5 Reasons Why Roberto Martinez Will Be The Next Arsenal Manager

5. Style Of Play

One thing that really stands out in terms of similarities between Wenger and Martinez is the way they set their teams up. Both coaches prefer a possession based, free flowing attacking style, with Wenger famously hard to persuade to divert from this style when the going gets tough. The Gunners this season look to have got their team right so far, with Wenger's side five points clear at the top of the Premier League table and with qualification to the next phase of the Champions League in their hands. In years gone by, the Frenchman has been criticised for his lack of malleability, with the Gunners not having won a trophy since 2005, and many have been quick to point the finger at the stubborn 64-year-old. This is a style of management that has been very much taken up by Martinez, who even at Wigan, with the club fighting for their Premier League status, never deviated from his possession based football. The Spaniard was insistent that the best form of defence was attack, sometimes to their detriment, but always for the entertainment of those watching. Martinez even set the foundations for Swansea City's meteoric rise to the Premier League, with the Welsh club's possession based style taking them to League Cup glory last season and winning many fans. If anything Martinez has a slight edge on Arsenal's tactics thanks to his high pressing, shown in the draw between the two teams at the weekend, where the Toffees pushed forward and thwarted the Gunners in their own half. When the Arsenal hierarchy come to choosing a replacement for Wenger, they will probably look for continuity over anything else, meaning they will look for a like minded coach, and they don't come more similar in philosophy terms than Martinez.