Rewind a year or so ago. Legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson’s 90 minutes are up, and this occasion there’s no injury time. He announces his retirement with only a couple of games of United’s title winning season to go. Rumours fly around the footballing network. The Special One Jose Mourinho is the dream for United fans, and Jurgen Klopp doesn’t seem like a bad idea either.
But a couple of days after United’s earth-shattering statement, comes one that little of us saw coming: David Moyes would take over at Manchester United come the end of the season, leaving Everton managerless.
Roberto Martinez’s Revolution: A New Breed of Everton
The Toffees announce the appointment of Spaniard Roberto Martinez, fresh from a strange season of ups and downs at Wigan, where he masterminded a famous victory in the FA Cup which saw Wigan lift the trophy after a last minute Ben Watson header, but also saw Wigan finally go down after an injury ravaged season. Many envisaged a fallen Everton, fed into their heads by a media who assumed that Everton were always punching above their weight in the Premier League, kept afloat only by Sir Alex’s chosen one.
David James had Everton finishing 16th in his pre-season predictions for BT Sport. Most didn’t give the Dogs of War a hope. But Martinez had other ideas, and this incredible season has seen Everton re-emerge as the School Of Science, playing fantastic football and playing teams off the park. But how has this transition happened? How did Everton go from the plucky side, always the underdogs, hoofing it up to Fellaini, to one of the best footballing sides in the league with arguably the most exciting youngster in the country lighting up the pitch every other week? The answer, simply, is Roberto Martinez.
Martinez has always played good football. At Wigan he laid on some fantastic possession-based play, something no manager would do in control of a club battling the drop. When he came into Everton many knew he would attempt to play the same kind of football, but just how he would change such a direct team into a Tika-Taka passing side was beyond most. He started with the centre backs. He worked with Jagielka, Distin, Baines and Coleman to school them on keeping the ball at the back, and how with patient build-up play, gaps would always emerge to attack.
Everton had struggled with their prolificacy in previous seasons, and a new striker was needed after the terrible form of Nikica Jelavic. Arouna Kone was signed from his former club Wigan to add a few goals after a fantastic debut season in the Premiership, and promising Barcelona speed merchant Gerard Deulofeu was brought in on loan to put some flair into an otherwise slightly route one side. But the cocktail wasn’t quite complete. Everton didn’t really have the midfielders needed, an energetic battler who would never stop running and tackling, and a classy, strong, experienced ball player, who was also no stranger to the odd 50/50. Those men were signed on deadline day.
James McCarthy was brought in to become Everton’s second all time record signing, and the out-of-favour Gareth Barry loaned from Man City. But one more was needed. An intimidating player, a big striker who was both clinical and skilful. Martinez got his man, and Everton’s final signing of the window saw Chelsea’s Belgian wunderkind Romelu Lukaku join, again on loan, to make a huge impact on the pitch with a lesser impact on Bill Kenwright’s wallet. All of this, combined with terrific coaching to train the Everton players in a new way of playing, has resulted in a new Everton, who dominate games and have scored some amazing goals throughout the season.
Next season will see a new challenge, as Roberto Martinez will have to adapt to the loss of his some loan signings and take on a possibly re-emergent Manchester United. For Everton fans, the sky’s the limit, as Liverpool have demonstrated that any team with belief and a talented group of players, can make a stride for the title. Are Everton the leagues dark horses for the title? Only time will tell.
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