Nikica Jelavic has revealed that he feared the style of play Roberto Martinez brought to Goodison Park after David Moyes’ long tenure “was not Everton”.
The former Blues striker also reflected on his Wembley FA Cup regrets against Liverpool when he thought his side “could have gone all the way.”
Now 35, Jelavic is back home in Croatia playing for Lokomotiva after four years in China but when he first arrived at Everton in January 2012, he was in prolific form.
Joining from Rangers for £5million – just six months before the Glasgow giants suffered liquidation and were forced to reform in the fourth tier of the Scottish game with Steven Naismith also swapping Ibrox for Goodison on a free after his contract was voided – the striker netted 11 goals in 16 games over the remainder of the season.
However, he was unable to replicate those kind of numbers over a longer period and after Moyes’ departure to Manchester United after 11 years in charge in 2013, new boss Martinez had new ideas and new players, prompting Jelavic to depart for Hull City the following January.
Speaking to Obstructed View, Jelavic said: “David Moyes invested in me and he was one of my favourite coaches along with Walter Smith at Rangers, it was difficult for me once he left.
“Roberto Martinez came in and obviously had some different ideas, like every new coach which is normal, then Romelu Lukaku came in and he was absolutely on fire, he was flying; so after a short period with Roberto Martinez he didn’t see me in his plans and I didn’t see myself staying with him.
“I simply wasn’t playing, it’s hard but as a professional you have to move on, so I made the move to Hull City.”
Jelavic believes that Martinez’s footballing philosophy wasn’t best suited either to himself or to Everton as a whole.
He said: “David Moyes and Roberto Martinez were both completely different styles and completely different managers.
“With Moyes he was deciding everything at the club, he was a real strong character and like a father figure to all of the players.
“When Roberto came in he completely changed everything, he wanted a new style – Spanish style passing, lots of moving, but for me it was not Everton you know, so much passing.
“For me Everton is all about fighting, always give your best fight - fight for everything, for every single ball.
“I cannot say I didn’t like Roberto’s style but I just didn’t see myself playing in a team with that kind of style.”
Given the confident manner in which he was playing during his early months at the club – with many of his goals one-touch finishes – Jelavic retains deep regrets that he wasn’t part of a trophy-winning side with Everton.
Three years after the Blues had lost 2-1 to Chelsea in the FA Cup final, they could have teed up a rematch with the west London side if they’d have overcome neighbours Liverpool in the semi-final.
Everton would finish the season some four points better off than the Reds and went into the Wembley derby in better form than their opponents – indeed Kenny Dalglish would be sacked at the end of the season – but despite Jelavic’s goal handing them a half-time lead, they fell short against their biggest rivals on the biggest stage again.
He said: “Oh I regret that defeat a lot, honestly believe me, we were so close.
“We were playing so well, 1-0 ahead and everything was going great and then one bad mistake cost us that equaliser, and then obviously Andy Carroll scored late on.
“That was such a painful defeat, I really believed we could have gone all the way.”
