Roberto Martinez discussion

[bluejock]

I'm trying. By god I am trying! But no matter how much I want to believe in him, how much I want him to succeed and how much I want to just feel naturally positive about the man, I just can't help but feel very worried and ultimately negative about the appointment of Roberto Martinez as manager of Everton Football Club. I know there's an obvious divide in Everton fans' views and opinions of this issue, but what about the man wearing the mask like me. The man who's putting a smile on and forcing himself to look and "feel" excited about Martinez, but deep down knows that something just doesn't fit. I know I'm not the only one wearing that mask of jubilance covering a face of concern, worry and gloominess. Having watched the full appointment of Martinez press conference on YouTube, I think it's blatantly obvious that Kenwright is wearing that mask too. Some say this is a time of promise and future glory, with the players we have, the football Martinez' teams play and the fact that we're taking on a manager who won what Moyesey never could (a trophy!), and I'm happy for those people. Others say this is a huge mistake, with a manager that's never progressed a bottom five team which was finishing higher in the league before he took over and now under his reign got relegated, and I'm happy for those people too. At least you openly know where you stand. But those of you wearing the mask of delight covering up a deep down despair, put your hand up and make yourself known, because I know there's more than just me and Blue Bill.

This thread just gets better and better with age.

 

[TheFinnFan]

I think this Catalan may just actually know what he's doing!

Keep your fingers crossed its a long while until barca want him!

arsenal is in line too x

 

[Khalekan]

Its true but I would like to point out that in 69-70 it was only 2 points for a win and we went on to accumulate 66 points. That is the equivalent to 95 points albeit over 42 games.

IIRC that was a new points record at the time.

 

[jungleburger]

I have to confess I was team Perirrieierra. I thought Boberto would be a disaster.

So glad to have called that wrong though

 

[Furey1878]

If you confess your #teamperiera sins by dawn then I won't be forced to go into the vaults and make you repent.

Look, I think it's quite clear that 99% of posters are clueless bells who think they're football gods because they can play chipped through balls in Fifa.

I'm very much in that 99%, and was very much team pereira.

In my defence though, Martinez was my 2nd choice.

 

[davek]

9 points needed to beat Moyes' best of 65 points.

Imo, we'll do that with four games to spare with wins against Fulham (a); Sunderland (a); Palace (h).

Likely points after that: United (h); Hull (a).

I see us finishing on the 70 point mark, which would be an unbelievable first season in charge for Roberto. No wonder the rumours are starting about his future being elsewhere. It's up to that fraud Kenwright to tip some money up this summer.

 

[BoysInBlue]

Its true but I would like to point out that in 69-70 it was only 2 points for a win and we went on to accumulate 66 points. That is the equivalent to 95 points albeit over 42 games.

That is a fair shout, you are correct. It was 2 points for a win back then, so that does disguise how good the 69/70 team were. 46 points over 30 games back then - the equivalent today under 3 points for a win would be 67 points from 30 games.

 

[Duncan Disordely]

This man has some ambition for our club. Let's hope he gets the support he needs.

Roberto Martínez's grand designs for everton include spending a £20m-plus transfer kitty this summer and a revamp of the club's training complex. The Everton manager wants to increase the number of hours players spend in training by building overnight accommodation at Finch Farm.

Signing Romelu Lukaku on a permanent basis from Chelsea and a return to Goodison Park for Jack Rodwell are on Martínez's transfer agenda, too, although he concedes targets will be influenced by Champions League qualification.

The Everton manager has sold £40m-worth of players since his arrival from Wigan Athletic – Marouane Fellaini, Nikica Jelavic and Victor Anichebe – and also removed John Heitinga's lucrative salary from the wage bill. Almost half has been reinvested on James McCarthy, Arouna Koné and Aiden McGeady and Martínez admits he deliberately did not spend heavily in January to protect this summer's transfer budget.


It is plans for the Finch Farm training ground that illustrate the manager's meticulous attention to detail and influence throughout the club. Everton moved into the impressive Liverpool City council-owned complex only in 2007 but Martínez believes player-development will improve significantly with new facilities.

"We've got money to spend this summer," the Everton manager said. "Remember we sold £40m worth of players and we only spent £13m [initially]. That money is there to be spent. The new TV money won't make a massive difference on the playing side because we've got a lot of things we want to do on the training ground. We want to build accommodation here, have bedrooms on site, put a new pitch in and give the training ground a big lift. I'm going to use the money for that."

Spending on infrastructure is exempt from Uefa's financial fair play calculations but Martínez insists Finch Farm, with 10 full-size grass pitches, one full-size synthetic pitch, an indoor pitch and three smaller pitches, does not meet his requirements for the club. "Every year you need to improve," he added.


"We need bedrooms for the first team and the option to get digs for the young players to stay on site as well. We are two pitches short and we need to have a full-size indoor facility for all the age groups. The facilities here are terrific but the demands every season change and you need to be up to date.

"We have different projects and the cost depends on how much we are going to go into it. They are different projects – one is the bedrooms, one is the new pitches, one is for the youth to have digs. There are different projects that we can do over the next 24 months."

Asked why he wants players sleeping at Finch Farm, Martínez said: "Because you can work. Young players especially, any player under 24, needs to have the right balance of training and recovery. The moment you lose a player to injury and he has to go home to recover and come back, it makes it impossible to get two sessions in. You have to have that base to work if you want to invest in youngsters.


"The 10,000 hours rule [the supposed time required to become expert in any field] is impossible but if you can get a player doing double of what they do the benefits are incredible. Even before games you have to go to a hotel. You don't create that environment of feeling at home. It is now a must to have bedrooms. Every first-team player should have a bedroom."

The Everton manager confirmed his transfer budget has not been set yet. "Whether we are in Europe or not will be a big factor in that," said Martínez, who believes an extra six players will be required should his fifth-placed team secure Champions League or Europa League qualification. "You can work on a squad of 21 players in the league and for domestic competitions and you need around 27 players plus the keepers for Europe," he said.

Martínez admits he will be spending a significant amount this summer, by Everton standards. He said: "We've got money but I didn't want to spend it in January. The cash has been here before but in the past they have spent £10m in one window, £6m in another window. What we have done is bring in loan players, short-term players, and used the young players to accumulate money. It is about spending it a little bit at a time or all at once. I prefer to stockpile for the summer. Having to sell players, reduce the wage bill and keep money from other areas to make a big pot is what I've been aiming for over the last 10 months."

The loan acquisitions of Lukaku, Gareth Barry and the young Spaniard Gerard Deulofeu have worked well for Everton this season. Lukaku will be a priority for Martínez. He has scored 13 goals, including four in the last give matches, to help Everton's push for Champions League qualification.

http://gu.com/p/3zvbh/tw

 

[KevMirallas]

He keeps on reiterating the point that we have money to spend in the summer. Maybe it actually is true this time?

 

[toffee matt]

This man has some ambition for our club. Let's hope he gets the support he needs.



http://gu.com/p/3zvbh/tw

He doesn't wear an armband though

 

[deipnosophist]

I think this Catalan may just actually know what he's doing!
h
Keep your fingers crossed its a long while until barca want him!

I think that is a reason Big Dunc was elevated to coach the top team...succession planning. Let's face it, there is a dearth of quality managers out there (Mark Hughes anyone?). It is really vital that EFC has a plan in place to replace RM when he goes (and it might well be Barca)

 

[Duncan Disordely]

Not many managers would walk into a world class modern training facility like a Finch Farm and decide so quickly that it needed upgrading. I honestly think he can achieve amazing things here if we can keep him and back him as we need.

 

[Furey1878]

This man has some ambition for our club. Let's hope he gets the support he needs.

http://gu.com/p/3zvbh/tw

Please, please let this be true.

And also let it not mean that all our money is going on 'infrastructure'.

 

[MartSlinger]

Interesting to hear that the TV Money is going directly back into Finch Farm. Could we actually finally buy it back and actually own the place outright?!

 

[Khalekan]

He keeps on reiterating the point that we have money to spend in the summer. Maybe it actually is true this time?

I would say so.

Roberto doesn't seem like the kind of man to spout hot air.