Why it’s time to get off Roberto Martinez’s back:

You’re damned if you do and you’re damned if you don’t.

If new Everton manager Roberto Martinez had blown all of his (limited) transfer budget on one marquee signing this summer, he would have been accused of abandoning the shrewd building philosophy employed so successfully by his predecessor, David Moyes.

Instead, the former Wigan boss has gone about strengthening the Toffees’ squad with several acquisitions, including three from Latics – Arouna Kone, Joel Robles and Antolin Alcaraz.

And he has been roundly slated.

Would Moyes have been on the receiving end of such stick had he purchased the trio? Hardly. It would have been the usual plaudits for wheeling and dealing without parting with a great deal of money.
All three players provide more competition in a squad which, once injuries and suspensions kicked in last term, looked badly short on numbers and quality.

Kone puts more pressure on Nikica Jelavic to rediscover the form he demonstrated in his early Everton days, before an alarming slump straight out of the ‘Space Jam’ manual.

The season-long loan of Barcelona ‘B’ teenager Gerard Deulofeu, who plundered 18 goals in the Spanish second division last season, further improves the manager’s options in the final third.

Robles is decent back-up for Tim Howard and Alcaraz can cover for the ageing Sylvain Distin and injury-prone Phil Jagielka – unless Martinez opts to deploy three centre-halves, as he often did at the DW Stadium.
A lot of the criticism centres around the fact that Kone, Robles and Alcaraz were part of a Wigan side which suffered relegation last season. This much is true, but the blame for such a disappointing league campaign cannot be aimed at just three players.

It is worth noting that they were also members of the side which won the FA Cup, beating Everton in breathtaking fashion along the way.
Martinez goes into the new campaign with more to prove than most of his Premier League counterparts.

Despite having one more trophy than Moyes on his CV, he is also the man who oversaw that sharp and unforgiving exit through the relegation trapdoor.

He has been given an unbelievable opportunity to prove himself as a genuine top-flight heavyweight at one of the country’s most famous, well-established clubs, playing in front of one of the most passionate and vocal home crowds in the division.

Moyes’ success in establishing the Goodison Park outfit as annual challengers for the European spots only adds to the pressure on the man who took his place in the hotseat, and it is down to Martinez to prove he has the bottle to stick to his convictions and tactical know-how to keep Everton on the right track.

He has a battle on his hands to keep hold of key men Leighton Baines and Marouane Fellaini. If both men stay, it is only fair for the Toffees supporters to expect a top-eight finish. Should they depart, the team’s ambitions will hinge on who the Spaniard replaces them with.

The doubts on the terraces are understandable, but relegation doesn’t always mean a manager is doomed to a career of underachievement.
Rafael Benitez experienced it with Extremadura before making his name at Valencia and Liverpool, where he lifted the European Cup.

There is undeniably a question mark over Martinez’s ability to make the grade at Goodison.

But let’s at least give him the chance to answer the question.

Find me on Twitter: @LynhamChris

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