Roberto Martinez Resigns As Wigan Manager, Everton Wait In The Wings

Chris Wright

28th, May 2013

6 Comments

By Chris Wright

Soccer - Barclays Premier League - Wigan Athletic v Aston Villa - DW Stadium

“Ta ra yer shitters!”

It was pretty much inevitable given the circumstances but the lure of getting his hands on Everton’s gargantuan transfer budget has proved too much for Roberto Martinez, with the Spaniard officially handing in his resignation at Wigan this morning.

Dave Whelan has granted Martinez permission to talk to other clubs after a fortnight’s worth of talks, but the Wigan owner is insistent that, as Martinez still has a year to run on his Latics contract, any potential suitors will still have to pay compensation.

Whelan is quoted on FA.com as saying:

“[Martinez] wanted permission to move so I’ve given that. He has 12 months left on his contract, so whoever comes in for him must pay the remainder of his contract.

“We will let him go but he’s on a 12-month rolling contract so if he moves someone will have to buy him out of his final year. Everton rang me and I said they have permission to talk to him.

“He feels he’s not the man to lead us back into the Premier League. I’ve got to accept what he feels. He loves Wigan and the fans. We have to move on now and want applications for the job.”

While Martinez’s record on paper, barring the FA Cup win of course, is hardly sparkling (Wigan have been crap for large swathes of his tenure) but he’s still forged himself a reputation as a good, young, progressive man-manager which is obviously what appeals to Everton.

It’ll definitely be a wrench for him to leave Wigan as his love for the club and city radiates from him whenever he’s talked about them/it in the past, but moving up the leagues like this is too good a career opportunity to pass up on. It kind of just feels right.

Robbie’s first move as Everton boss? Franco Di Santo’s a free agent, and Ronnie Stam wouldn’t cost any more than a few million.

Just sayin’…

Any thoughts Pies fans? Is Martinez the man for Everton? Would any of the Goodisonites out there have preferred someone else to take the reigns?

Posted in Everton, Managers, Newsnow, Wigan Athletic

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6 Comments

  1. BigDunc says:

    Fantastic. Lose a manager who strives to take a team to the top and replace him with a guy whose ambition is to finish 17th every year.

    Well done ‘Blue Bill’ – let’s not go after a winner like Pereira or break the bank to get a star like Laudrup. Guess that explains why “nothing but the best” was removed from the latest crest then!

  2. usrick says:

    There is no guarantee Martinez will work out well at Everton, but then there is no guarantee that any new manager will work out well at any club. Based on what he got out of a pretty weak Wigan club the past three seasons, he seems to know what he’s doing. He gives every indication of being extremely competent and professional and a worthy successor to Moyes. He certainly seems a better option than to ‘break the bank to get a star.’ Less money spent on a manager means more money available to spend on players and more benefit to the club.

  3. BigDunc says:

    As a player in a team pushing for the top European spots, I know I’d be much more inspired and motivated to play for a legend like Laudrup than for a survival-minded guy who’ll pat me on the back every week no matter what.

    Either way, I doubt Everton have the £10m available to go and get Laudrup, so it’s not like it’s a realistic possibility. Martinez is hardly an inspiring appointment.

  4. Adam says:

    Wigan is a town not a city!!

    Lets hope big Dave can arrange a ‘buy roberto, get caldwell free’ deal

  5. Foran44 says:

    Can someone please explain why anyone wants this guy to run their team?! Has he developed a youthful, exciting team with incoming and developing depth? Has he kept a stern defence all year or a flamboyant, clinical attacking team?…Lets be honest, they got the easy side of that F.A. cup draw up to the final and anything can happen at that point!

    Absolute bullshit…the exact same bullshit Mark Hughes is made of. Jesus lads, you guys even hype up your managers just because they’ve been in the leagues for years!

  6. Steve E says:

    Don’t understand the hype about Martinez. Struggled at the foot of the table for his whole tenure at Wigan and constant failed to address an awful defensive

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