Martinez committed to Everton Academy

, 15 June, 59comments  |  Jump to most recent
Roberto Martinez has been talking in enthusiastic terms about Everton Academy structure and potential to provide homegrown players for the first team going forward.

“I will be working very closely with the Academy. It is important,” Martinez told evertontv. “Alan Irvine has played a tremendous part in that and what he has done so far has been really impressive.

“We need to work together and as a football club we need to put a lot of focus on trying to give youngsters opportunities. Any football club — it doesn't matter where you are looking — relies on the home-grown talent and probably the biggest example in football now is Barcelona,” added Martinez.

“I do feel that the talent we have in our football club is phenomenal and we need to make sure that we help that talent to develop and reach the levels that the modern game needs.

“That's something that we are going to put a lot of attention, effort, time and a lot of finances - as we have been doing in the past - to make sure that happens. For me, the most important aspect is that we have got everything - from the Under-9s right the way through to the first team - on the same site,” he explained.

“You breathe football when you come in and see that we spend as many hours as we can developing youngsters and preparing them as well as we can.

“The first team area there is the perfect environment to work and spend as long as we can as a team and individuals to reach the levels that we need. In that respect, I couldn't be happier. I'm proud of the facilities that we have got here.”

Quotes or other material sourced from EvertonFC.com



Reader Comments (59)

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Ross Edwards
1 Posted 15/06/2013 at 19:38:06
That's exactly what I wanted to hear! Muchas Gracias Roberto!!!
Ian Glassey
2 Posted 15/06/2013 at 19:39:48
Got to say Roberto is saying all the right things, I am starting to love the guy..
Conn Prosser
3 Posted 15/06/2013 at 19:46:11
I hate feeling this optimistic about Everton in the close season.
Sam Hoare
4 Posted 15/06/2013 at 20:05:44
The players id like to see get some playing time are Ross Barkley, conor Mcaleny, Shane Duffy and maybe Matt Kennedy and Francisco Junior.
Jimmy Sørheim
5 Posted 15/06/2013 at 20:05:30
This is HUGE. I have been waiting for a manager who really takes this seriously and RM seems to do just that. However, he has to take chances, even more so than Moyes did if we are going to get anywhere.

Besides transfers, this is the most important thing for this club; we need Martinez to try a lot harder then Moyes did, and he will.

I am a little concerned if RM has the ability to pick out the right transfers, however. His record recently is weak.

Chris Hannon
6 Posted 15/06/2013 at 20:12:42
I'd like to see players get full seasons in the Championship or League One — not 3 months here and there. Lundstram, Long, Bidwell, Junior and either Vellios or McAleny! Full seasons to gain experience, it worked for Coleman... and Barkley did well!
Mark Frere
7 Posted 15/06/2013 at 20:09:43
Really felt sorry for some of our youngsters last season. Junior had a bad 45 minutes against Leeds Utd in the cup, then that was the last we saw of him even though he was fantastic pre-season. Heitinger had a series of shockers and Duffy didn't get as much as sniff, even though he played excellent a couple of years ago when given a few starts.

Barkley had a good game against Arsenal, then he was dropped for the fit again, out of form Osman.

I really hope RM gives the youngsters a fairer crack of the whip.

Paul Andrews
8 Posted 15/06/2013 at 20:17:19
One player I am looking forward to seeing progress under Martinez is Junior.
This lad has got ability and confidence to burn.
Christopher Kelly
9 Posted 15/06/2013 at 20:20:20
A team like ours with very little scratch has GOT to go about things this way. For us to stick with the same tired legs (and average performances) each week was a crime. We all know it.

Thank God we have a coach now who will give youth a try.

Phil Sammon
11 Posted 15/06/2013 at 22:17:45
I'm really disappointed with Martinez's overuse of the word 'phenomenal'.

That aside, he's saying just the right things. My single biggest criticism of DM was his treatment of youngsters. Lets hope RM changes all that.

Wayne Smyth
12 Posted 15/06/2013 at 22:16:56
Jimmy, in what respect do you think Martinez transfer record is weak? As far as I'm aware, he's not spent a vast amount on players and the players he was in for are likely to have been on low comparative salaries.

Essentially he's been shopping in the bargain bin while at wigan and still been able to get the likes of Arouna Kone, Shaun Maloney, Antolin Alcaraz and James McArthur for a combined total of about £4M. Thats not too shoddy, is it?

I'm thinking along the same lines as Mark Frere. Most of our youngsters were sidelined last season, as they had been for the most part under Moyes. I think we now have a manager who really understands we need to develop our own talent to survive. This can only be good for the club.

Paul Mackie
13 Posted 15/06/2013 at 23:01:11
Phenomenal.
Paul Ferry
14 Posted 16/06/2013 at 00:15:50
Spot on Wayne (955): I posted exactly your 1st sentence on another thread.

Don't waste your breath mate. He will not reply. He never does when questioned.

He's very very good at giving it but not good at all at taking it.
He forms these opinions of things and people based on what, I don't know, and never budges a single inch.

Jimmy, answer the question:

'Jimmy, in what respect do you think Martinez transfer record is weak?'

There will be no answer.

Sam Hoare
15 Posted 16/06/2013 at 01:52:16
Wayne and Paul. To be fair to Jimmy, Martinez (like most managers) has not had it all good. Boselli at £6.5m (and I think Wigan's record transfer buy) was a complete catastrophe and the likes of Crusat and Jason Scotland were pretty terrible as well.

Overall I would probably say his transfer record at Wigan was decent but not totally reassuring.

Ben Jones
16 Posted 16/06/2013 at 02:31:03
I'm still not that convinced. Moyes said the same thing continually when asked about youth players.

I'm willing to give him the chance though. Stones, Barkley, Duffy, McAleny and Junior can be capable squad players next season, then hopefully develop further. It's not as if we don't have any decent players coming through.

Paul Ferry
17 Posted 16/06/2013 at 02:49:44
Fair Sam – 004 – very fair.
Al Philby
18 Posted 16/06/2013 at 05:34:13
Sam Haore, Crusat's whole career at Wigan has revolved around his injury; this is hardly something for which Bobby can be held accountable. You are right about Scotland and Boselli. But a look at the sheer number of flops signed by Wenger and Sir Alex will serve to put things into perspective. A great deal of money was squandered in these cases:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2013/may/08/sir-alex-ferguson-best-worst-signings

http://www.talksport.co.uk/magazine/features/130411/12-arsene-wenger-signings-worse-andrey-arshavin-195440?p=1

Paul Rimmer
19 Posted 16/06/2013 at 07:38:00
I've heard that Everton's Academy often selects those who are biggest and fastest at an early age rather than the more technical players. My son has played against Liverpool and Everton academy players at Under-9 and I was more impressed with the Liverpool players. Hopefully Roberto's philosophy will rub off on our academy approach too.
Paul Andrews
20 Posted 16/06/2013 at 08:54:26
Paul,

That has happened at most academies for a long time. It needs, in my opinion, the forward thinking foreign coaches to change it.

Martinez was involved with all age groups at Wigan, he puts the hours in to oversee the development. I think this lad will bring a lot of kids through. Irvine, Stubbs and Sheedy are bringing some great young players through the system already... Martinez will get them into the squad and trust them, unlike the previous manager who was scared of them making mistakes. You only have to look at our 5 players in the under 20 squad to see the quality of the kids coming through.

It would be great for kids brought up knowing what Everton means to people to get into the squad together. My tip to make a big impact would be John Lundstram, he is probably one for the season after next, in my opinion, a future England international without a doubt.

I have heard our Under-16s have a lot of players with a big chance.

Sam Hoare
21 Posted 16/06/2013 at 09:48:58
Al Philby, I agree. That's why I put the 'like most managers' comment in.

Martinez will likely have to hit the ground running as I think if the Fellaini sale goes through, which I suspect it will at some point. we will be spending more money this summer than we have since Lescott was sold. I hope we see some interesting 20-24 year old players come in as this is the age range that we seem to be lacking in the current team apart from Coleman.

In terms of the youth players, soundbites are very easy but we will have to wait to see how much playing time they get and what they do with it. There do seem to be some good players coming through, as the England U20 squad attests to... but history dictates that probably only one or two of them will end up playing regularly for a top Premier League team.

Jon Withey
22 Posted 16/06/2013 at 11:20:02
Let those that speak more than one language cast the first stone !

He's an effortless communicator. I like the way he makes almost no effort to manage expectations, heh. Hope we can support him through the inevitable struggles.

We do have a lot of decent youth. I really hope to see a lot more of Barkley and I think Martinez can get the best out of him.

I'll be made up if we keep Neville on for coaching too.

Kieran Fitzgerald
23 Posted 16/06/2013 at 11:36:49
Martinez may have a different approach to Moyes around the younger players. But, as with all PL managers, he will be under pressure to do well from the start. I don't expect Barkley and Duffy to suddenly start every game in August and September.

Our first eleven when fit almost picks itself at the moment. To see Duffy start would mean dropping Jagielka or Distin. To see Barkley start would mean dropping Osman or Felliani. To see Vellios start would mean dropping Jelavic or Anichebe. At the moment, the only change I would put money on would be Barkley for Osman.

The younger players at Everton, like at any other club, will have to play their way into Martinez's plans. Right now, our starting eleven is fully fit with the exception of Gibson who is recovering from injury. I can't see any automatic changes involving younger players. We can see at the end of the first week in August if pre-season training and friendlies have caused any injuries but for now I would be happy to see last season's starting eleven start in mid-August.

Phil Sammon
24 Posted 16/06/2013 at 11:49:02
Agree with Paul Andrew

Lundstrum is a cracking player. His range of passing is as good as I've seen from a lad that age. In fact there's probably only Gibbo at the club who also has both the vision and the ability to play a 40-50 yard ball. They both share a ferocious shot on them as well.

Barkley is clearly the one who we expect to mature and see most of this season, and rightly so, but I'm also very excited about the progress of McAleny, Junior and Kennedy. All three lack stature but are blessed with tremendous skill, pace and a desire to play football the right way. Junior is Manny Fernandes's double. Tenacious, aggressive and wonderful feet. I often re-watch that YouTube clip of Fernandes dancing around 4 or 5 Arsenal players. Junior is just the same.

McAleny and Kennedy are fairly similar to one another. Short, pacey, skillful, low centre of gravity. Both have played on the wing for the U21's but Kennedy is more suited there. McAleny is a born finisher and as part of a two man strike force could be a real asset to us.

I haven't been this excited for a new season in a long time (around 12 months); let's hope RM delivers!

Jon Withey
25 Posted 16/06/2013 at 12:00:57
We have a strong starting eleven but they aren't going to live forever and it isn't Martinez's team — obviously he has to think ahead.

Jelavic, Anichebe and Osman are in and out of form, there are potentially a lot of games and there will be injuries.

Naismith still has something to prove, Johnny might well be off. There's definitely a bit of room for youth to make a mark, even if it is just a couple.

Kieran Fitzgerald
26 Posted 16/06/2013 at 12:15:20
Jon, you are right to say that the starting eleven is not Martinez's. Perhaps he will look to start with a clean slate and all of the players, not just the younger ones, will have to perform over the summer to force themselves onto the pitch for mid August.
Mike Allison
27 Posted 16/06/2013 at 12:35:12
"unlike the previous manager who was scared of them making mistakes."

As a Moyes fan, something he never understood was the feelings of fans. If an experienced player makes a mistake, fans might be pretty livid, and if it costs points they go home angry and frustrated. When young players make mistakes fans are far more forgiving and accepting, and its much easier to look on the bright side when its a promising 18-21 year old.

Many youngsters realise this and play with far greater freedom and therefore creativity than experienced players. This makes youth an asset intrinsically, even before the quality of the player is factored in.

Brent Stephens
28 Posted 16/06/2013 at 12:55:59
"Roberto Martinez has been talking in enthusiastic terms about Everton Academy structure and potential to provide homegrown players for the first team going forward".

"Going forward" - nothing about defense?! I hate that phrase "going forward".

Brian Waring
29 Posted 16/06/2013 at 13:02:35
Brent 'going forward' I don't think he meant it like you think.
Phil Sammon
30 Posted 16/06/2013 at 13:07:16
And it's 'defence'.
Paul Andrews
31 Posted 16/06/2013 at 13:21:20
Mike Allison,

Perfectly put.

Adam Carey
32 Posted 16/06/2013 at 13:28:10
I think most of us can see that our academy has been set up to match the best, but that all backfires if the boys only get reserve level match-time. We also aren't blinded by the fact that results and high Premier League placing is essential to keep an even financial keel and attract a higher calibre of players.

It just always annoyed me to see our academy boys sitting on the bench during a game we were winning and not getting a chance of 10-15 minutes play. Then we'd throw on a senior player (Heitinga or Naismith etc), out of position, to see out 5 minutes or less.

Yes, the Leeds game showed that a few of the players may have not been ready but a gradual integration back to first team matches would have done them the world of good. Junior did have a bad 45 minutes but he's then spent the rest of the season back in the stiffs. Hardly a confidence boost for the boy to lose a year of experience/development.

I would have much rather seen him and Barkley than bring in Hitzlsperger from injury and pay him £15/20k a week for 200 minutes of match-time... As the guys at the top said, though they may just be soundbites, Roberto is making all the right noises as far as I'm concerned.

Dennis Stevens
33 Posted 16/06/2013 at 13:43:59
Martinez looks far too pleased just to have got the job & he smiles too much for my liking - he reminds me of Mike Walker. I hope I won't feel the same once the season starts. I reckon that if he can keep us in the top half of the table for the first 2 or 3 seasons &, hopefully, then push on up the League he'll be doing fine to start with. The odd cup run would be appreciated too.
Phil Brown
34 Posted 16/06/2013 at 14:01:21
Ben #007 - It won't do any of the young players any good to be part of the squad, just sat on the bench. They need to be out on loan in the Championship for the full season to gain experience so that they can really push for a place in the team the following season. Barkley is the only one with reasonable prospects of breaking through this year.
Kieran Fitzgerald
35 Posted 16/06/2013 at 14:05:34
Phil, it always bugged the life out of me that Garbutt, after a full season at Cheltenham, got nothing last season when back at the club. The same with Duffy. What good did it do either of them? I just hope that with Martinez, he will loan you out if you are not going to get a game.
Harold Matthews
36 Posted 16/06/2013 at 15:47:58
It all sounds positive but that's Roberto. He's forever upbeat.

We badly need a good academy but getting kids up to Premiership standard will not be easy. The skill might be there but, as with Gosling, Rodwell and Barkley, they will dither on the ball till their minds eventually adjust to the lightning pace of games at the top level. Moyes wouldn't risk it. Will Martinez? Can he afford to risk it?

Brent Stephens
37 Posted 16/06/2013 at 19:22:31
Brian #043 - yes, I knew what he meant. I was just playing with the words. My point was just that I hate the term "going forward" instead of "in the future" or...
Brent Stephens
38 Posted 16/06/2013 at 19:25:47
And I hate people spelling "defence" the American way!
Michael Kenrick
39 Posted 16/06/2013 at 20:34:01
Apologies, Brent... that was me, er... "going forward".

As for "defense", that would be the 'majority' of English users, Brent. Does that make a difference?

Just askin...
Phil Sammon
40 Posted 16/06/2013 at 20:48:45
What are you two on about?

Brent first in #042 writes 'defense'. Then says in #215 that he hates it spelt 'the American way' - so the very way he just wrote it. And then Michael compounds my confusion by suggesting that the majority of English users spell it 'defense'.

What the bloody hell is going on?

Michael Kenrick
41 Posted 16/06/2013 at 20:57:13
Sorry to confuse, Phil.

I was (mistakenly) trying to make an obscure point about the use of the term "majority" with a presumption about the relative numbers of English users in the world who spell it "defense" and not "defence".

Although, if Google is anything to go by, the score is something like 508 million vs 161 million.

Phil Sammon
42 Posted 16/06/2013 at 21:03:53
Ahhh, so English language users rather than English nationals. That makes more sense.

Incidentally, after a quick scan, more than 500 million of those 'defense' articles are about how to spell the word incorrectly.

Michael Kenrick
43 Posted 16/06/2013 at 21:09:14
Hahaha... nice one, Phil!
Al Philby
44 Posted 16/06/2013 at 21:01:59
The funny thing is that even in the former colonies they now prefer the American spelling.

Michael: Google is definitely something to go by, but the results are filtered according to region.

Michael Kenrick
45 Posted 16/06/2013 at 21:26:50
I did not think of any filtering, Al.

I'm in Canada right now... what comes up in the UK when you Google one versus the other?

Phil Sammon
46 Posted 16/06/2013 at 21:30:26
It's the same results in the UK, Michael.

I forget where I read it, but there was a definitive process of Americanising (Americanizing) the written English language to clean it up phonetically. Words were doctored to be written how they sound.

It's not something I have a problem with. I'd just ask that anyone bastardising the English language adds a warning before they burn my eyes.

Al Philby
47 Posted 16/06/2013 at 21:37:56
A quick look at three former colonies:

defense VS defence

Irland: 387 - 165

Saudi Arabia: 510 - 210

India: 3020 - 210

Wayne Smyth
48 Posted 16/06/2013 at 21:43:42
Harold, perhaps the younger players were waiting for the command from Moyes to tell them what to do before passing? I think RM will send the team out with fewer instructions in minutiae and this will be a good thing in my opinion. I also think that to acclimatise to the pace of the league, players need to be given a chance.

Barkley has had virtually no opportunity in the first team under Moyes, yet he seemed to look one of our better players at Arsenal and Spurs at the back end of last season. Yes, it's a risk to play them, but it's more of a risk to not give talented home-grown young players a chance to become first team players in my opinion.

Sam, I've no doubt RM has signed some bad players. But who hasn't? Krøldrup & Bily were two of Moyes's expensive mistakes. Wenger, SAF have both signed complete duffers for vast fees too. If someone is going to say RM's transfer policy is poor, I expect that they qualify that vs the performance of his peers.

John Crook
49 Posted 16/06/2013 at 22:27:04
It's great that Roberto is making all the right noises about young players. But I wouldn't want to see several of them go into the 1st team straight away. Take a look at Aston Villa last season. This could be the season for Barkley though. Let's see what he really has.
Harold Matthews
50 Posted 16/06/2013 at 23:29:42
Defence.
Brent Stephens
51 Posted 17/06/2013 at 08:24:29
Phil, Michael (etc). Haha. In my own defence (!) - I mispelled (is that correct?!) the word in my first post ("defense" was not deliberate on my part). My follow up post to Phil's was having a crack at myself for my misspelling. But in all honesty, I can't be arsed about the speeling (!).

I shouldn't write with such a straight face!

s

Sharabi Singh
52 Posted 17/06/2013 at 12:53:20
Last season Moyes never played youth so much because, when we started off so well, he had to play the more experienced players to try and keep our position as high as possible. Shame because, if he had given youth more of a chance in the season or two before, they may have had the experience to help us push on a little.
James Martin
53 Posted 17/06/2013 at 14:36:09
Remember the uproar on here when Coleman cost us those points against Fulham? Imagine that potential liability running through half the team.

The premier league is as cut throat as it gets. You notice when Osman or Distin or Fellaini makes a huge error because it so rarely happens. The kids will be making these sort of errors on a far more frequent basis. Some of these so-called old pros that were supposedly average every single week making loads of mistakes were in reality very good premier league players who made very few mistakes which is why we challenged the top 4 for a lot of the season.

I agree that the kids who are good enough should be integrated more but only when they are ready. Barkley looked just alright when he played at the back end of last season – just okay, and he's supposed to be the star of our academy. Whatever people think of players like Pienaar and Osman, they are both miles ahead of him at the moment.

Look around the league, hardly anyone is playing teams full of kids. Even Wenger kept talents far more prestigious than ours such as Walcott and Chamberlain on the bench for long periods. It's only been Fabregas and Wilshere that he's trusted from a very early age and those two are exceptional. It is a very English disease to just latch upon young prospects with unrealistic hopes and thrust them into the limelight when they are not ready. Other nations wait until a whole batch of players have played regularly at an under 21 level before bringing them through as a group to the first team. I actually think Moyes used some players such as Vaughan, Rodwell, Barkley before he even wanted to out of sheer necessity.

Young players needed to be nurtured and brought through – but in the right way. Anyone thinking that Duffy, Vellios and Lundstram are anywhere near the level of Jagielka, Jelavic and Gibson are misguided. Perhaps some can come in as impact players or squad fillers but from what I've seen of the young players only Barkley is perhaps ready to fight for a first 11 spot.

Ben Jones
54 Posted 17/06/2013 at 15:07:28
I have to disagree with you James about Barkley.

He was below par against Spurs, but he was outstanding against Arsenal, and arguably our best attacking player of that match. This match was in a period when Osman's form had decreased, he was steady but not his outstanding self in the early season.

Despite Barkley's form in the previous game, Moyes dropped him for the next game and played Osman over him, which was really strange, as Barkley played well in perhaps one of the hardest games the league can throw at you, Arsenal away. I certainly don't think Osman is "miles ahead of Barkley" as you suggest.

Andrew Ellams
55 Posted 17/06/2013 at 15:17:14
I'm not sure if Barkley felt he had a point to prove against Arsenal with Wilshere also playing but he really did look the real deal that night and a much better option than Osman, in particular with his physical presence.

I don't think his best position would be right behind the striker as has been suggested on here at times but if the new manager does go with the 433 option I think he wold make up a quality central 3 with Fellaini and Gibson

Phil Bellis
56 Posted 17/06/2013 at 16:03:35
Over here, it's still the Ministry of Defence

Theater, center, aluminum (!) et al exemplify, I believe, America's attempts to simplify and overcome the vagaries of English spelling

Each to their own as long as they don't start pushing "should of", "of thought" etc as a further bastardisation (sic)

They also advocate shortening of English words but very often do the opposite:
elevator for lift
apartment for flat
faucet for tap etc

Mind you, I am a bit biased, as I was once caused acute embarrassment when I misunderstood a young American mum's request for me to scald her a nipple.

James Martin
57 Posted 17/06/2013 at 19:29:18
Ben I think they play different positions. Osman is great at getting the ball of the centrebacks and threading balls forward or outwide. Barkley seems to only be trusted in the role behind the striker as his passing is not yet consistent enough to be trusted in the deeper role. In terms of who controls a midfield better then I think Barkley has a lot to learn from Osman. In terms of pace strength and potential then Barkley has the edge but its about whether he can convert that potential or not.
Ben Jones
58 Posted 17/06/2013 at 20:59:18
Fair point James.

I actually think Osman is better in the hole, he's too lightweight for me in centre mid, although I do agree he is more consistent in that deeper role.

But in terms of that game, I think Fellaini played with Gibson in that deeper role (which is his best positon), and Barkley played further forward. I think in the next game, Osman played with Gibson and Fellaini played further forward (was it because we played Stoke next, I seem to remember?)

Either way, that change hindered Barkley and was undeserved, especially as Osman's form was declining.

Phil Sammon
59 Posted 18/06/2013 at 12:20:34
Not sure where to post this but the opening scene is very funny. It's a good job Barkley is good at football because he doesn't seem the brightest. http://youtu.be/iv718R5tcB4
Harold Matthews
60 Posted 18/06/2013 at 14:48:50
Osman may be lightweight but Moyes loved his tremendous work-rate, linking up play and snapping at heels all over the pitch. So important in the modern game and the reason why coaches like Mourinho select players who are as active without the ball as they are with it. Luxury playmakers are becoming a thing of the past.

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