Everton Manager Roberto Martinez Is Destined for Great Things

Roberto Martinez's appointment at Everton was initially met with a certain degree of apathy. Supporters weren't dazzled by any realistic candidate, but Martinez—though the favourite and expected choice—was championed by few.

Several Everton-related websites ran their own polls on potential new managers for the club, with the Spaniard topping none of any note. He collected just 221 votes of 1,617 (13 percent) on GrandOldTeam's version, coming behind Vitor Pereira and Michael Laudrup.

ToffeeWeb's readers were allowed a choice of just three, and again Martinez fell 13 percent behind Pereira from 3,453 votes.

However, from his first few days in charge, Martinez has not only felt like the right pick for the Toffees, but like a special manager with serious potential to thrive in his profession. So far, he's impressed all in his new role and seems poised to make this next step a successful venture.

Putting faith in the former Wigan manager was certainly a gamble by Everton.

Martinez masterminded a spectacular FA Cup triumph, certainly, but a recent relegation stands out as a glaring blemish on his managerial CV.

It's something managers with far less perceived pedigree, such as Steve Bruce and Paul Jewell, had managed to avoid with the Latics and is certainly worth investigating. That said, it quickly becomes apparent that his previous job was eventually doomed, and his managerial prowess still radiates through.

His side were continually forced to sell their best players at a rate few clubs have had to contend with. Hugo Rodallega, Victor Moses, Mohamed Diame, Antonio Valencia, Lee Cattermole and Charles N'Zogbia were all sold during his time in charge, something that had to be accepted and overcome.

Staying as competitive as they did for so long was hugely impressive and owes a lot to the psychological stamina Martinez builds on his squad.

Any one of these sales could have derailed a season, but the relentless positivity he had permeating his dressing room kept the Latics fighting and never allowed negativity to fester long.

His continually upbeat demeanour is one of his main assets as a manager and not only rouses his squad for big matches—such as the FA Cup final—but also infuses his players with immense confidence.

This can certainly be a risky strategy, and it wasn't something David Moyes employed—preferring to focus on what can be improved upon—but for the likes of Ross Barkley it's already working wonders.

All of those players sold by Wigan were nurtured and developed by Martinez. They improved and eventually flourished under his tutelage, which will serve him well at any club not owned by a sugar daddy. It's also an ideal quality to have at a club with Everton's limited resources.

Aside from his unerring positivity and his ability to extract the very best from his players, specifically attackers, he also brings with him an attractive, effective approach that's designed to dominate. 

Looking at the statistics, his Wigan side were more than competitive in most categories last season, taking a substantial portion of blame away from Martinez.

They kept the seventh most possession and were the Premier League's eight best passers. They averaged 13.2 shots per game, roughly middle of the road in the English top flight, and nine other teams conceded more shots than them.

Quite simply, these numbers should have translated into a decent return and are impressive results from Martinez with a limited roster. He was let down by his team's barrage of unforced errors, 17 of which led directly to a goal—the most in the Premier League.

The players were, essentially, not good enough for the Premier League and individual gaffes kept disjointing Martinez's best laid plans. The Spaniard now has a far better canvas from which to work with at Everton.

He favours an idealistic, progressive approach, aiming to patiently occupy possession, draw a team onto the ball before using intricate movement and sharp passes to quickly slice through.

He is very much a purist to this extent and has amusingly even admitted he doesn't like set-pieces, preferring to pass an opponent off the park. His style is hard to master, especially at a club like Wigan, but can be one of the most satisfying and effective ways to play.

If performed correctly, it is extremely difficult to overcome and becomes increasingly frustrating. Opposing forwards are starved of opportunities, putting more pressure on them, while the core of the team is run ragged, continually chasing the ball. 

It's fair to say he should have perhaps been more flexible at Wigan and looked for alternative approaches given the way his team struggled. However, the way he's stuck with a 4-2-3-1 approach at Everton—similar to the 4-4-1-1 David Moyes practically ingrained in the Toffees' foundations—shows he's now more willing to be flexible. The style is certainly evolving but, as yet, there's been no sign of his favoured 3-4-3.

Style is a means to dominate, completely dependent on its individuals, but once Everton fully familiarise themselves in Martinez's ways, there's far more potential for success. 

Martinez's meticulous nature, affable character and devotion to his role are all traits of a top-class professional and, at Everton, he now has the platform—and personnel around him—to shine.

Bill Kenwright certainly didn't mince his words upon introducing Everton's new manager to the media, stating: "Roberto's first words were 'I'll get you in the Champions League," a statement that may not seem so far-fetched over the next few seasons.

As briefly as he's been with the Toffees, it would be interesting to poll exactly how may fans would go back to David Moyes if given the choice.