Roberto Martinez: Liverpool’s loss or Everton’s gain?
They say marriages are made in heaven and irrespective whether you buy that theory or not, there are times in life when one scratches his head and wonders, “you know it could have worked”. Pretty much the same holds good for Roberto Martinez; this time last year he was tipped by many to take over the hot seat at Liverpool. With Moyes making a much anticipated move to Old Trafford, the Everton board went ahead with Martinez as their choice for taking the club ahead. A lot of it could be down to winning the FA Cup but the fact remains that his name has been taken more than once when the topic is “bright young managers”.
What makes the move interesting is the difference between philosophies related to football. Roberto Martinez is from the new generation school of thought where the football is meant to be kept on the ground and passed around. Results are the end product but not the only criteria, beautiful football is the core essence. Everton on the other hand are quite an old school English team where flair plays a lesser role and a lot of success is built around strong defence. Therefore it’s not a surprise that some of Everton’s best players (Jagielka, Lescott, Baines, Fellaini etc) have been on the defensive side.
Some would even go to the extent of stating that it’s Everton who have made the Merseyside derby a drab affair but that’s an argument for another day. In comparison, Roberto Martinez’s Wigan have made average players (Di Santo, Maloney, Kone etc) look world beaters on their day (ask Manchester City), it’s true that they have been battling relegation for most of last few seasons but credit should go to Martinez for sticking to his philosophy (of playing beautiful football) even in the face of adversity. And this is precisely what makes this affair intriguing and one which should be admired closely, unless you’re into rocky relationships (if you are then the Di Canio story is your cup of tea!).
There have been various stories about why Roberto Martinez rejected the Liverpool job or the vice-versa. For argument sake if we are to believe that Martinez did indeed reject the Liverpool offer, it would be interesting to explore the logic behind such a decision.
Everton have clearly enjoyed getting the better of their famous rivals in the last two seasons by finishing above them in the league table. For those wondering if it’s a flash in the pan, a look at the two graphs would indicate that Liverpool have been on a decline in terms of points accumulated since 2010. Everton on the other hand have mostly remained consistent chalking around 60 points on a consistent basis. A lot of this can be down to Liverpool’s financial situation and their inability to hold on to their best players with the likes of Alonso, Mascherano and Torres leaving for greener pastures.