Martinez can keep breaking ground Moyes couldn’t with FA Cup win

No manager has ever won the FA Cup in successive years with different clubs, though Roberto Martinez has the look of a trailblazer about him and with the taste of Wembley glory still at the back of his throat the Spaniard can break Everton’s 19-year trophy drought this season.

After Blackburn became the latest victims of an Etihad mauling in their FA Cup replay, Manchester City’s favouritism to lift the famous old trophy at 4/1 is fully understandable, especially as they are likely to spit Watford out at home in round four.

However, of the other serious contenders, Everton are not just the most enticingly priced at 8/1, but there are plenty of other factors to suggest this may be the first Toffees team to lift a trophy since Paul Rideout’s Wembley winner back in 1995.

Despite securing universal admiration during his ten-year Everton tenure, Moyes’ best achievements remain a 2009 FA Cup final appearance and finishing fourth in the 2004/05 campaign.

Meanwhile, the new man at the Goodison helm managed to secure Wigan a first ever FA Cup win last season (knocking out Everton 3-0 at Goodison en-route) and with some careful tinkering this has transformed the Toffees into a serious top-four threat.

Martinez then achieved within months of taking the post what Moyes hadn’t throughout his long spell, by taking his team to Old Trafford in the Premier League and winning, with the Scot having to suffer the ignominy of being watching on from the opposing dugout.

Having thrashed Championship title contenders QPR 4-0 in the third round, Martinez showed his hand by fielding a very strong team.

And their passage to the fifth round is all-but guaranteed thanks to a fourth-round date at League One’s bottom club Stevenage.

With no distractions of Europe, like many of the other stellar claimants, the cup is certain to be a top target for the Spaniard and in all likeliness if the top-four dream begins to slip away its importance will grow yet further for Martinez.

There have been plenty of managers who have won this competition multiple times and a shorter list who have won it in successive years with the same club, but Martinez can chart new territory by winning it in 2013/14.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
Fancy a flutter? Sign up today to claim up to £50 in free bets.