Why are they so bad this season?
Martinez can't set up a defence.
😀
Seriously now - I don't think he has an eye for defenders, or defence is a blind spot for him. Same has been said about Rodgers, but at least he's done a great job with the adjustments to shore up at the back and is certainly slowly changing some opinions.
But I digress; let's look at Everton / Martinez again.
I'd said before he was appointed at Everton last season - he never built a team with any proper defenders in Wigan. Granted Wigan were skint, but for clubs at that level, the tried and tested formula to stave off relegation is to have a sound enough defence as a base to build on, which means either going out to get good loans to fill the gaps, prioritizing defenders in successive transfer windows, or changing your style/system of play. They got by with an attacking style for a few seasons while fighting relegation, but the yearly Houdini act was getting really boring (Sunderland, please take note).
Let's look at Wigan's record before and after he was in charge:
--- under Bruce
2007-2008: #14; scored 10, conceded 23 (before Bruce); scored 24, conceded 28 (under Bruce; was #17 when he took over)
2008-2009: #11; scored 34, conceded 45 (-11)
--- under Martinez
2009-2010: #16; scored 37, conceded
79!!! (-42) .... they sold Valencia, but didn't really lose too many others of note)
2010-2011: #16; scored 40, conceded 61 (-21)
2011-2012: #15; scored 42, conceded 62 (-20)
2012-2013: #18; scored 47, conceded
73 (-26)... joint-worst defensive record in the league and relegated
Last season, Everton conceded a goal fewer than Moyes' final season there, and finished with the third best defensive record. That surprised me as I thought Martinez had managed to marry his style with the sound defensive foundation Moyes had laid for them and which Martinez succeeded.
The aging CB pairing (Jagielka, Distin) was always going to be a problem though, and sure enough, it's come home to roost this season, with Everton now having conceded 39 goals already (last season's final tally). Only Newcastle, QPR and Burnley have conceded more. Unsurprisingly, Everton is doing better on offence then defence - they're middle of the pack in terms of goals scored this season (6th best last season).
Credit to him for drafting in Stones, who seems highly-rated, but other than that, in two seasons, he's bought
one senior defender, and that was the 31-year-old Antolin Alcaraz... from Wigan's impressive backline.
Long may it continue.