Following an exceptionally promising start, things went south for Roberto Martinez at Everton pretty quickly. While he was a beacon of attacking optimism in his first season - an antidote to the years of deadening solidity under David Moyes - things went awry from 2014 onwards.
Perhaps this was due to the ageing of Moyes' backline, as Martinez showed himself to be a man with a very suspicious attitude towards defending. Last season proved the end for Martinez at Everton, having presided over an eleventh-placed finish, winning just eleven games in a season that became defined by a series of hideous defensive blunders.
Ronald Koeman has seemed to add some steel to Everton in his opening few games in charge, and the Blues remain unbeaten as they take on Middlesbrough in the Premier League this afternoon.
Ahead of his 600th Premier League appearance, Gareth Barry has told the Guardian of the differences between Koeman's management and Martinez' tenure, with discipline slipping quite badly under the Spaniard.
Everything slipped last season, really: timekeeping, dress codes, training. The confidence and everything had gone and things were maybe going away from what was expected. Confidence had gone on the pitch, results weren’t going the right way and there was a lot of unrest with the fans. It is easy for players sometimes to get dragged along with that and all of a sudden they are being dragged along and the standards are slipping. I think you could tell from some of the performances last season that was creeping in.
Koeman has addressed these issues of discipline immediately:
One of Koeman’s first acts upon signing a £6m-per-annum, three-year contract was to bring forward the start of pre-season training. The pre-arranged break was too long, he believed. Players were told to report to Finch Farm at 9am each day to eat breakfast together. No mobile phones are allowed at mealtimes. Baseball caps and headphones are also banned when travelling to matches. Training has a sharpness that has been reflected in Everton’s play in the final third and when out of possession.
It appears to be doing the trick, although Everton have yet to come up against any serious opposition bar Tottenham, against whom they earned a creditable draw. Otherwise, West Brom, Stoke and Sunderland have proved to be kind opposition.
Barry makes his 600th appearance in the Premier League later today, and Peter Crouch has been among those who have paid tribute:
Congratulations to Gareth Barry making his 600th @premierleague appearance today . I was so pleased when I got his panini sticker at school
— Peter Crouch (@petercrouch) September 17, 2016
A big occasion for Barry, one to tell the grandchildren...as soon as he goes home after the game. Sorry. We're not above those gags either.
