Long and Winding Road

Ciaran Duff 27/07/2015 24comments  |  Jump to last
As we all know Martinez had a fantastic first season followed by a very disappointing one last year. So, the conventional wisdom is that next season is make or break for him. He has had time to build his own squad and should be able to show his "true colours" by now surely?

While contemplating this and our current squad/transfers, I got to thinking about whether this is fair or accurate. What if Roberto Martinez is looking at a longer-term view (eg, 4-5 years) for his "project"?

As we all know it is almost impossible to compete against the seemingly unlimited resources of top 4-5 teams. The only (long-term) way around this is to develop your own youth and try to sign up young prospects.

We know that Martinez is very keen on developing young players and has done so at previous clubs. So, maybe this is his real underlying strategy for getting us to "the next level". Look at the current established players in the squad who will be under 30 in 2 years time:-

Stones (21)
Lukaku (22)
Besic (22)
Deulofeu (21)
Barkley (21)
McCarthy (24)
Oviedo (25)
Robles (25)
Cleverly (25)
Coleman (26)
Gibson (27)
Mirallas (27)

Combine these with upcoming fringe players who are on the bench or on loan and expected to come through:-

Ledson (17)
Henen (19)
Galloway (19)
Grant (20)
Browning (21)
McAleny (22)
Garbutt (22)

While Roberto did sign Barry, Kone, Alcaraz and he kept on Hibbert, Osman and Pienaar, it seems to me that he was/is using them to assist in the transition of younger players, giving them time develop. If we manage to hold onto our crop of young players, develop the ones coming through, and sign a couple of upcoming starlets (Sergio Roberto would be nice) then maybe we could go to the next level.

However, as this is a long term plan it would involve some short term pain as we go through this transition and development phase. While I obviously don't know if this is indeed his strategy, if it were, then I for one would certainly back it.

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Reader Comments (24)

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Hugh Jenkins
1 Posted 28/07/2015 at 05:30:51
Ciaran - I certainly buy into this. I said in an earlier article when the prospect of Stones going to Chelsea was first raised that I believed that RM has a plan and that he has sold this idea to the younger players and that they too have bought into it in the fact that so many of the younger prospects signed new 5-year deals either last year or this year.

I think RM has a vision of building a team good enough to win the EPL without spending billions, or even millions, by developing a side over a period of a few years.

That is why it is of paramount importance to him and to Everton that we retain our "brilliant" young prospects like Stones, Garbutt, Barkley et al and build on that core.

Ciaran Duff
2 Posted 28/07/2015 at 06:49:21
Agreed Hugh. I was thinking the same when Garbutt is happy to sign a year deal, skip a transfer to EPL club and go out on loan to a Championship club. Only makes sense if he has been "sold" a vision for the future.

Also, if you look at our transfer dealings, it fits a similar pattern. Initially, RM brought in some older players, who he was familiar with, to fill the gaps. Since then, most of his signings have been younger players.

He has also used the loan system to test out players. So, basically he seems to have a disciplined and methodical approach to transfers.

It is interesting that young players like Deulofeu (could have gone to other clubs), Cleverley (in previous transfer window waited for 3 hours in a motorway layby hoping Man Utd would agree a deal with EFC) and Henen (who has had to go through legal/contract hoops to get to Everton) are all keen to join us.

Sam Hoare
3 Posted 28/07/2015 at 06:58:11
It makes for a nice daydream and I’m excited to see how all these talented kids develop but, as we’ve seen in the last week, it won’t be long before the rich wolves start circling and I’m not set how much resolve our board has to turn down big money. Or indeed how much faith the players have in ’the project’.

I hope I’m wrong but I suspect that if RM can’t deliver top 6 or a cup this season that Stones and any other top performers will be off. Perhaps they will even if he does. Money talks these days sadly and we are not dining at the top table.

Kieran Fitzgerald
5 Posted 28/07/2015 at 07:25:49
For it to work we will first need to show the younger players that they will get game time. At present we may not see Galloway and Browning again this side of Christmas and Besic will still only get twenty minutes here and there. Oviedo has Baines ahead of him at left back and Mirallas ahead of him out wide. Combine this with Martinez' facination with playing central players out wide and Oviedo may not get that much proper game time either. Barry will always be one of the first names on the sheet and Gibson is too injury prone to have any chance of pushing Barry out.

Also, has Martinez got it in him to be direct enough in his style of play or be flexible enough with his tactics. Last season, a lack of directness and flexibility killed us. If we are going to be as bad as we were last season, no player is going to want to stay.

Thomas Lennon
6 Posted 28/07/2015 at 07:29:32
Just a thought. Back in the day Ferguson's youngsters were doing OK but not winning much until a creative playmaster was brought in - Cantona. He provided the spark for 20 years of success. Who could do that now?
Bill Farmer
7 Posted 28/07/2015 at 10:36:44
We've been here before -- and I've only been posting for the last three weeks!

The prospect of any manager being capable of -- or given the time -- to 'build' a team based on home grown talent went out of the window with the birth of the Premier League.

The riches on offer are so vast that no club can afford to paddle around at the nether end of the league whilst every place is worth another £1.5M at least. And the prospect of relegation? Just remember the panic amongst our fans when last season's 16-game bad run raised that spectre!

For all I would wish to see more of Tyias Browning, Garbutt and Galloway and have touted the cause of McAleny, I don't admire them so much that I would gamble Everton's future on them. And stats indicate that only one of that four will eventually become a regular top-draw performer, however much action they see.

No, I feel our club will have not much option but to do what they have always done in the modern era. Sell to buy. Thus Stones will go to be replaced by someone just slightly inferior and possibly McCarthy likewise.

Where that policy gets really hairy, of course, is when Lukaku's agent finds 'a more suitable' home for him and we're left with Kone up front.

Who was it begging us not to be pessimistic?

Martin Mason
8 Posted 28/07/2015 at 11:21:29
It's a wonderful vision and we are historically good in this respect whoever the manager is but I think there are more important priorities that could kill all of the great player development. The way that we played last year and the Arsenal capitulation in the Asia cup for me show that developing a playing system that will entertain the fans and stop us being relegated is a prerequisite for developing the players who'll fit into that system?
Michael Penley
9 Posted 28/07/2015 at 12:10:55
I don't know. If it's a long-term vision why play Baines instead of Oviedo or Garbutt? Why do Hibbert and Ossie still get a run? And it looks like Kone is going to be a big part of the team from how much he's played recently.
Ciaran Duff
10 Posted 28/07/2015 at 12:24:48
Michael (#9) and Kieran (#5),

Whether you agree with it or not, I think that RM’s philosophy is to give young players plenty of time to develop particularly in that 21-24 age range. That either involves sending them out on loan or introducing them for short spells off the bench rather than throwing them in at the deep end (Stones being an exception). So, I think he uses the likes of Osman and Hibbert as a buffer.

For example, when it was obvious last season that Barkley was struggling, Osman was there to take some of the load and give Ross a break. Besic was used last season more than was expected and, injuries permitting, should get more game time this season. Oviedo is behind Baines because at this stage Baines is a better option.

Of course, there will be huge pressure from other clubs if they sniff out upcoming talent (Stones being the obvious example). So far, we haven’t caved in for him or Barkley last year. It will be interesting to see where we stand at the end of the transfer window.

Brent Stephens
11 Posted 28/07/2015 at 12:36:04
Ciaran (#11) -- I think you call it correctly in terms of Roberto’s strategy for developing the young lads. I allowed myself to get excited before the start of last season (more fool me). But I’m again getting a bit of an adrenaline rush (maybe because I just received my season ticket).

My "glass half-full" attitude looks to Stones and Jags working well together, the two full-backs returning to their marauding style (as evidenced in the last friendly), Barks doing more this year, Geri scaring defences, Cleverley providing defence-splitting passes, with some appearances for Browning, Galloway.

And then, in the next year or so, starting to see first-team appearances by the likes of Liam Walsh, Tom Davies, Michael Donohue.

Oh to be a negative pessimist!


Patrick Murphy
12 Posted 28/07/2015 at 12:42:02
We still as a club straddle the divide between buying proven PL players and bringing in the younger element into the first-team.

When fit and in form, players like Baines choose themselves, so the likes of Garbutt et al would have to be exceptional to oust them from the first-team.

If Everton under Martinez do manage to bring into the squad upwards of three younger players in the next couple of seasons, it will be a bonus. Losing key players, young or experienced, will always happen far more regularly than we would want but that is a reflection of our current financial standing rather than a deliberate managerial decision.

What Roberto or whoever is in charge of the team have to do in the next few years is to gradually reduce the average age of the squad without impacting too heavily on results. The club should also be looking to reduce the number of players who draw decent salaries but contribute little to the first team; this of course will all take time but it has to be done.

Whether Roberto can see his plans reach fruition will as always depend on the results of the first team, the more points they accrue the more time Roberto will have. I happen to think we are on the right track as regards to the younger squad members but the rough and tumble of the Premier League is an unforgiving arena and if the young players are to succeed they shouldn’t be thrown in until they are fully ready to do so,

Bill Farmer
14 Posted 28/07/2015 at 13:27:46
However much is talked about Roberto's encouragement of homegrown young talent, it is a matter of fact that as he goes into his third season with us, the only local youngster likely to see much first team action is Barkley. And he got in the team under Moyes.

Now I don't blame the manager for being pragmatic -- in fact, he should be more so -- but all this avowed enthusiasm for youth is just hot air. Just look at the line-up when the proper games start.

Hugh Jenkins
15 Posted 28/07/2015 at 18:09:24
Bill (14) - surely that is the point Ciaran is making? The young players will be retained and bedded in over a period of time. Neither he, nor I, am suggesting that, this season, we will see a full team of 21-year-olds representing us, week-in and week-out.

However, I think both he and I are confident that, in a season or two’s time, the majority of the first team is going to be drawn from the names he has scheduled in his original post.

Jay Harris
16 Posted 28/07/2015 at 19:03:52
History tells you that a team of youngsters are not going to win the league or even do that well.

Every good team needs a blend of experience, will to win and skill as well as a surprisingly good young un or two.

The "young" team that Ferguson put together was not developed under Man Utd Academy. They were mostly bought in or tapped up from other clubs the way Mourhino is trying it on with Stones now.

Even so that was in the early days of the Premier League the game has become much more global now and the clubs with worldwide scouting and reputations are the ones picking up the top players irrespective of age.

It is deluded to think Martinez on a shoestring budget can deliver a top team even given 4 or 5 years.

It depresses me to say this but the only trophy we are likely to win is the Football League Championship under the current regime.

Steve Hogan
17 Posted 28/07/2015 at 20:32:45
Ciaran (10)

Except Martinez didn't have the intelligence to pull Ross out of the firing line until his confidence was shot to pieces.

It wasn't a case of Osman 'coming to the rescue'.

Gary Reeves
18 Posted 28/07/2015 at 20:52:48
Steve (#17)

It’s not a confidence thing with Barkley, it's an all-around ability I’m afraid. We all see him, we’ve all waited patiently. I for one have seen enough.

Douglas McClenaghan
19 Posted 29/07/2015 at 08:34:01
Fingers crossed. I would love to see this come to fruition.

I don’t think the moneybags solution is the answer. For all that they have spent, Man City haven’t set the world on fire... and as for the RS, they have squandered enough money to bail out Greece half-a-dozen times and only managed the premature ejaculation of a few seasons ago when they thought they were going to be Champions.

I so badly want our success based on integrity, grit and intelligence, not a damned cheque book. COYB.

Tony Abrahams
20 Posted 29/07/2015 at 10:26:06
Would be fantastic, to achieve such a thing, but as people have already said, it's highly unlikely.

Look at the players Arsenal, have lost down the years, because Wenger, had such a policy. Young players grow, and when they get offered more money, and a chance to win things, very few will turn it down.

I think as Martin points out, entertainment has got to be top of the list, for Martinez this season. It's very important to me watching Everton play, anyway.

Dave Ganley
21 Posted 29/07/2015 at 20:29:54
To be honest, as much as planning for the future is important, so is planning for the present. I'm all for a 4 to 5 year plan, not only is it important to have a vision as to where you want to be in 4 to 5 years, I would think it negligent also not to do so. However, and here is the rub of the green, if the manager is not taking care of the here and now, then the very players that he supposedly see as the way forward, will be leaving in droves. Forget about how much money they maybe be enticed with to leave, they will be leaving due to uninspiring football, a club struggling at the wrong end of the table and a team blatantly not enjoying their football.

For me, this is very much a make or break season for Martinez. He, as has been pointed out, had a very good season and a very poor season. Comparisons have been drawn with Moyes's first two seasons but the comparison is just ridiculous. Martinez inherited a very good squad and in my opinion still has a very good squad, regardless of many on this site who lambast players at every opportunity. Moyes inherited a truly awful squad hence the fans had a lot more patience with him.

The arguments as to why we have had such fluctuating fortunes in the last couple of years have been done to death so have no place in this thread, however, what was apparent last season was that the players were obviously not happy with the persistent style of play we were being asked to play and it wasn't working to boot. So if Martinez continues to play this way, the players that are our future will leave for pastures new.

Martinez took over a top 6 club and aside from his remit about planning for the future, his job is keeping them a top 6 side. I understand the short term pain for long term gain point but I don't agree with it. Have we not had enough unintentional pain from Everton without adding to it with intentional pain? Everton FC, my club, our club, is not a plaything for somebody to tinker with for several years, especially now, while we have a very good squad capable of at least challenging for cups or Europa places. By taking care of the here and now, the future will ultimately be much easier to take care of also. This is definitely a make or break season for Martinez because any more of the uninspiring, uncompetetive games we witnessed last season will not only have the young players itching to leave but the fans will not be content with leaving 20 minutes early, they just wont turn up in the end.

Dave Abrahams
22 Posted 29/07/2015 at 20:45:39
Dave (#21) if Martinez attempts to start the season the way he had the team playing for the majority of last season, the fans will not wear it.

He just has to change to a much more fast tempo, a lot of us, fed up with last season’s performances have given him the opportunity to realise that they were not good enough; if he doesn’t change the system, he won’t last the season out.

Ciaran Duff
23 Posted 30/07/2015 at 02:40:22
Dave (21) - Of course the present is important and I am certainly not saying that RM should (or does) abandon short term goals. We always want to do as well as we can this season or any season. The difference I see is whether we prioritise that over long term goals.

I hope that we continue to develop our young talent both within the team and coming through the ranks.

It will be interesting to see how the rest of the transfer window will go, especially with regard to Stones and McCarthy. I would hope that we hold onto them OR if we sell either of them that we get very good money and spend the money wisely. By wisely, I mean bringing in young quality players (not older players near the end of their career) who will improve the quality of the squad.
Eamonn Long
24 Posted 30/07/2015 at 04:20:52
Nevermind the young-uns. I wouldn't sniff at that MLS all-stars front pairing tonight against Spurs.

I remember being in awe one night at Celtic park years ago at what Kaka was doing in a Milan team.

Dude is still awesome... and I’d certainly have him in that No 10 spot we’re looking/needing.

Chris Wilson
25 Posted 30/07/2015 at 06:36:44
Yeah, but to be fair, Eamonn, the the attacking trio for the MLS All-Stars in the first half were David Villa, Clint Dempsey, and Kaka. Those are pretty good guys and would be pretty expensive to assemble, even at their ages.

It was interesting to see Tottenham line up with our old loan guy Eric Dier in the McCarthy spot in a 4-2-3-1 formation and Kaka did give him problems. Unfortunately, Tottenham they look like they have some nice young talent.

Jim Lloyd
26 Posted 30/07/2015 at 08:25:15
Good post, Kieran.

I agree with you that this is the way Martinez is thinking and planning for and the reason is, to me, blindingly obvious: we haven’t got, and are not likely to get with the bunch in charge, sufficient funds to stay in the top six.

As things are, Stoke, Crystal Palace, Southampton, and probably Newcastle, are all as likely, if not more so, to challenge for the top six. Unless we are able to match the spending of these clubs, let alone Spurs, Liverpool, Man City, Arsenal and Chelsea, then we are going to find it hard to keep in touch.

Some make the point that we were a top six side under Moyes and, generally we were round about the top six except for a few hiccups. However, one of Moyes's ways of challenging was tying up his trusted players on long-term contracts and supplementing funds by selling to richer clubs. He also spotted some really good talented players in the "Car Boot" end of the transfer market

Yes, Martinez inherited the players that Moyes left him with; and he stated that there was a good team he was left with.

However, the age of the some members of the team meant that, sooner rather than later, they would have to be replaced. The trouble being of course, that the money needed to replace them, wasn’t there.

At one stage I thought our theme tune was going to be "Dad’s Army" not "Z-Cars".

So we’ve just seen Distin go, what was he... 37? We’ve still got to replace Osman, Hibbert, Barry (though I think we may well have with Cleverley), Pienaar and possibly Howard.

Our only way to compete is by developing and introducing our own kids with maybe the introduction of one, maybe two young, class players per season, while keeping hold of most of our best players. I think Martinez has also been adept in the transfer market up to now, with his acquisition of Cleverley and Deulofeu. Plus McCarthy and Lukaku in previous seasons.

We’re still going to have the richer clubs come sniffing around the first team players and we might end up selling some... we’ll have to wait and see whether we can keep Stones, Coleman (I hope we can) and McCarthy.

As for Martinez, yes he inherited a top-six side, but I never saw Barkley, Stones or Coleman produce under Moyes, what they did under Martinez in his first season. I think there were many reasons why last season went the way it did. I believe it was a combination of injuries that did us most damage by far.

This season, I think we still need to replace Pienaar’s ability to bring Baines into such a extremely effective flying full back as he was in Martinez first season.

No, we mustn’t lose sight of the present and I want to see improvement on the football we played for a lot of last season.

To me though, it will have to be the "long and winding road" as we haven’t got the cash to get on the Motorway.


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