantic praising of the Chairman, who he has subsequently blamed (the board) for not backing him. If it wasn't for Mr Moshiri, that might alone have kept him in the job!

Impossible not to feel sympathy for Martinez?
Well, I've achieved the impossible.

He was detrimental to EFC through his incompetence and intransigence.

I suspect those feeling sympathy have misplaced loyalties.

Roberto will be crying all the way to the bank. He won't give EFC a second thought - just as he didn't for Wigan.

He was a nice guy with nice philosophies? What are we? A registered charity?

Sympathy my arse.

Not dropping Howard sooner - not his fault.
No back up for Coleman - not his fault
Decline of Stones - not his fault
Baines no longer taking pens - not his fault
Falling out with Distin / Etoo - not his fault
Not finding a back up for Peinnar - not his fault
Buying Kone / Alcatraz and playing them - not his fault
Falling out with Donachie - not his fault
Buying Delafeou and not playing him - not his fault
Falling out with Mirallas - not his fault
Having no replacement for Barry - not his fault
Playing Besic when not fit - not his fault
Decine of McCarthy - not his fault
Playing Oviedo at left back again and again - not his fault
Hanging Baines out to dry - not his fault
Letting Lukaku say what he wants - not his fault
Decine of Barkley - not his fault
Ruining a solid defence - not his fault
The shambles at Anfield - not his fault
The Worst home record ever - not his fault
The worst levels of fitness - not his fault
The purchase of Niasse - not his fault
The decline of EFC under his tenure - not his fault.

The damage has been done. No use crying over spilled milk etc etc etc. Let's now see the selection of a first rate manager and support the re-build from our own tarnished reputation.

Onward and upward. NSNO.

Ian, can I ask when and where Martinez is supposed to have blamed the board for failing to back him, financially or otherwise?

If you're basing that on the so called Martinez 'press statement' someone posted on here (after reading it on The Telegraph website....who got it from a Twitter account full of such dodgy, dubious and downright fake as fuck stuff) shortly after his dismissal was announced then, I'm sorry, but it was a send up and not something Martinez actually said.

To pick up on a couple of things:

"the first glimmers that Martinez would eventually be undone by his rigid methods and ill-advised team selections can be traced back to that decisive home defeat to Crystal Palace in April 2014, that effectively handed 4th place back to Arsenal."

I recall my own disquiet at the unbalanced, overly attacking, selection for that game, but I think it is largely hindsight that people suggest that game as some turning point.

Many a TW poster has gone as far as to claim that in the second half, or final third, of his first season, things were already unravelling. Not true.

Dave Ganley @ 21 (someone whose views and postings I enjoy) is an example of this historical revisionism: "The signs were all there in that first season. We should have romped to 4th place, instead we limped to the finish."

That Palace defeat ended a run of seven consecutive PL wins and either side of it we totally tanked both the Arse and Manure at GP. Yes, there was a mini-blip, losing 3 in 4, but we still won 9 out of 12 (nearly a third of a season) of our closing fixtures. That is almost equal to our entire points tally this season and title winning form. That (Dave...) is not "limping to the finish."

I think I'm right in saying also, that Palace fixture was rearranged from a couple of months earlier (when we were in a rich vein of form) due to high winds. There was a Malaysian Blue who missed out in seeing us in the flesh as a result, I also recall.

Sliding doors, eh? "If only" we had played them when scheduled. "If only" we had then won. We could well be looking at a completely different history to the one that has unravelled.

Secondly, "It’s impossible not to feel sympathy for Roberto."

Then like Mike Hughes, I've also achieved "the impossible."

He had 3 years in the post. He kept telling us he and the team were 'learning' from the mistakes, the dropped points, the goals conceded, the games lost.

However, simultaneously, as demonstrated by the Carragher interview you referenced Lyndon, the man was not for changing. He was not going to compromise, or be pragmatic, or change in any way his footballing beliefs.

Under Martinez then, we were destined to continue to repeat the mistakes and failings of the last two seasons with potential disasterous consequences.

I have wrongly, falsely, been accused by some on here of being anti-Martinez. I never was. I was, am and always will be, pro-Everton. I wanted him to succeed and wrote as much more than once. Because if he was successful, so was the club.

I never resorted to gratuitous insults of the manager. I never once called for his head. Ironically, many of his most vocal acolytes turned on him and called for his head long before me.

This very season I spoke up in his defence. But I also critiqued him when I thought appropriate.

Only after the semi-final defeat did I say there was no longer any rational reason to continue with him as manager and that his position was now untenable.

The club and its owners made a dog's dinner of his dismissal last Thursday, effectively sabotaging the new kit launch in the morning and the awards dinner that evening.

That he was dismissed rather debunks the theories of some on here, adamant that Bill Kenwright is still the deal breaker and maker at Everton.

This is now Farhad Moshri's club. Chopping Martinez was the first step to demonstrate to this supporter he has a firm grasp of the situation and what is needed.

The appointment of his choice of manager, the transfer budget he will sanction, his plans for a new stadium/GP rebuild, will further inform us of his vision and ambitions for the club.

So, thanks and so long Roberto, but I for one am relieved Martinez is history and am filled with excited anticipation for the future of the club under Moshri.

Is right, John. Because it appeared in the Daily Telegraph's live feed, I was one of those taken in. I took it as genuine at the time.

It would appear to be a spoof, as you say.

As far as I'm aware, there has not been a word uttered in public on his dismissal by Roberto.

There was the incongruence between his view of how the game should be played and the realities if the English game that meant he would inevitably come up short once the honeymoon period ended and some grit and determination was required from the players. They needed him to lead by example he wasn't the man to install any realism. Instead he continued with optimism that soon began to grate.

If he does go to La Liga to manage Valencia or Espanyol I think he'll be relatively successful and I'll continue to keep an eye on how his career develops.

It seems a lot of people took it on face value and, as you say, the Telegraph jumping on it probably had a lot to do with that.

It originated fom someone on Twitter who goes under the name GeorgeWeahsCousin and who seems to take great pleasure in reposting 'tweets' (or 'retweeting'? Whatever. I don't really get twitter) of people buying into his spoof stories/statements.

There was another Everton related one on there that was supposed to be a statement from Bill Kenwright saying how Martinez had not only let him and the club down but also his own family.

Not funny to me and all a bit in bad taste (and, yes, i'm fully aware the words 'pot', 'kettle' and 'black' can be slapped together in a single sentence).

I feel so much more optimistic that the club is now taking responsibility and will in due course make the correct decisions with regards to the next manager.

I believe Mr Moshiri will completely transform the club from top to bottom. I'm sure the Arsenal business model is the way forward.

I look at the club and think how amateurish it is well that has to change and the Brand has to become global.

I disagree with Andy (11) and Mike (42) when they say that Martinez's tenure was universally awful because it clearly wasn't (as his first season demonstrated) and I think it's important to look past any bitterness over him overstaying his welcome (or being allowed to stay too long) and portray an accurate reflection of his entire reign.

I don't agree with Andy over his transfer record either. Off the top of my head, Lukaku, Deulofeu, McCarthy (yes, I believe there is a good player there if he can be coached correctly and he was very important in 2013-14), Barry and Galloway were all good signings.

Kone was a "safe" signing for a new manager and could have been a decent acquisition and back-up striker, but after his knee injury, Martinez's biggest problem was how much he persisted with him when it was quite clear he wasn't cutting it. Niasse? Well that was a shit show that is still playing out and if it was Martinez's decision, he probably deserved the sack for that alone!

As for us taking a more tougher editorial line, there was quite clearly an evolution in my own editorial that, obviously, reflected my own thinking on the matter. I started seriously doubting whether Martinez had a future in late January and eventually drew a line at the Anfield derby.

I very much doubt that ToffeeWeb coming out earlier than that and categorically stated he had to go would have made the blindest bit of difference. Results had to get so bad that there was no way he could stay on, particularly in Kenwright's mind it would seem, and that has really only been the case over the past month.

Regular readers will know that I try and take a balanced approach to everything regarding the club – not as editorial policy (although it's convenient when trying to cater to a broad audience) but that is genuinely the way I think and feel. When I feel strongly about something, believe me, I will nail my colours to the mast as I did with Kirkby, the badge fiasco and now the need to call time on Martinez. Otherwise, I'll keep an open mind.

Nice guy, not in my book the way he was ruining my beloved Everton FC.

Let's forget the clown and move on to bigger and better things.

Also please don't be fooled by Billy Liar, he reluctantly pulled the trigger for one reason only and that was to save his own skin.

I hope his defence of the hapless Catalan will be the first verse of his swansong !

Please highlight where I labelled RM's tenure as "universally awful".

I think you'll find this is an incorrect statement much like your previous assertion that "it's impossible not to feel sympathy for RM".

Your other point about RM's successes in the transfer market is also flawed. Lukaku, Deulofeu and McCarthy may be decent players. But not in the way they were deployed by RM.

You can be as balanced as you like but getting the facts right is just as important.

Good riddance.

As for did the wheels fall off in the first season; I don't think they did, but the 'signs' were there e.g. 4-0 drubbing at Anfield (could have been seven or eight).

His transfer record – poor I think. Let's go through them, giving them a 'hit' or 'miss'

* Barry – good player: 'HIT'
* McCarthy – what does he offer? 'MISS'
* Lukaku – poor attitude and lazy at times, but scores goals: 'HIT'
* McGeady – why on earth did he buy him? Terrible: 'MISS'
* Deulofeu – decent player, though not always: 'HIT'
* Alcaraz – poor; Martinez deserved sacking alone just for playing him in Kiev: 'MISS'
* Robles – better than Tim Howard, but not the answer: 'MISS'.
* Kone – terrible; it saddens me players like this are at the club: 'MISS'
* David Henen – 'MISS'
* Brendan Galloway – did well when he played. Don't get people on here saying he's finished. 'HIT'.
* Lennon – done well, though probably only a squad player: 'HIT'.
* Atsu – 'MISS'
* Tarore – 'MISS'
* Eto'o – 'MISS'
* Besic – decent at times, but can be poor: 'HIT'.
* Niasse – words fail me: 'MISS'

The Spaniard didn't do great, eh? An article from 2013:

Roberto Martinez's signings make Everton look like relegated Wigan hopefuls.

And maybe we kept him longer than he deserved ... I certainly think so. But that is the Everton way, we are a loyal Club that does not shoot from the hip. And BK through his Hillsborough 96 involvement has caused many people (many redshiters) to vote Everton the classiest Club in the Premiership. Shame our team is not the classiest team in the Premiership, where we have to admit we have been pretty poor?

Those who have advocated that "the whole board be replaced" must be on some hallucinatory drugs. These board members own the Club, why would they ever give up their position? ..... would you if you owned so many shares in any business? I sure as hell wouldn't. Same about the BK OUT group. You have zero say on who holds the power in the club. Let's keep our feet on the ground, and trust these guys will do their best for we supporters. What else can you realistically do?

What I am hoping for is that these people who own the Club will appoint a new manager who has some history of success, can coach a team to "pass and run" a la Arsenal and give us a bit of entertainment. With luck we could also win something, but even if not, we could watch a team that plays forward passing football, not backward, sideways nonsense we have seen this season.

Constructive forward football is what I want to see from the Blue boys. I believe success will come if we start from the right spot, but then I may be wrong. If I am, no doubt some keyboard wonder will explain how easy it is.

BBC Website

How come when I go to work, If I am sacked I do not get a two year pay off?

Oh, I know, Iget sacked for gross misconduct or at the end of a disciplinary sequence, in which targets for my improvement are given. If I keep failing then I go to higher disciplinary level and finally I am shown the door!

Perhaps, if EFC had such a system, the Board could set targets and if they are not reached take advice about how these are re-targetted and what methods might be used?

He actually did quite a good job of it but that meant we were exposed on the Palace counter attacks (defending not being his forte) and we missed his creativity further forward.

I am happy to have been wrong about our new investor and can only hope that his ruthlessness is matched by his wisdom in choosing Roberto's successor.

As for historical revisionism, well yes we won quite a few at the back end of the season but lost crucial games at crucial times. We lost 3 of the last 5 that cost us 4th place only winning against a very poor Man Utd side and a relegated Hull team. So we did kind of limp to the finish line. Maybe I am being unfair to you know who as I really didn't want him in the first place, however, the 3 games we lost were all so winnable and so very disappointing. Southampton and Palace especially. We did kind of bottle it, although to be fair, that wasn't just endemic to our FM, we seem to do that very well down the years.

I just feel that our FM has set us back quite a bit with his anti-football and totally killed my match going excitement and anticipation, something I didn't think anybody could possibly do to me. Sorry, but I am in no mood to see any positives he had on our club. The rumours and stories in the stands today about fall outs and fights behind the scenes with our FM, backroom staff and the players just show how little respect the players had and how frustrated they were under his regime. Today showed how much happier they look now he is gone and so is the crowd. Good riddance to him and all he brought with him, L4 is a brighter place now he is gone.

But while I'm here, it is my opinion that it's impossible not to feel sympathy for him. You take it or – as I suspect – leave it.

I think we are of a like mind - relieved that RM has finally gone.

I recall on his appointment I sent family and friends an email which contained nothing more than the subject line 'Fucking Martinez???!!!'

Safe to conclude from that, like you, I was underwhelmed. However, I don't consider myself an absolutist like some on here, who refuse to adjust their opinion if the evidence or data stack up against you.

Thus, by the end of RM's 1st season I was a convert. If the points return of the final 12 games I referenced could be repeated over a 38 game season, that would give us a potential title winning 85-86 points.

As we well know, we never came close again to replicating the promise of his 1st season. I can (just!) understand how he was given the benefit of the doubt and allowed this 3rd season.

Given BK's 'what a manager!' comment, but for Moshiri's buying into the club, if Bill still had virtual sole control of the club, RM would probably still be in situ into next season.

I've been waiting for evidence of what Moshiri's ambitions, vision and plans are for the club. Thursday was the first step of many (I hope!) that will go some way to convince this supporter he is a serious player.

As I predicted, GP reflected the relief of many today and Rhino's fun team selection was richly rewarded and gave the faithful a happy memory to carry them over the summer. We've got more than one diamond, on today's evidence...

Let's hope Moshiri's new manager, transfer budget and targets, and plans for a GP rebuild/new stadium will bring even more relief and good humour to the much subdued faithful.