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A Wigan Fan Tells Everton Why Roberto Martinez Is The Man To Replace Moyes

by Martin Tarbuck
18 March 2013 31 Comments

Intelligent, positive, creative and confident, Roberto Martinez has all the necessary qualities to succeed at Everton according to this Wigan fan. Just go easy on him...

A Wigan Fan Tells Everton What To Expect From Roberto Martinez…

Think of the nicest man you know. It might be a favourite uncle, a rock of a man who cannot do enough for anyone or a kindly neighbour or a work colleague who you’d love to dislike but try as you might, you just can’t.

Now try and think of the nicest man in the world but make it someone in the public eye. Gets a bit harder now doesn’t it? Celebrities and pop stars are by their very nature flawed as life in the public eye inevitably comes with fame and pressure. What about that Gary Lineker, he’s squeaky clean isn’t he? Oh. OK then what about Michael Owen? Want a bet on it? That Martin Jol always seems a jolly soul doesn’t he?

Let’s cut to the chase though. I’ve met the nicest man in the world. The trouble is, he’s just about to go and break my heart and leave me for someone who doesn’t even seem to want him. Oh Roberto I hope you know what you’re doing!

This is a man who oozes class. A man who has an unshakably positive outlook and a persuasive, confident nature. A man who when firmly lodged in the jaws of defeat will simply smile and tell you it will be alright. And you will believe him. Or think he’s mad. But he’ll be right. He’s a gentleman of the highest order and a true, passionate football man who took our town to his hearts as a young man and understands everything about Wigan Athletic.

Can nice guys win in football? The jury’s out on that one. I have been convinced for a long time that Roberto Martinez will one day become one of the top managers in Europe but now? Right now? Taking one of the biggest jobs in the game? Let me attempt to take my Bobby-love blinkers off and give you an honest assessment.

On the pitch he has faced fierce criticism ever since he encouraged Titus Bramble and Gary Caldwell to pass it around at the back in his first home pre season friendly and gift the ball to St Mirren’s centre forward. In a Northern working class town this fancy dan tika taka and one up front isn’t always going to go down well. Too many games we were a defensive shambles and punchless up front. Pass, pass, pass, give the ball away, concede, repeat but Roberto persevered and persevered with the meagre resources available at his disposal and when it did come off, it was truly beautiful.

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It was when we got tonked 3-1 at home by Bolton last season though in the midst of an eight game losing streak when that lunatic Stuart Hall of all people hit it home for me: “you can’t play like Barcelona unless you’ve got Barcelona’s players” and it’s true - you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear and therein lies the problem for much of Roberto Martinez’s tenure at Wigan Athletic. Trying to get unproven foreigners, the SPL’s finest and other team’s cast offs to play beautiful football at the top level of the game where every mistake gets punished isn’t easy.

Until January 2012 when it all came alright. A shift from 4-5-1 to a much feted 3-4-3 sent the Latics on a stunning run of form which catapulted them out of a pit of despair to a relatively healthy finishing position of 15th. The bizarre thing is I was there the first time he tried this formation at Stamford Bridge in May 2010. We lost 8-0. Yet seriously, we were playing well and in the game for an hour even though Gary Caldwell had been sent off (again). It was 1-0 for quite a while (offside by the way), dodgy pen from Frank but we didn’t look out of it. I was somewhat ashamed of stating this delusional belief publicly until recently when Zonal Marking did their piece on this new look team and concurred to a certain degree.

When it goes wrong, no matter what the scoreline, and infuriatingly to almost every Wigan Athletic fan, he will always find positives and a reassuring word that everything will all work out next time. He’s the sort of man who if driving past a car accident will wind the window down and shout “Hey guys, at least you’ll get a new car next week!” Anyone else you might think would be taking the piss but Roberto is sincere and genuine as they come.

Up close, he is a man of intense detail and scrutiny. When the game is on, he stands solitary at the front of the technical area, chin resting on his raised hand: “It’s the only place I can think” he has been known to say.

He trusts players. He sets them out and sends them out to express themselves. To take responsibility despite the tender years of much of the raw talent we take a punt on and try to develop at Wigan. He protects his players. He talks about them playing with arrogance regularly. Now it’s easy to forget that English isn’t Roberto’s native language and half of me thinks that he actually means playing with confidence but maybe he does mean arrogance. Wanting the ball, wanting possession. Owning the play and frustrating your opponents and in the last few months we have frustrated some of the biggest names in the Premier League by outplaying them: a ragtag outfit like Wigan Athletic dominating teams with wage bills and fanbases which dwarf our own.

He knows his stuff too. At a fans event last year, I enabled a few difficult questions to be asked by some fans less than convinced. “Why don’t we leave a man up front when the other team has got a corner, it just means the ball comes straight back at us?” Quick as a flash, Roberto hit him with comparative stats from the last two seasons establishing that when we’d kept a man up front two years ago, we had the worst record in the league defending corners, which had been converted to the best record at defending corners following the decision to bring a man back. Point proven.

Some Wigan Athletic supporters have never taken to Martinez and have dismissed everything he has done as luck. What’s that saying about Gary Player? This is a meticulous man who has revolutionised the youth set up and got every team through the club playing the same way. It still didn’t always go right after a hefty dicking at Forest in the Youth Cup in 2011 proves but that’s all part of the fun. I think. He has demanded that the chairman develops the training ground to give the players a better environment to work in and he has never once said a single bad word about Wigan Athletic fans even when the odd whopper was waving a flag calling for his head at him in what was a particular low point. When asked to comment about a 17,000 crowd at the DW one particularly fallow weekend, Roberto simply stated that it was fantastic - he had played for the club in front of just 3,000 at Springfield Park just a decade ago!

He has an unwavering belief that everything will come right in the end and at Wigan Athletic for the last three seasons, it has done so with a few stunning results thrown in as part of the bargain. We finally get it right and are looking forward to continuing that marvellous run of results next year and then what? THOSE photos of him walking around downtown Miami with his coffee to go are like a dagger through the heart of all Latics fans.

Anyway, let me take my blinkers off again: I understand that he is inexperienced as many Everton fans say. We’ve had to be patient with him and I’m not sure he would be afforded that at Goodison. And he is stubborn, a by product of his inner belief. He believes in building a football club from top to bottom and I guess this is what is attracting his many suitors.

It is as ever a results business however and a few good months doesn’t really warrant a slot managing one of the biggest names in football you could argue. The problem is that when Everton fans do argue that, I argue back, even though I want Wigan Athletic to keep him.

I can take it off some of the diehard reds I know but give short shrift to folk throwing around 27% win percentages. So what? Paulo Di Canio managed close to a 63% win percentage at Swindon, maybe he should be appointed Everton manager. Does that sound stupid? Well it’s no more ridiculous than applying a win percentage to a manager who has kept the smallest club in the Premier League up for three years on the bounce and beaten every top team in the game in the process, memories that those of us who support that team will live forever.

It’s all about resources.  Imagine what he could do with a few bob behind him and more talented players to influence his footballing philosophies on? OK there’s the bigger ego thing to deal with but keeping a club like Wigan Athletic in the Premier League year on year is as good an achievement as taking a mid table club to the fringes of a Champions League place and given the time and the opportunity I am sure Martinez would be more than capable.

He’s not a big name but hey what guarantees do big names give you? Set aside the freak nature of longevity attached to Wenger and Fergie and the other big clubs have had a succession of big names go through their revolving doors with mixed results. Fergie did well in Scotland at Aberdeen in the days before money steam rollered them out of the SPL and European frame whereas Wenger was low key in Japan. Different times but the point remains - Martinez is a convincing, detailed man who builds a lasting philosophy around his football clubs.

Of course, it’s a gamble but then who isn’t? My main reservations around him taking the Everton job are because I don’t want to see him die on his feet. If some Everton fans demand success instantly when it may realistically take years no matter who comes in given the Manchester clubs’ current dominance he’s set up to be a fall guy if he never gets the time in the first place.

If he gets the job, he will get Everton passing to perpetuity, and I am led to believe this is a desirable quality. He’d duck badly some times,  but he’d also pull off spectacular results when it all clicks. Forget putting it in the mixer, even in the 92nd minute, expect endless passing triangles around the box and short corners but more goals scored from outside the box than any other team.

But as I say I’m not in the business of trying to sell him to Toffees fans.

The trouble is the expectation would be on him every week if he moved to Everton. I want to protect him from this even though he is doing the dirty on us. I’m confident he’d do well and I’m sure he would be. He’s too positive and diligent to fail, but what if he isn’t even given a chance? This is what annoys me, why I don’t want him to go or if he goes and fails then Everton fans clearly don’t deserve him anyway. I’m sure he’ll be alright though and as frustrating it is to see, that any time a player or manager does well at a club like Wigan he gets swept up in this horrible, money rotten capitalist football world we imbibe ourselves in, the big fish swallowing up the small fish, I can’t help but wish him well if he goes. I know he will win people over wherever he goes: some see it straightaway, others take a hell of a lot of convincing but he always gets there.

I still #prayforroberto to stay as many Twitter folk would have it but it’s looking less tenable by the hour. It will hurt seeing him leave and us Wigan Athletic fans hoped he would give it at least another year but he is an ambitious man and I am sure he will be fine wherever his career takes him. Hopefully he has already created a legacy that will see Wigan Athletic and Swansea City fine for many years to come. I can but hope. Because I’m not as positive as Roberto. No-one is.

 

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image descriptionCOMMENTS

king Kong 11:30 am, 28-May-2012

last time i read this abt ROY we went to play the worst football in 20 years and were in delegation battle.

ode 11:39 am, 28-May-2012

i just hop he wil do as expected top 4 is his praority that can give him the master chire in lfc

NickLFC 11:51 am, 28-May-2012

I have to say, as a Liverpool fan, the one person who i think we should break our necks to get is Martinez. I like the legacy he seeems to leave at clubs, he isnt a mercenary, would put his heart and soul into the job and would continue Kenny's passing game, but add a Spanish flair to proceedings. I would also trust him with large sums of money unlike Kenny! It may be a gamble but i genuinely believe that this is the man to take Liverpool forward, he actually excites me to be honest, unlike Brendan Rodgers and (although i love him) Rafa. KingKong, Hodgson has never been known for his flowing football, so i dont really know what you mean by that comment. IRWT - In Roberto We Trust!

chunky 11:59 am, 28-May-2012

I like your article very much. It is thought provoking to say the least. As a Liverpool fan I am in no doubt as to Roberto's ability o master our forces eventually but do doubt his arrival in the first instance. Your article seems to give prominence to thoughts already expressed in the past week or so to his complete involvement in the football team both consistence and operation. It is for this reason that I do think he will not take up a post where he would be disciplined by another (and possibly more senior) director. Do not get me wrong though as I would be perfectly satisfied to see Roberto at Anfield . If he accepted the job with all its limitations on his power I can see him still doing well but whatever the outcome the idea of being held to any "top 4 by end of season" result in rather ridiculous. Nonetheless a very entertaining read. Thank you.

paisley 12:31 pm, 28-May-2012

I am an LFC fan but I enjoyed your article very much. Your affinity with your gaffer is brilliant (like ours with Rafa and Kenny). And no I did not take offence when you mentioned Shanks. That's what I call ability . Everyone can assemble a team if the dosh is flowing. Good Luck to Wigan whether Martinez remains or comes to LFC. YNWA

Pablo 12:34 pm, 28-May-2012

I like what I've seen from Martinez, he's always come across v.well and there's no doubt he's ready to step up and have a go with a bit more financial backing. The problem for a lot of Liverpool fans tho is firstly, the way that Kenny was shown the door. Martinez will probably need a bit of time to get going and if FSG weren't prepared to give that to the club's greatest ever player and 3rd best Liverpool manager, why will they extend it to Martinez? Secondly, there's a much more qualified man on our doorstep who, like Kenny, should not have been sacked. FSG appear to be scared of Rafa, which I find worrying if their intentions are as good as they say. All that said, I'll be fully behind Roberto if he is given the job and wish him well whether he does or doesn't.

Anfield 07 1:52 pm, 28-May-2012

Hi Marty Great piece. People like you remind me of why i am a football fan first and an lfc fan second.

Keith 2:10 pm, 28-May-2012

Nice read. I am a liverpool fan and one of the small group that actually want him to get the job. I think its time for a break from the norm at Liverpool. I do not expect an immediate break into the top 4. I think our expectations need to be lowered to just improving on last season. I think a long term plan needs to be put in place and Martinez needs to come in with full control to implement it. Put him above most consolidates mentioned thus far. If this guy is backed and in a bigger club (no offence) with more funding I think he can make something of himself. If he does not then I wish him all the best be that at Wigan or Villa etc

Stevie 8:21 pm, 28-May-2012

Brilliant article. I get the feeling from your article that you always figured you'd be writing it one day. If, as expected he fills the vacancy then I can only hope he gets the backing and that we'll feel just the same as you do.

Charles Malcolm 11:17 pm, 28-May-2012

Yes, Marty, Real great piece.

Andy 12:29 am, 29-May-2012

I'm a Liverpool fan and that was interesting. We'll have to see how it pans out. But can I say - it's great to see an article by a proper match going fan with no agenda other than talking about the match. Sir! I doff my hat to you :)

David 12:52 am, 29-May-2012

Excellent article. He sounds EXACTLY like a young Rafael Benitez the way you describe him, and his philosophy. My first choice is Rafa back, as he loves us, has unfinished business and would I feel hit the ground running since half his squad are still there, and the other half had been identified and scouted by him previously, bar I think Henderson, Adam and Enrique, but Hendo and Enrique are very much Rafa players anyway. Reading about Martinez, Rodgers and Klopp, whoever we get sounds very encouraging, they all seem to want to play football the right way. Much better than the O'Neils, Allardyces and Curbishley's we were linked with after Houllier.

john 1:10 am, 29-May-2012

2 years ago' I may have consider martinez to be an contender for Liverpool vacan post but after the whole Roy Hogson "reign", it has put me off from testing inexperiance managers and let's be frank here roy hogson has 10 times the CV than martinez has; not even the "messia" King Kenny has succeeded, the Owners are professional business man and they will take time to choose the right man; rightly so because one wrong mistake made then Liverpool will be rapildy be heading in a downward spiral

Eric Chege 8:40 am, 29-May-2012

This article has done brilliant job of selling RM in a realistic & endearing fashion.Pablo you r right,KD was shown the door in a very uncouth fashion.As for the way FSG has gone abt looking for a coach lets jus say across the pond eveything is done before the camera like we are shooting a reality TV show or a really bad sitcom.FSG assumes that the fans who love the club will back anyone & evryone(read Hodgson) who they appoint as manager even if they aren't upto scratch.leveraging on that love is what Abramovich has done at chelsea & it hasnt helped them too much(5 managers in 6 yrs is no good for any team)Apart from from key buys like Juan mata,ivanovich & ramirez.The rest of the buys havent been worth the money.Back to liverpool RM has to do something very key,WIN.His philosophy aside if by mid season we're out of UEFA & are somewhere lower than 8th in the league FSG will show him the door

Red 9:58 am, 29-May-2012

It's really good to see such mutual respect between Manager and fans. I had reservations about RM coming to LFC but after reading this, I feel less anxious about it. The thing that strikes me most about RM is that he always seems so sincere. What will be, will be.

Al the Red 9:18 pm, 29-May-2012

Thank you very much for a very enjoyable article. I ama life long Red and was scepticle about Roberto, but your article and some other research I have done gives me hope that maybe this chaos that is my beloved LFC will be taken on by safe hands. Thanks Martin.

Marky 12:41 am, 30-May-2012

Martin...great article.I too worry about him going and have this horrible feeling that in a few years we will look back at those games feb-may 2012 and think "what might have been...." A Wigan fan for 35 years and I have NEVER seen us play as we did THAT day against Newcastle.But to what end...? It might have all been for nothing...I wish him all the best if he goes but I fear it may be the end of us...back to up nd under tactics from a manager from the Allardyce/Bruce school of thought.It might keep us up,but it wont be the same cos for a few glorious weeks from the Anfield result onwards,we saw a glimpse of how our future might have been.

MT 2:06 pm, 13-Jun-2012

Thanks for the (mostly) kind comments and I wish you best of luck with Brendan Rogers - a different man to Martinez but also undoubtedly a football man

soelistyo 12:36 pm, 15-Jun-2012

was this article written a month ago and now recycled for the benefit of Spurs fans? well if it was, it's worth a second run. a great read and i'm sold. the bloke always did seem a bit too nice for my liking, but he does strike me as someone who has a vision for a football club and if he ever pulls it off given the resources, it's probably going to be spectacular. Arry was always thinking short term, Martinez would be a refreshing change. looks like we're gonna get AVB instead though.

Dan 3:05 pm, 15-Jun-2012

As a Spurs fan, I do think that Martinez comes across very well. Seems to be a talented manager and a thoroughly nice bloke - I think in future he will be a top manager. Having said that, he hasn't really pulled up trees. He's kept Wigan up (just) for the last three years. I totally respect the fact that he sticks to his guns and tries to play football the right way but I fear that a bad run of results and Spurs fans would turn on him. He wouldn't stand a chance. I think he could do with a slightly less demanding crowd for the next step as I don't feel he's done enough yet to warrant a step up to a 'top' team. As a Spurs fan, I feel we need someone who's proven themselves at a certain level, which means that the fans will have more patience and give them the time to see a project through. For this reason I'd like to see Benitez brought in. Despite a bit of a meltdown in his last season at Liverpool, the man has experience in putting together a title challenge, winning trophies and would attract the names we crave to take us to the next level.

Archie 6:27 am, 16-Jun-2012

Excellent read, thank you. As a Spurs fan I have to admit I wasn't sure about him but your article has me thinking perhaps I'm wrong.

StuT 11:19 am, 16-Jun-2012

Sorry but you can't have him, he is not for sale and we want him to stay at Wigan and finish what he started, we have a brilliant team now and just a couple of good signings we will be ready for the next chapter in Wigan's history, pundits look out, you have made yourselves look stupid for 8 seasons now! Stay with Wigan Bob, the perfect little club..

Brian 12:05 am, 18-Jun-2012

It was so refreshing when Roberto came to Wigan to see the team passing the ball rather than booting it forward all the time trying to find the head of Scharner or Heskey. Problem was that whilst they where going through the process of passing the ball, when they had passed it they then had to move into as pace ready to receive it again and prefferably move forward . This process took about two and half years to master, until a certain Shaun Maloney came into the team his touch and movement on and off the ball was joy to watch and maybe the lads learned by his example or was just a coincidence that after two and half years of passing the ball backwards and sideways that he happened to have just come into the side when it finally clicked what the manager wanted them to do. Please don't go Roberto we like the way we play the game now,but if you do please leave the wee man with us.

bobob 6:13 pm, 18-Mar-2013

So you've just switched 'Liverpool' for 'Everton' and republished. Hahaha.

Boll Weevil 8:48 pm, 18-Mar-2013

Even worse, it has gone from Liverpool, to Spurs and now to Everton. My guess is by this summer, it will be "A Wigan Fan Tells Arsenal Why Roberto Martinez Is The Man To Replace Wenger"

Eddie Honda 4:05 pm, 19-Mar-2013

Funny, you might have gotten away with it if you'd substituted another big club for LFC. As it is though how on earth did you expect to get away with applying the same article you used for the most successful and 2nd best supported club in the country, to some tiny, no-mark, insignificant, sh*tty little club who've won f**k all for almost 19 years?

jaybee_efc 4:57 pm, 19-Mar-2013

Eddie Honda the flat house 'no-show' so this is where you are hiding out. I'll let WSAG know.

Eddie Honda 5:12 pm, 19-Mar-2013

Excuse me 'jaybee' you horrible snivelling little sh*thouse, but do I know you?

Barry Rathbone "Nil Satis" baby 8:46 pm, 19-Mar-2013

Preaching to the converted mate I've been a fan of Martinez since seeing first hand the Swansea re-incarnation from dust. Loads of blues see it as well some FM types play the stats game comparing league positions between Everton and Wigan as though comparing apples with apples - it's not. Reckon he'd become a legend at the right club - that club is Everton. Sorry mate, good luck to wigan in the cup and well done for tonking us at goodison.

1878 Robbie 1:39 pm, 21-Mar-2013

In my eyes he is the perfect replacement for Moyes. Simlar in some aspects but better in all the areas Moyes fails, a very postive approach to the game that some of our current squad will embrace. After Fellaini is sold he should have some money to spend in the transfer market as well. I'll be getting a season ticket if Martinez is there in the summer.

geds 4:24 am, 22-Mar-2013

Eddie the RS fan. So classy and so bitter.

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