With a whole host of names being connected to the Aston Villa managerial job - then quickly un-connected when the media changes its mind - you might not peg Wigan Athletic boss Roberto Martinez as a good choice for the club. They've been linked with far higher profile managers, including Carlo Ancelotti, Mark Hughes, Rafael Benitez and Steve McClaren, so why would Villa go for a manager whose side has been barely escaping the drop for the last few years?
Roberto Martinez The Right Choice For Aston Villa - 7500 To Holte
For Aaron Campeau, co-manager of SB Nation Aston Villa blog 7500 to Holte, the answer is pretty simple - it’s because his side has been barely escaping the drop when realistically they should have been relegated years ago. Martinez manages to play some pretty good football under huge constraints and pressure, and probably does deserve a shot at a bigger side than Wigan:
My admiration for Martinez is no secret. I have been outspoken in my desire to see the club make an approach in the wake of the departure of both Gerard Houllier and Martin O’Neill. Truth be told, even when MON was still in charge and everything was hunky-dory, I had a bit of a manager-crush on Martinez. His teams play very attractive, flowing, attacking football, but he certainly knows when they need to scrap.
He’s shown an ability to work under tight financial constraints, and while Villa are certainly more financially muscular than Wigan they’ve still got a bit of a bloated wage bill. There are some who are concerned that Martinez was never able to guide Wigan above the bottom third of the table in his time with the club, but in my estimation the fact that he’s managed to keep Wigan up at all is a minor miracle.
It would certainly be a forward-thinking appointment as far as Randy Lerner and the Villa board are concerned. They could easily go with the safe option - a Hughes, a Benitez; even a McLaren - but if they choose the young manager with style, potential, and a plan, they might come out of this five managers in a calendar year thing in a far better position than when they entered it. And that’s not too bad at all.
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