If it wasn't already looking bad for Roberto Martinez, the past 12 hours or so have seen the final nails driven into a coffin that already looked desecrated beyond repair. The Everton boss has long been accused of following style at the expense of substance and although he always appeared confident that style would win through, recent comments have suggested that even he accepts there's nothing more to do than to pack up his bags and try and bring his beautiful game to more accommodating surroundings.
After Wednesday's dour 3-0 defeat to Sunderland, it appears as if the Everton boss won't even be given until the end of the season to say his goodbyes. All signs point to a parting of the ways today and although, it will hardly have made any difference in the grand scheme of things, it's unlikely Martinez will thank Frank De Boer for announcing his departure from Ajax today with Merseyside very much on his mind.
After a final day disaster in which they were unable to defeat De Graafschap who had next to nothing to play for, Ajax handed the title to PSV. That has prompted De Boer to step away after more than five years at the helm and, judging by what his agent has had to say this morning, the former Barca defender is keen to stay in the management game.
He would love to join a club like Everton or Valencia. It’s all about the right philosophy and how they play football. That is what Frank is looking for. I have told Ajax there is no other club and I have not held discussions with anyone.
Not exactly the most dignified of positions to be taking when you consider that Martinez is technically still in a job but it's hardly surprising considering how competitive the job market can be at the top of the game.
De Boer was sniffing around the Spurs job for quite some time and, now that he's made the leap from Ajax, it's no surprise to see that he has once again turned his eyes to England with the cash of Farhad Moshiri no doubt providing an added incentive to carve out a position for himself at Goodison.
There could be an awful lot of change coming at Everton this summer and one things for certain, it won't be Roberto Martinez leading that change. If truth be told, there'll be few fans mourning that situation after three seasons of plenty of promise but little end result.
