Roberto Martinez and Everton: A match made in heaven

Everton manager Roberto Martinez

Roberto Martinez was appointed the Everton manager at the start of June after the departure of long serving manager David Moyes who replaced legendary manager Si Alex Ferguson at Manchester United. The shift was not that easy for Martinez as his Wigan side faced relegation at the end of the last season and a part of the Everton fan base was not sure about his appointment. But four months into the job, it seems that he is quite comfortable in his new role and the players have accepted him quite well at the helm of the club.

Seamus Coleman was all praise when asked about Roberto Martinez and he told reporters, “It’s been going quite well. He has come in and he has put his own philosophy on the team, and we have done quite well to adapt to it. But it’s been a good start and we have all enjoyed it. It’s different. You can see that he likes to play out from the back a bit more, but he has been great for us and hopefully we can have a good, successful season under him.”

Martinez oversaw the transfer of Marouane Fellaini which brought great profit for the club and also was successful in retaining the services of Everton asset Leighton Baines. The transfer market was also quite busy for Everton as Martinez left no stone unturned in his attempt to strengthen his squad. Wigan players Arouna Kone and James McCarthy were once again reunited with their former boss as Everton tried to strengthen their offence. Roberto Martinez also showed his business acumen by not showering unnecessary money and making smart deals for talented players. It was clear from the three exciting loan deals finalised by the Everton boss which included Belgian powerhouse Romelu Lukaku, Barcelona youngster Gerard Deulofeu and Manchester City veteran Gareth Barry.

There has also been a huge change as far as strategy and game play is concerned after the arrival of Roberto Martinez in Everton. Under the guidance of David Moyes, the style of game play was quite simple which emphasized on organization, hard work and useful application of aggression. The strategies were quite old school and the Toffees preferred their fast paced attacks over the use of modern trends and modifications. But a huge turnaround was noticed after the appointment of 40 year old Roberto Martinez who opted for a completely different brand of football. The Spanish trained the Everton team by the help of modern innovations and strategies which added scientific correct styles to their already gritty style of football.

One of the major flaws of the Everton team has been their possession football, but they have rarely been accused of passing just for passing’s sake. The Toffees are placed 11th in the EPL when it comes to accuracy and their direct approach has resulted in their players spending a large amount of time chasing behind the opposing team in order to win back the ball. Roberto Martinez has attempted to change this playing style of the team, and the results have been astonishing. Everton has monopolized the possession football and after the initial three matches of the season, they were only behind Manchester City and Swansea City in passing accuracy. This has resulted in further protection for the Everton defence which has been able to maintain three clean sheets till now in the new season.

Roberto Martinez has always shown a preference for wing play and attack through the flanks which was not common during the Moyes era. Kevin Mirallas and Steven Pienaar are given roles to attack through the flanks which enable the full backs to move forward into the attacking half. The crowd of players going forward makes it easier for the wing players to find their target and it also successfully confuses the opposition’s defence. The overlapping football has been a marvel for the Everton side this season and it is turning out to be a major headache for the rivals. This system has also been beneficial for key man Leighton Baines who has no complaints when it comes to supply and the left back has been successful in creating quite a number of goal scoring opportunities for the strikers.

Roberto Martinez has also given chance to many new talents who have delivered well for their team and also their manager. Everton was involved in the transfer of some potential young talents and it seems that the early season tactics are working quite well in making them a force to reckon with. Ross Barkley has emerged as a perfect candidate for the “No 10″ midfield role as he has showed great form and goal scoring appetite this season. The 19-year-old has developed into a potential goal scorer in the recent times as his talent and ability allows him to make decisive runs into the box.

The absence of any holding midfielder has also been fulfilled by the signing of Gareth Barry who can be used along with his experience. He plays the defensive midfield role which allows new recruit James McCarthy to showcase his talent in the box-to-box game play. Romelu Lukaku has also been an impressive force in the Everton striking line up and his three goals has already announced him as the replacement for Nikica Jelavic who is suffering from a dip of form. The young Belgian is on loan from Chelsea and has already proved himself as a prime contender for the central forward role.

Roberto Martinez has evolved the Everton side with his version of fluid possession based football and the 4-2-3-1 formation opted by the Spaniard has suited the players who have responded to his efforts. The club has changed its playing style from that under David Moyes and the results have pleased both the players and the fans till now.

The transition has not been an easy one, but it is safe to say that it seems that Roberto Martinez and Everton is a match made in heaven.