As we're unlikely to see terraces again at football, this is the virtual equivalent where you can chat to your hearts content about all football matters and, obviously, Arsenal in particular. This forum encourages all Gooners to visit and contribute so please keep it respectful, clean and topical.
Sean wrote:I knew the bloke was a fraud when he took mid-table Wigan down after fighting relegation a few years on the spin. The Wigan fans didn't call him Bottom Four Bob for nothing; getting smashed by eight goals to Chelsea and Tottenham. The press and his chairman were happy to feed his legend and he even still gets credit for 'laying the groundwork' for Brentan Rodgers at Swansea (another bullshitter who was found out). Then he walks into a good job at Everton and ignores the art of defence. A just-relegated British manager would not have got that job. He scores tons of points with the media for being foreign, yet Anglicized. If he gets another decent job in England it'd be a disgrace.
If only we could eject our own myopic fraud
Are you having a laff ?? Mid-table wigan ? Wigan were and still are a small club in a town dominated by rugby league (it's an even shitier version of rugby union ). That he managed to avoid relegation for as long as he did was a minor miracle in itself, and the fact that he won the fa cup would them was a massive achievement I wonder if the wigan fans would give their right testicles to have "bottom four bob" back as manager now ? I don't for one minute believe that real wigan fans would have expected anything more than surviving in the premier league every season.
I don't think that anybody could really question the fact that Martinez laid the groundwork for Rodgers at Swansea - he took over a team that were in league one and got them promoted to the second tier of English football for their first time in 24 years, and he then led them to 8th place in the championship the following season
As I said previously, I too think that Martinez has gone down the wrong road (too wenger lite), but that does not take away from his achievements with two small clubs that he had improved significantly before he went to everton
At only 41 years old, he's still got a lot of time. I like him, at Wigan he did a fantastic job. He had his best players sold every 6 months, still won an FA Cup, with ultimately the cup run costing them a place in the Premier League.
This was Evertons best season for years. Reaching two cup semi finals, both of which they should have won. City have a goal allowed which takes the wind out their sails and utd steal a last minute winner after Everton had chance after chance, and a penalty saved. Not much a manager can do in that circumstance. The Everton squad wasn't big enough or good enough to deal with the cup runs. Plus there are a few egos in that squad, that stopped performing. Lukaku stating he wants champions league football, then stopped scoring. Barkley head turned to United and an overrated Stones to Chelsea. Add to that Howard's injury and the keeper Joel Robles is not a very good replacement. I think Everton will be fighting relegation next season with a new manager, and the big players moving away.
A couple seasons ago I'd have taken Martinez but maybe we dodged a bullet with him as he now seems to have gone off down the Wenger "football purist" route to rank ineptitude and head-buried-in-sand complacency.
Still, I would take almost anyone just to get rid of Wenger....
DB10GOONER wrote:A couple seasons ago I'd have taken Martinez but maybe we dodged a bullet with him as he now seems to have gone off down the Wenger "football purist" route to rank ineptitude and head-buried-in-sand complacency.
Still, I would take almost anyone just to get rid of Wenger....
Think Wenger might be eyeing him as a potential successor to his brand of beautiful football
Perfect timing, bring him in as No2, a season of learning all 'Le Prof' has to show, and bang AW moves upstairs and he steps into his shoes under his continuing tutelage and direction...... it's perfect
Now we can all go celebrate this development at one of SteveO's virtual BBQ's
Now the Toffees are chasing Koeman - - Yet another one bites the dust while the board and wenkr fiddle and the Reputation of THE Arsenal goes up in flames.
M3Gooner wrote:I can't see Koeman going there. Would be such a sideways move for him
You say that, but he will view it as an entry to the premier league at a big club that has just got itself a new owner
Glass ceiling there though. Depends whether or not he thinks he needs another higher-profile stepping stone before a bigger club.
Even with the new investment I just don't think Everton have the muscle to keep pace with the big boys, especially if they are looking at moving grounds in the near future. I think he will stay at saints for another year and then see if club that has the finance and infrastructure in place like ours (hopefully) will come in for him.
M3Gooner wrote:I can't see Koeman going there. Would be such a sideways move for him
You say that, but he will view it as an entry to the premier league at a big club that has just got itself a new owner
Glass ceiling there though. Depends whether or not he thinks he needs another higher-profile stepping stone before a bigger club.
The glass ceiling bit is dependent on the approach of the new owner though - if he supports the plan of investing major funds into the squad and is willing to bankroll it, then why would there be a ceiling ? Every club gets a £100m per season in the new tv deal so they wont be as limited in the transfer market either, plus they are a genuine big club (unlike the chavs in fulham )
). That he managed to avoid relegation for as long as he did was a minor miracle in itself, and the fact that he won the fa cup would them was a massive achievement 
I wonder if the wigan fans would give their right testicles to have "bottom four bob" back as manager now ? I don't for one minute believe that real wigan fans would have expected anything more than surviving in the premier league every season.
