Fan Comment The People vs Roberto Martinez Matthew Barry 16/04/2016 29comments | Jump to last Roberto Martinez stands accused of many crimes against the core values of the vast majority of Evertonians. He has made a shambles out of the last two seasons. He has exhausted all the good will and favour gained from his first season, alienated senior players, caused friction within his team and, most importantly, lost the faith and backing of the fan base. From what started as such a promising relationship, has now become an inevitable parting, whether it be in shame or in glory. For me it was the 2014 World Cup where it all seems to have started going wrong. After a creditable 5th place finish, Martinez lauded his squad and took all the adulation he could get, took the fanbase with him on this and many were happy to go with it. Off Roberto went to fulfill media commitments with ESPN and then oversaw a very poor, ill-planned preseason in which the players looked undercooked and unfit. ADVERTISEMENT About these ads This would have serious repercussions throughout the season, especially the demoralising draw to Arsenal after being 2-0 up and the abject defending in the 3-6 defeat against Chelsea. These two games outlined the fact Martinez lacked a plan B and could not devise an in-game strategy to close a game out pragmatically. The rest, as we know, is history. We have continued on the same pattern since then. Under Bill Kenwright, regardless of supporters' opinions, phone-ins, social media and banners, he would be safe. Now we have Moshiri on board. Regardless of if we win the FA Cup, I think all that is true under Kenwright will be the opposite under Moshiri. He will want to make an impact, get the fanbase onside, have a man at the helm that he trusts and believes in. That the supporters can embrace and unite behind. I think in the background David Dein will be giving wise counsel and making sure Moshiri isn't misled or mis-represented in any way. For Everton to move forward on and off the field, wholesale changes need to be made and we are 50% there. The people have spoken regarding the 50%, it is unanimous that he is no longer trusted or wanted. The danger of his continuation is there for all to see, apart from himself. The stubbornness and blind devotion to his theory and footballing principles have cost him one of English footballs most prized jobs. The club may now be overly exposed to losing key players to the regression of the performances over these past two seasons. Thankfully, financially we are now in a position to withstand 'bigger clubs' advances. But we should not be in this situation and sadly there is only one person guilty of putting us in that situation.Three years is a long time in football; clubs have fired managers with better records than Martinez for not meeting expectations. We are Everton, surely we must have high expectations, our history demands it. So, based on that first season, he has failed miserably and time is now up.Roberto Martinez is guilty of criminally wasting two seasons, of stagnating the club's progress on the field, of turning our fortress of a stadium into a jolly for visiting teams and supporters, of alienating players with abject tactics and snail-paced turgid aimless football, and, most importantly, making this Everton very unlike my Everton. Share this article Follow @matthewbarry4 Reader Comments (29) Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer Nick Armitage 1 Posted 17/04/2016 at 01:24:43 He's finished. Just wish someone at the club had possessed the balls to have sacked him a month ago but this is Everton and very much like my Everton. Dick Fearon 2 Posted 17/04/2016 at 04:12:18 Lukaku without breaking stride runs on to a perfectly weighted through ball shrugs off a Lovren tackle and lashes the ball into the net. He follows this with a blast from 30 yards.From a free kick Barkley curls a beauty over the RS wall to register our third then a Lennon blinder almost bursts the net.Daydreams such as these help sustain me until awful reality sinks in.Miracles happen because 5 decades ago I was at Mordor in similar circumstances such a daydream came to pass.When Morrisey chipped Tommy Younger for our 4th goal I found myself alone in a rapidly emptying Kop.NSNO Michael Coffey 3 Posted 17/04/2016 at 07:08:23 Here's a thought . Maybe compensation for dismissal while he is under contract is void in the event of successive bottom half finishes? Might explain this slow death we are witnessing . Tony Abrahams 5 Posted 17/04/2016 at 09:42:50 Good post Matthew. Agree with everything you say, but feel even Kenwright would have to get rid of him eventually.God forbid we go out the cup, because Goodison would be a horrible place to be for our final two home matches, if this happens.I, like most, can't believe he's still in a job, because to protect our future and to have a chance of retaining our better players, the decision to release him, should have happened well before now.Michael, youe speculation might be right, because how else, could anyone keep a man, who is giving us what you say, A very slow and painful death. Dave Ganley 6 Posted 17/04/2016 at 09:59:29 All the good work that Moyes did in over 10 years at the club (regardless of what you think of Moyes, he did make us competitive and respectable again) has been eroded in little over 2 years. We are almost back to where we started when Moyes first joined, albeit with slightly better players. Well done, Señor Martinez, that takes an enormous amount of incompetence to achieve what you have in such a short space of time. Given any more time, I have no doubt you will succeed in completing your job of total destruction of our club. Martin Nicholls 7 Posted 17/04/2016 at 10:18:24 Dick - I was there too and have great memories of an injury ravaged team putting RS to the sword. Sadly, the current crop do not have the same talent, spirit or crucially leadership. As an aside Dick, I think it was the flying pig, Tommy Lawrence, who was in goal! Kunal Desai 8 Posted 17/04/2016 at 10:25:47 He went to Brazil as a pundit and returned just before the final. He should have been back at least a week/10 days before preparing the side for a strong pre-season. To me that showed a total lack of disrespect to the club. Did he actually think he could waltz back to the club take part in a bit of 5-a-side footy training with about 500 passes and that would be pre-season training done to get the players ready for next season?? Sadly he has been treating this club and all associated with disrespect ever since then. Ian McDowell 9 Posted 17/04/2016 at 10:41:01 The biggest mistake made by Martinez and Kenwright was post 2014. Martinez stated that after qualifying for the Europa League we needed 7 new players. Some for the first team some as squad players. Unfortunately only Lukaku, Barry, Besic, Eto'o, and Atsu arrived, two of which we already had the previous season. Then Pienaar, Osman, Hibbert, Distin, Howard all had dramatic drop in form due to injuries, getting older etc. Once we have a first team player injured, the squad is woefully short of adequate replacements. Paul Tran 10 Posted 17/04/2016 at 11:17:31 Kunal, if he'd gone back then he would have been sitting on his own in Finch Farm waiting for the players to come back. I suspect managers work out their preseason plans long before the players come back. Martinez got it horribly wrong, as he often does around player fitness. Interestingly, Mourinho got it similarly wrong last summer. Players tend to want to be fighting fit or they get brassed off.It was incompetence, pure and simple. They haven't looked fitter or stronger towards the end of the last two seasons, have they?Reason enough for dismissal without the other exaggerated nonsense. Barry Pearce 11 Posted 17/04/2016 at 12:10:28 Everything is poor under Martinez's regime. Fitness especially hardly any of the players seem to be able to last 90 minutes. Martin Nicholls 12 Posted 17/04/2016 at 12:12:04 Paul - interesting comment about Mourinho. You might well be right but my take on it was that his obsessive and all-consuming pursuit of John Stones meant that he neglected all else. i.e. he ignored the bigger picture. Whatever, that's of little concern to us now. Kevin Judge 13 Posted 17/04/2016 at 12:12:07 Dave Ganley – "all the good work Moyes done"!!! What was that, Dave, did he win us a trophy? Did he reinstate NSNO? Did we play like the School of Science?David Moyes took over the Champions of England, Manchester United and instantly ruined the 20-odd years Sir Alex had installed winners in that club.David Moyes made Everton a regular top 8 club – that is it!! Tamhas Woods 14 Posted 17/04/2016 at 12:30:59 I can't believe I have woken up to find that this charlatan is STILL our manager!I think I'm actually losing the plot now. At least under Moyes, EFC's bad performances were usually consigned to history and limited to two hours on a weekend.Now I'm having dreams every night of losing a 5-0 lead to Sc**thorpe United (or similar). Beyond a joke.GET. OUT. NOW!!!!!!!!!!! Graham Mockford 15 Posted 17/04/2016 at 12:41:42 TamhasIf you genuinely went to bed last night expecting to wake up to the news that Martinez had been sacked after a 1-1 draw six days before a semi cup final I suspect you have an undiagnosed case of wishful thinking.As for the dreaming I would recommend a nice warm milky drink before bedtime and avoid the cheese.With a nod to Eugene definitely Grrr post of the day. Paul Tran 16 Posted 17/04/2016 at 13:39:35 Martin, it was well-documented that Mourinho thought the players were physically and mentally knackered after a title-winning season with minimal rotation. He thought an easier preseason would help – fine lines and all that.I suspect that unlike our manager, he won't repeat the mistake. I'd have him in an instant; this club desperately needs a cussed, snarling, winning attitude from top to bottom. Steve Barr 17 Posted 17/04/2016 at 13:45:05 Hey Tamhas, leave Scunny United out of this. Don't want my 2nd team tarnished with the Martinez brush! Eugene Ruane 18 Posted 17/04/2016 at 14:08:33 Graham (15) with the 'grrrr' posters I love some of the assumptions they make.Tamhas for instance.His 'GET. OUT. NOW!!!!!!!!!!!' assumes RM is actually reading his posts(there's no one else it can be aimed at).He also assumes that 'get out now' would be ignored, but all caps, full-stops between each word and 54 exclamation points could have the desired effect.As you say, wishful thinking. Jay Harris 22 Posted 17/04/2016 at 17:05:23 Just ruined my weekend.There is a report on NSNO that a fan was speaking to Kenwright and he said there is no threat to Martinez job, He will be here next season and has just been unlucky.Apparently he is friendly with Kenwright and Moshiri. Brian Williams 24 Posted 17/04/2016 at 20:15:33 ....and if you believe that! Andy Crooks 25 Posted 17/04/2016 at 20:29:27 Eugene, I would do it if I could but, this is one for you; any thoughts on what Roberto would be thinking if he indeed was a regular reader of ToffeeWeb? Paul Tran 26 Posted 17/04/2016 at 20:35:06 Andy, he'd probably wonder why we can't see what he does. Ian Riley 27 Posted 18/04/2016 at 18:16:06 My fear with Martinez is relegation. If and a big if we win the FA Cup, what will this mean? First manager to win a trophy in twenty plus years and Europa league. This is my problem. I feared a poor season after last season. No Europa league this season and we could finish fifteeth in the league. Our home form is dire and defensively we are terrible at best. Next season we could have Europa league. Ten or more games at least. League, and cup campaigns. Also Martinez could be handed 50 to 80 million to spend. Ideal situation, win the cup, sack Martinez. He goes with everyone thinking Everton are crazy but we know better. A big name manager wth league title experience and 100 million to spend strolls into the reception.My luck we win the cup and Mr kenwright puts a statue of Martinez next to Dixie! Rob Hooton 28 Posted 19/04/2016 at 08:10:37 Andy, I'm sure Martinezwould think there are some phenomenal posts on here and that the authors were in an incredible moment when airing their views. He would invite us all round for a BBQ and would have 500 condiments on the table so he could ask us to 'pass the sauce, pass the ketchup' etc... so that we could begin to understand the philosophy a bit better. Jimmi James 29 Posted 19/04/2016 at 12:51:40 So now Mourinho looks like he is on his way to PSG, who are we gonna get now? He is one big name out the window... told ya we won't get a big name (winner); now what? Mark Hughes 30 Posted 19/04/2016 at 13:40:48 I'm sorry but you back the Manager – two Semis is outstanding so far. Squad should be firing. I blame the Captain. Job's a goodun. Jumpers for Goalposts. Turning on the Manager makes us the next Villa. Brian Porter 31 Posted 20/04/2016 at 06:37:08 Mark #30, under Martinez, if he's allowed another season to systematically destroy our club then next season we WILL be Villa! Gordon Crawford 32 Posted 20/04/2016 at 06:54:38 Mark you are having a laugh aren't you? The only place Roberto is taking us is down. Who remembers semi-finalists? I sure don't. I only care if we win stuff. We have went backwards over the last two years, and at an alarming rate. Our best players want away. If it keeps up, we will do a Newcastle or a Villa. Christopher Dover 33 Posted 20/04/2016 at 08:02:34 Oh to be a fly on the wall in the Everton boardroom, we all (or mostly) want RM out, some now some end of season. I am one would take now as I believe anyone would lift the team and the fans.What is so frustrating is being slowly ground down and down and be all the rumor right or wrong we do not know what the powers that be think (possible exception Blue Bill, but that's rumour). I have said until boring but do believe if he stays as manager we will go down, lose many top players and let him blow the transfer budget on phenomenal prospects that will take another 2-3 years to come good, in the championship while he will say "I am not the man to bring us back". Michael McCarthy 35 Posted 20/04/2016 at 19:13:20 Mathew, this bit says it all. He will want to make an impact, get the fanbase onside, have a man at the helm that he trusts and believes in. That the supporters can embrace and unite behind. I think in the background David Dein will be giving wise counsel and making sure Moshiri isn't misled or mis-represented in any way. David Dein – now we're talking. 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