The 2 years since Martinez left.

[EFC78]

I know this is arbitrary; but, it always felt like we could win the fixture under Martinez. That the quality and game plan were there and we just needed the young boys to execute. The only issues I ever had were that we relied on Barry too much as his legs were gone, and we didn’t get the best out of Deulofeo.

This past year, I genuinely go into every match with major questions regarding the strategy of the team selection. I mean, I can’t be the only one who turned to their spouse after seeing that arsenal team selection and said, “Ramsey is going to have so much space I bet he scores a hat trick.” How can a Professional manager week in and week out choose a team that every fan on the couch can identify glaring tactical errors in?

That's not much of a consolation when he lead us to our worst home record in our history. For all Allardyce's flaws, i'd rather actually get wins at home by winning the game, than having a 'feeling' we could beat any team under Martinez and lose.

Think so many have just got a selective memory where Martinez is concerned. The football was awful in the poor spells of the 2nd and 3rd seasons. People are making out like we'd have entertaining games and narrowly get beat. It's just not true in any way. We'd pass, pass, pass and go nowhere. The quality of football was dire and the results even worse.

I cannot let that 4-0 derby in 2015/16 be overlooked either so I will mention it once again. They had 37 shots to our 3. We didn't have a single shot on target all game. Was this a Liverpool side that were going for the title or the Champions League places? No - they finished 8th, with less points than we got last season.

By the end I went in to every game wishing it was over. We got humiliated at Leicester and humiliated at Sunderland and he was rightly sacked for 2 pathetic seasons in a row.

 

[Kiwi]

We played our best football in recent years under him. A shame he couldnt keep it tight up the other end else he might have been on to something.

 

[bag a yoko]

He'll be holding the world cup this summer. That Belgian team can outscore any other. Actually i think the 2nd season was much worse than the 3rd. He had consistent terrible luck and then the team turned on him in the 3rd.

 

[goodisonopheliac]

Don’t forget Roberto inherited a top squad, whereas Koeman was handed a disheveled, rag-tag bunch who had been mismanaged for years

Martinez made a top squad into a bang average one. Koeman made a bang average squad into a crap one.

 

[Kiwi]

He'll be holding the world cup this summer. That Belgian team can outscore any other. Actually i think the 2nd season was much worse than the 3rd. He had consistent terrible luck and then the team turned on him in the 3rd.

Was it season 2 where Lukaku and Mirallas got injured whilst on hot streaks? I remember us destroying Arsenal for 80 minutes in the second game of the season then crumbling in the last 10 to draw as we ran out of steam.

 

[Kiwi]

Martinez made a top squad into a bang average one. Koeman made a bang average squad into a crap one.

Was an OK squad he inherited not a top one. He brought fresh ideas and impetus but failed to replace aging players with similar quality and lost his way defensive sending us backwards.

 

[goodisonopheliac]

'Top' is admittedly being generous. Jags, Baines, Howard, Pienaar and Distin were all great in their prime, but they were ageing when Bob showed up.

Actually, Rooney's past his best now as well, it seems, and he's younger than Jags AND Baines. How depressing.

 

[mawders]

Martinez in the first season put the smile back on everyone's faces. We played some great stuff, he bought into everton and our history, brought HK back which gave us a nice fuzzy feeling, but the warning signs were there (like getting spanked 4-0 at the pit). If he had brought in a proper defensive coach and stopped making ludicrous statements about everything being phenomenal and Tom Cleverly being one of the greatest english players ever then he might have achieved something. He also made some laughable signings, failing to coach Barkley properly etc.

 

[mkrudden]

Bring him home.

 

[Blues Harp]

Bring him home.

And bury him in the foundations for the new stadium............oh wait....

 

[MikeH72]

Bring him home.

To Wigan or Swansea?

 

[evertony]

Worst home record in our history in final season.Turned one of the tightest defences to one of that was letting 3 goals in regularly. Back to back 4 0's against the RS on his cv with the first one being THE WORST tactical set up I have ever seen in 40 yrs as a season ticket holder. Phenomenal!!!!

And our current defence is water-tight under a defensive master tactician is it?

 

[Charles Hawtrey]

We played our best football in recent years under him. A shame he couldnt keep it tight up the other end else he might have been on to something.

He refused to practice defending at a corner kick!!!!!

 

[Kiwi]

He refused to practice defending at a corner kick!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[APN_EFC]

Martinez in the first season put the smile back on everyone's faces. We played some great stuff, he bought into everton and our history, brought HK back which gave us a nice fuzzy feeling, but the warning signs were there (like getting spanked 4-0 at the pit). If he had brought in a proper defensive coach and stopped making ludicrous statements about everything being phenomenal and Tom Cleverly being one of the greatest english players ever then he might have achieved something. He also made some laughable signings, failing to coach Barkley properly etc.

Yes he was almost a great manager.
exactly that - defensive coach, calming down the hyperbole (we get ourselves over excited and ambitious without anyone'e help!) and maybe 1 or 2 alternate tactics - we would have been doing really well in his 2nd & 3rd seasons.
His assistant manager, Denis lawrence and gk coach seemed mediocre = i'm saying that with no evidence whatsoever - i just liked Chris Woods, and that assistant Steve Round from a few years ago