It’s never easy to work out just how good a manager is when he’s earning his trade at a club so utterly dominant in their own domestic league. Yes, Pedro Martins looks set to take over at ambitious Championship outfit Hull City after winning three successive Greek Super League titles at Olympiakos.
But let’s not forget that the team from Piraeus have tasted domestic glory no fewer than 19 times since the turn of the Century. They were uber-successful before Martins, and they will be after him too. Simply put, maintaining Olympiakos’ stranglehold on Greek soil is no guarantee of success in a far more competitive division; England’s second tier being one of the most competitive of all.
There is a reason why Martins’ seemingly inevitable arrival on Humberside has been greeted with such excitement, however. And his enviable collection of silverware is only one factor. Martins’ Olympiakos side were not only dominant, they were also thrilling at one end and defensively secure at the other. They scored 82 times en route to the Super League title in 2021; the club’s third-most prolific campaign since the days when the ‘millennium bug’ was keeping people up at night.
He tends to prefer a fluid, offensive 4-2-3-1 system built around perpetual movement and fast transitions. Martins wants his teams to move the ball quickly through the lines, while pressing hard and high from the front.
Pedro Martins is set to take over as Hull City manager
“I don’t think many people would be able to describe my teams,” Martins told the Coaches Voice. “I want my players to be adaptable, and as comfortable as possible at every moment of the game: attacks, transitions, defence.
“That’s what I aim for. I prepare my team for every moment. But I consider myself to be a coach of attacking football.”
Expect a Hull City side averaging just over a goal-a-game this season to become a lot more potent in the final third under Martins. Veteran striker Youssef El-Arabi was prolific at Olympiacos under the 52-year-old; scoring more than 25 times in each of the last three seasons. That certainly bodes well for Oscar Estupinan; the summer signing who has scored more than any other Championship player this term.
Martins’ preference for quick, nimble forwards should also suit the likes of Dimitrios Pelkas, Arsenal loanee Oulad M’Hand and Allahyar Sayyadmanesh, dubbed the ‘new Mohammed Salah’ by Hull owner Acun Ilicali.
The poise and guile of Jean-Michel Seri should also make the one-time Barcelona target a key figure, given Martins’ preference for possession-based football. Ryan Woods ability may also become an important part of the Tigers jigsaw, due to his ball-playing ability.
Hull, this season, have ranked 19th for average possession in the Championship (WhoScored). Don’t be surprised to see them rocket up that particular table, even if the 4-2-3-1 base favoured by Shota Averladze is unlikely to change too much on paper.
More possession and more goals
A common complaint aimed towards Averladze was that his Hull side lacked a clear identity. Expect that to change too. Martins will also be excited to get his mitts on a crop of exciting young talent, including M’Hand, Jacob Greaves and Regan Slater.
Nathan Baxter’s distribition, meanwhile, could see him replace Matt Ingram between the sticks.
“What makes him special is the way he leads,” former Olympiakos talisman Daniel Podence, who come on leaps and bounds under Martins before sealing a £16 million move to Wolves, explains to O Jogo.
“His relationship with the players. The fact that he knows and understands everything that happens to them. But also the intelligence with which he prepares the games. He is a humble man, simple and easily accessible.
“Of course, he is ready (for the top level).”
Sky Sports say that Hull have a ‘verbal agreement’ with Martins. His appointment could even be confirmed on Thursday.
