Martinez? A Polite No Thanks

It was very nice to read some positivity on the front page re: Martinez, (see here!) but it’s just not something that I can subscribe to with regards to him being Villa manager at the moment.

I’m making some assumptions, but I’m pretty sure, that as Villa fans we want Aston Villa to be winning things, or at least giving it a good try. That didn’t happen last season because one thing went wrong after another. Some of them our fault, others not.

It’s another assumption, but I’m guessing that aim is also the aim of our board. So what is the profile of a manager who can do this? What do we think is necessary to complete this aim? My thoughts are:

1. A manager players can look up to. Someone who at the mention of their name would make them want to play for them. To attract good players, and stop the steady flow of decent players leaving.

2. Someone who can cope and get the morons in our squad (by that I mean the likes of Ireland and Dunne) to carry out what is wanted.

3. Someone who knows how to win things. Knows what it’s like to win something, and knows what is needed.

4. A decent record in the transfer market. We know all managers make mistakes, but at least a thread to show that they know what they are doing in the transfer market.

5. Following on from our defensive shambles last year, someone who can organise a defence.

I don’t think Martinez ticks a single one of those for me. I’ve heard it mentioned he’s young, but for me that doesn’t matter. There is no benefit in him being young – it’s just an excuse, a good excuse – but an excuse all the same – for mistakes. And after last season, after losing our top goalkeeper, after losing our best player – we can’t afford many mistakes thankyou.

He’s not somebody who players can look up to – because he’s achieved nothing in the game. His two top flight seaasons has seen finishes of 16th both times – and has only spent three weeks out of the relegation zone in 2011. He doesn’t come across as someone with particular discipline – in fact theres an interview I read by him saying he doesn’t get angry with players. He’s wasted the little money he has had at Wigan on players like Boselli, Di Santo, Moses and Jason Scotland. The 8-0 loss to Chelsea, 9-1 loss to Wigan and 4-0 at home to Blackpool seem to indicate that he can’t organise a defence.

I can perhaps understand, yes, he can motivate when times get tough – but if he was that good – or indeed – good enough for Aston Villa – then he wouldn’t have been in the position to get motivating in the first place.

We need somebody who can come in and get cracking straight away. Somebody who can get a buzz of excitment around the place that went missing last year, briefly appeared with Bent and then fell away again.