Roberto Martinez labels Everton a ‘very special club’
Belgium manager Roberto Martinez labelled former employer Everton a ‘very special club’ when discussing Carlo Ancelotti’s impact on Merseyside.
The Spaniard managed Everton for almost three seasons between 2013 and 2016, leading the Blues to a fifth-place finish in his first season at Goodison Park.
However he struggled to maintain that form after his first season, with the Toffees finishing 11th two years running.
Despite his Everton career coming to a slow and painful end, the former Wigan Athletic boss revealed that he still has an affinity for the Blues.
As reported by The Liverpool Echo, Martinez said: “Everton is a very special club. Once you get touched by Everton, that always stays with you and you follow the club.
“It’s been really good to see how this team has showed an incredible mentality, and I think that shows by going to Anfield and managing to win after the amount of years it wasn’t possible.
“I do feel that this team has grown immensely from what they were last season.”
If only things had panned out
Roberto Martinez always came across as someone who just wanted to succeed to bring other people joy, and you can see that in the way that he talks and holds himself. Unfortunately, that just didn’t translate to results on the pitch.
Martinez succeeded in his first season mostly built on the defensive rigidity established by David Moyes. The Spaniard brought an offensive flair, but that defensive backbone saw him get by.
Unfortunately, he was quickly found out in his second season on Merseyside, where Everton’s backline became more predictable and easier to break down, conceding 20% more goals than the previous campaign [Premier League].
Martinez had the character and the personality to succeed on Merseyside, he just didn’t have the tactical awareness in the end, and that is what Carlo Ancelotti has brought us.
It’s a shame that Martinez never worked out, but in eventually leading us to Ancelotti it doesn’t seem to be that much of a disappointment.
In other Everton news, Xabi Alonso has praised Everton assistant manager Davide Ancelotti.