Sought-after Spaniard seals Everton switch
Everton
named Roberto Martinez as their new manager today on a four-year deal after
agreeing a £1.5 million compensation package with Dave Whelan and Wigan
Athletic.
The
former Swansea boss forged a glowing reputation for flowing football during
his managerial career thus far and the Goodison Park faithful will be hoping for
more of the same from the new man in charge, as they attempt to take the next
step up into the top-four Champions League positions. Having managed a top-eight
spot in each of the last seven Premier League campaigns under David Moyes, the
heat will be on to supply marked progression.
A
mammoth task awaits Martinez, as not only will he inherit the dubious honour of
following a well-liked manager into the Everton hot-seat, he’ll also be
expected to work within a relatively tight budget despite lofty ambitions.
The
Spaniard is certainly no stranger to looking for bargains and developing young
players, but that was amid a backdrop of hugely supportive fans and a chairman
that fully believed in him. The expectations at Wigan Athletic only extended as
far as staying up in the top-flight and when the former Real Zaragoza midfielder
managed to achieve that aim three seasons on the trot, it was deemed a mighty success.
He won’t be afforded such luxuries at Everton, where they’ve become accustomed
to top-half finishes.
Despite
relegation, Wigan Athletic played some of the best football on offer in the
Premier League last season, bar their hideous defending. Winning the FA Cup at
Wembley against all odds will have softened the blow of demotion somewhat and
certainly helped keep highly-rated tactician Martinez in the frame for any top
jobs that cropped up.
New
Manchester United manager Moyes left behind a good squad, but reasonably thin
on the ground in terms of back-up. Should Martinez manage to keep hold of
stellar names such as Fellaini, Howard, Jelavic and Baines, then his chances of
replicating or even bettering David Moyes’ accomplishments at Goodison Park
will be greatly improved. If he can quickly identify areas in which to strengthen,
he can make his mark on the squad early, while also building up his options
should any players get injured or suspended.
Everton
played a mixed bag of long and short passing under their previous leader, with
an emphasis on hard work and positional discipline. Martinez will encourage the
passing game much further, while smoothing out the rough edges. Whether that
makes the Toffees weaker defensively
or not remains to be seen, but it’ll almost certainly make the Merseysiders a thoroughly entertaining side to watch.
This
is the litmus test for the 39-year-old to gauge exactly how far he’s come in
his managerial life up to now, as Everton are a big club and he’ll certainly feel
the pressure to succeed at Goodison Park more than ever before. His ability to
cope with that expectation level will be tested to the limit, but Everton chairman
Bill Kenwright evidently feels the time is right to entrust Martinez with the
future direction of his beloved club.
Twitter: @davewh1980
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