Roberto Martinez vs. Mauricio Pochettino: Breaking Down the Manager Battle

When Tottenham Hotspur sacked Tim Sherwood, chairman Daniel Levy cast his eye about the Premier League and beyond, looking for a promising young manager to take charge. 

No longer was he searching for a short-term solution. Instead, Levy sought a man capable of managing a long-term project.

Roberto Martinez and Mauricio Pochettino had both just completed their first full seasons at new clubs, Everton and Southampton respectively. 

Sunday's Premier League match between Spurs and Everton will be the fourth since Pochettino was appointed.

Last season Tottenham won home and away against a Toffees side struggling to recapture the sparkling form of the previous campaign. 

In the first meeting of this season, it was a goalless draw at White Hart Lane that left Spurs 15th and winless through their first four matches. 

Martinez has his side playing very attractive football this season without necessarily collecting the points that their play deserves. 

Tim Ireland/Associated Press

Everton have scored more goals than all but Leicester City and Manchester City so far while only six teams have conceded more.

Philosophically, this brings up the biggest contrast between Martinez and Pochettino. 

The Spaniard demands attractive football above all else. He made his name with a plucky Wigan team that embraced his style only to eventually sink into relegation. 

Pochettino's best teams at Espanyol, Southampton and Tottenham have been built around top-class defending.

Indeed, this season sees Spurs with the best defence in the division with 15 goals conceded through 19 games, per Squawka, and on track to better 2014-15's best defensive record (Chelsea conceded 31 last season). 

Pochettino has always favoured an aggressive pressing game, and while it has been slow to take root at Tottenham, that is now the defining point of his team.

Martinez had previously eschewed pressing but has adopted it this year. 

A professed believer in the gospel of possession, Martinez explained his team's setup to the Liverpool Echo, saying that "you have to press the opposition in order to get the ball back and have it as long as we can... We want to be a team in possession and a team in control of the ball."

Both managers utilise pressing but to different ends.

For Martinez, it is to regain possession in order to play his preferred considered style. Pochettino's pressing game is intended to produce rapid transitions and unsettle the opposition's ball players.

Tim Ireland/Associated Press

Martinez is reluctant to see his players playing long passes, preferring a sustained, constructed attack. Pochettino has no such qualms and encourages his players to utilise it to their advantage when possible. 

Dele Alli's recent goal against West Brom was an example of an efficient long pass, resulting in a scoring opportunity.

Everton have struggled to deal with such tactics this season and could find themselves exposed in this way on Sunday.  

Perhaps in contrast to Pochettino, Martinez admits that aggressive pressing is unwise against the best opposition: "Others are teams that enjoy that high pressure because they have outstanding footballers who can play between lines."

This suggests that Martinez will employ only selective pressing against Tottenham. 

At 34 years old, Gareth Barry is enjoying an Indian summer to his career and is key to Everton's ability to recycle possession. The injury-enforced absence of James McCarthy only increases his importance. 

Spurs will buzz around Barry like hornets in an attempt to knock him off his rhythm. 

If they are successful, it could be a long day for Everton. 

Pochettino showed tactical flexibility in the 2-1 win over Watford when pushing his full-backs high up as wing-backs and withdrawing Eric Dier from midfield into a covering role in central defence. 

Martinez has a continental approach to tactical flexibility, demanding his players be comfortable in multiple formations. 

He is willing to tweak his setup to counter the perceived strengths of the opposition just as Pochettino did at Vicarage Road.

Jon Super/Associated Press

The stylistic similarities and philosophical distinctions between Pochettino and Martinez make this fixture an intriguing one from the outset. 

That the fixture is to be played at Goodison Park should favour the visitors. 

Spurs haven't lost away from home since the opening day and have collected 16 points from their subsequent eight away fixtures. 

Everton have lost four times at home including their last two against counter-attacking experts Leicester City and Stoke City.

Martinez's team always try to force the pace of games and that is doubly true at home. 

Pochettino's standard tactics should be well-suited to this clash while Martinez may need to adapt.