PORTUGAL Signs ROBERTO MARTINEZ: Hope for Better, or MORE OF THE SAME?

Só espero que isto seja o fim do favoritismo, da corrupção e da falta de valores na Seleção. Que seja o fim do domínio absoluto do Jorge Mendes nas convocatórias, da possibilidade de ter jogadores acusados de violação no grupo (e como capitães!) e dos negócios sujos com patrocinadores e organizações duvidosas ou pouco éticas. Desejo que o RM tenha sucesso mas sobretudo seja sério e pague os seus impostos como todas as pessoas honestas fazem.

Definitely, definitely, definitely a bad choice,1.it is not wise to overlook your own local coaches and employ foreigners,2martinez has never won anything wherever he's been.3 with a squad as talented as Belgium's,he should have atleast won the Euro's with them,4. He is a good coach,I don't dispute that,but he won't be successful with Portugal

We are not going to win shit.

Tata martino vibes

So this was our last chance ever 2 see Jose & Ronaldo ever united again

Santos was sacked because of poor tactics and poor player selection. He did this for years. Ronaldo myopia is counterproductive.

Santos rarely introduced new players and his tactics were always negative.

Not sure what Pirtugal is thinking with Martinez. Portugal requires a player manager so having a foreigner come in seems like a big mistake.

You can't use the 'aging squad' as an excuse. That was essentially the same team he had 4 years ago. He couldn't lift them over the barrier.
Not sure about not wedded to a formation. He always had 3 at the back despite having slow defenders. He also kept picking E. Hazard when it was obvious he shouldn't have been on the bench. Belgium did not develop and teams eventually figured them out.
The reason Martinez gets these jobs is probably because he is able to talk the talk, and give a good presentation with the right bizz words, but that's about it. Having said that he may well prove me wrong.
FIFA ranking is rubbish.

I really don't feel it.
For me this is a mistake. I see more of the boring semi-defensive play and less attacking insanity even tho the squad is clearly set for offensive (match against Switzerland e.g.).

I think a lot of people are overreacting when they say he's super terrible and that he is just another Fernando Santos.

Let me state that, there was for sure better options for Portugal than Martinez, and I am also somewhat disappointed, too!
However, according to a reddit post I've read and considering what he did for Belgium before this world cup (clearly at end cycle, both players and coach), he isn't as bad as some people say and keep saying.

If he plays like he did before this world cup, we can expect a more attacking manager, with much more consistency in qualifiers and group stages (never went to playoffs and ended up in 1st place in most cases with exception of world cup 2022 group stage, while Santos, before this last world cup, always ended in 2nd or 3rd place, being nearly knocked out in most cases, and after 2018 Santos only qualified to the big competitions in second, which meant he had to play playoffs when it came to the world cup).

If we go by games won in 90 minutes in big competitions:
Portugal = 6 (Wales 2016, Morocco 2018, Hungary 2021, with the other three coming from 2022 world cup (Uruguay, Ghana, Switzerland))
Belgium = 11 (There's quite a lot, but if we go by some of the strongest, you will have wins against England (twice), Denmark, Brazil, Portugal)

Win rate also seems to be better than Fernando Santos (Martinez has about 70%, don't know about Santos but it's definitely lower)

The problem can appear mostly against big national teams, where most goals seem to come via transitions, so honestly that's where he will be put up to the test.

Is he a stubborn manager? Yes he is, and it will probably be his biggest downfall as time goes on, but he isn't as defensive as Fernando Santos, and he actually tries to attack in majority of games, we'll have to, however, see what will be his ideas here.
In my honest opinion, if he does better performances than Fernando Santos, and can do better in big games, I'm all for it.
Some people here think that he should've won something, and while I agree (Nations League final four a few years ago was their best shot, considering they were leading 2-0 against France), I also think that people are asking too much when they say that they should win every single tournament, not only because they lacked some depth, but also because there are better national teams than Belgium, plus, you only have a chance every two years with every game being a single leg, which means anything can happen and it requires also that players are in a good form at the time of the tournament.
I've read that a 3rd place at the world cup 2018 is embarrassing or not good at all, which is the most ridiculous statement considering France had much more depth and also better players lol, and Belgium only lost by a single goal in a close game.

TLDR: He is not as bad as people say, he is an OK manager. Had a 3rd place at the world cup 2018 and a quarter-final in euro 2020, losing in both times to the eventual winners. Defensively he is probably not that good but can make our attack thrive (again, if things go before this last world cup). Has a better win rate than Santos. Martinez is stubborn which will be his downfall down the road.

Anyways, this is just some data and opinions, I do think he has potential to do better than Santos in terms of playstyle but also do worse, we'll have to wait and see, but people in some cases are setting the bar way too high (winning literally any competition that comes is ridiculous, semi-finals is a good minimum however) when this isn't like clubs where you have a chance every single year and have more than 40 matches most of the time.
Federation could've done better and had better options for sure, but it isn't as bad as some people say it is. It's definitely mid however.

How does roberto get these big jobs. He won't win anything with portugal either

Portugal are in trouble

HOW?

“Some believe that what’s better for the team is more important than the individual” you don’t say

Ronaldo must have had a say in the choice of Martinez. A coach who will favor Ronaldo's continued place on the team. Maybe no Portuguese top flight manager was willing to take the job because of the onerous task facing the winning candidate, by having to bench Ronaldo.

Bernardo Silva, Cancelo and Dias are probably asking KDB about him.

This appointment is a joke.

If Martinez could be pragmatic and try to win EURO then there will be no problem but I don't think that is happening.

Last place I ever expected to hear an ASOIAF refrence. Had me double take and everything 🤣