Everton boss Roberto Martinez salutes the stabling influence at Goodison ParkBlues manager hails Bill Kenwright in hire ‘em and fire ‘em football culture
In a week when the Premier League’s hire ‘em and fire ‘em culture reared its ugly head again, Roberto Martinez looked at his own boardroom and took solace.
The Blues might be heading to South Wales tomorrow 24 hours after the carnival that is currently Cardiff City travelled in the other direction, but Martinez believes he manages a club which might as well inhabit another planet.
At the Cardiff City Stadium, controversial owner Vincent Tan has ridden roughshod over tradition. Neither club badge or colours were sacrosanct.
To the ire of incensed supporters, the Malaysian is unrepentant. It’s his club and he’ll do what he wants.
Compare that to Goodison, where an unpopular tweak of the Toffees’ crest last summer prompted Bill Kenwright to order a rethink and eventually a supporter ballot to choose a new one. For Martinez, the contrast simply underlines why he was right to takeover at Everton when his time at Wigan ran its course five months ago.
“It’s so important that as a football club you have people who share the same emotions as the fans when it comes to the issues that matter,” says the Catalan.
“Clearly other clubs have people who just come in as investors and make decisions based on other areas like marketing, or what will sell better.
“That’s where we are fortunate at Everton – our chairman will never ever stand for that.
“He is the one who gets emotional about any issue that effects a fan because he too has those early memories of coming to Goodison and watching his heroes. He’s Everton.
“Unfortunately those values are disappearing from the game and there are not many clubs left that have owners there for the right reasons. People who feel and think like proper fans.
“Sometimes you see what happens elsewhere and you need to realise how fortunate we are, and celebrate that.”
Martinez is fully focused on guiding Everton to success against his former club Swansea tomorrow afternoon, but it was the Swans’ local rivals who kept returning to the agenda during his media conference yesterday.
“It’s not right for me to comment because I don’t know the situation fully,” he says, after expressing sympathy for Malky Mackay’s predicament.
“But from the outside looking in, the relationship between the manager and owner is essential and it’s important their dialogue is private. You only look at what they’ve done over the last two seasons to see this season should be the highlight of their history.
“They should be enjoying this moment. It only makes me appreciate the relationship I have with my chairman and the board here because they are at the club for the right reasons.
“They are true Evertonians, and I think Bill Kenwright often doesn’t get the credit he deserves.”
Boardroom considerations aside, Everton head to the Liberty Stadium with the more pressing task of going unbeaten in 10 Premier League games.
And even though the showdown with Michael Laudrup’s side begins the testing gamut of festive fixtures, Martinez is content he can navigate the physical rigours ahead.
“We get inundated with data and it’s a case of using that data in the right way and knowing the players,” he says.
“It’s easier to call when you can see a player going into fatigue and at risk of injury. In that respect sports science is very helpful.
“I still feel the subjective opinion is as good as any data though. You can get carried away by numbers.
“Players want to play and they’re enjoying their football. That’s an advantage for me.
“When you’ve got a demanding style of play like we have, always wanting to get on the ball, it’s hard to play three games in a week. That’s why you need more than 11 players.”
As a former Swansea manager and captain, the Blues boss knows that his current side face a stern test of their passing credentials against a club which has honed the style he also developed there.
“If you want to analyse this team, they’re as good as anyone in the league in the way they keep the ball,” he says.
“Their possession stats are terrific and that way of playing has been ingrained for a long time. Probably this season they had a few injuries that stretched them, especially when playing in Europe. Losing players like Ashley Williams and Leon Britton for long spells, now Nathan Dyer and the keeper Michel Vorm, can effect results.
“But generally the team has been playing really well and I know it’ll be a tough game.”
“I know Everton has always done well at the Liberty, but I rate this team really highly and I think that being in Europe has given them a good arrogance to their play.”
Source: Echo
