I'll be the first to admit that I panicked a little when I heard relegated Wigan manager Roberto Martinez was odds on favourite to become the new Everton manager. I looked disparingly at the stats which state that Martinez transformed Wigan into a side destined for the Championship. However, it is important to note that Everton are on a different level to that of Wigan Athletic. For one, our rich history of winning titles and cups as well as being renound for our long-standing top flight status cannot be compared. Another, is the calibre of players at the club - even the ever irritating David Moyes believed it was the best bunch of footballers he'd managed during his 11 year reign with us. It is quite fitting then that Roberto's Toffees are now four points better off than David's Devils. This brilliantly puts it into context: Moyes has taken over a title-winning side with the likes of RVP and Shrek, yet has only managed a handful of Premier League wins. The squad Martinez took on are not as good and are far fewer in numbers yet he has managed to achieve a top 6 position in the first 10 games. The United faithful would put this down the pressure of following in the footsteps of one of the greatest managers English football has ever seen. However, Martinez has had to fight off pressure of his own - relegated last year with Wigan, more than two times the amount of goals conceded than Everton last term as well as the prospect of commanding a side which has maintained a top 8 finish for more than 5 years straight. A frequent frustration which is widely held amongst many Evertonians in recent years, is our ability to draw more games than we should. In the last two years alone, we've achieved no fewer than 26. It is why some concern was drawn from our first three games of the season - all of which resulted in a stalemate. Aside from the Chelsea fixture, I believe two men are responsible for our winning streak of late - Romelu Lukaku and Gareth Barry. Both were deadline day acquisitions. This day would speak volumes about Roberto Martinez's ability to manage a team of our stature - and boy was I left impressed. By obtaining the above players alone, albeit on a season-loans, we can expect a reasonably successful debut campaign under the 40 year old Spaniard.
One worry for me though, is one which hampered Wigan throughout Martinez's spell there - the shaky defence. At times this season we have looked vulnerable. Under this new management it is common to see Baines and Coleman further up the pitch - wing-backs if you like. The idea being that whoever is placed on either side of midfield, would act as cover for when the defensive duo get forward. A lot of our conceded goals are not solely down to this however. The bearded Howard hasn't dipped in form, despite Distin looking weaker than usual. We've let in 10 goals so far which works out at 1 a game. Regardless of this stat, we seem to have developed a knack of being more clinical than we were under Moyes. We have currently won our last 5 Premier League matches and face a Spurs side at home, who too faced a transformation during the summer - not one of management, but of an influx of new players.
