Roberto Martinez appointed new Everton manager

After weeks of deliberation, rumour and conjecture, the Spaniard has agreed to make the move to Goodison Park and succeed David Moyes.

He leaves Wigan on a mixed note, with the club celebrating their first ever major trophy, the FA Cup, but also enduring the pain of relegation to the Championship after eight years in the top flight.

Four of those years in the Premier League have been under Martinez, whose side earned a reputation for playing attractive football, even when they were scrapping around at the bottom of the table.

Prior to that, he had begun his managerial career at Swansea, helping them earn promotion to the Championship as League One champions in 2008.

He also set the solid foundations and encouraged the culture of passing football that has seen the Swans go on and flourish in the Premier League.

The relentlessly positive Spaniard also worked on a tight budget, both at Swansea and the DW Stadium, often having to sell his best players – something he will no doubt have to cope with at Goodison.

It is those qualities that must have attracted the Everton board to the former midfielder, while Wigan’s 3-0 thrashing of Everton in the FA Cup quarter-final in March probably had an impact too.

He is set to bring several members of his backroom staff with him, including assistant Graeme Jones, with many of David Moyes’ team set to join the Scot at Old Trafford.

The reaction to the appointment has been mixed, with some Evertonians pointing to Wigan’s relegation and rank bad defending as reasons to doubt Martinez’s qualities. Even the RBM team have cast different opinions about the 39-year-old’s suitability for the post.

Plenty of Toffees fans preferred alternatives, such as Porto’s Vitor Pereira. But the truth is, there was no outstanding candidate and every one had some sort of negative concern attached to them.

Yes, Martinez took Wigan down and at times, yes, their defending was comical, but by all accounts he is a workaholic manager who lives and breathes the game – qualities similar to his predecessor at Everton.

And despite his struggles with Wigan, he will be working with significantly better players at Goodison and if he can get them playing the type of football he encouraged at the DW (albeit with better defending!) then we should at least be entertained at Goodison Park.

Either way, after an eventful and often emotional few weeks, now is the time to get right behind our new manager.

There are plenty of things to be frustrated about with Everton at the moment, not least that horrendous new badge, but that shouldn't stop the supporters from welcoming Roberto Martinez to Everton and giving him our full support.

Welcome Roberto, and remember – Nil Satis Nisi Optimium.