Lukaku: I believe in the manager and his philosophy

Everton striker Romelu Lukaku has come out in support of under-fire manager Roberto Martinez by saying that he believes in the Spaniard and he also believes in what he is trying to achieve.

Big Rom has come to life recently and after a difficult campaign has now scored 16 in all competitions and believes that any talk of a relegation battle in nonsense and feels that his side will show the class they need and win through.

“I believe in the team and I believe in the manager. I believe in him. I believe his philosophy and the way he’s thinking,” he said after a match-winning Europa League display.

“Although I understand the fans expect us to win all the time and want us to give our maximum – I agree with that. But we have to do it together.”

“You learn a lot when your back’s against the wall. But a relegation battle? Really? I don’t want to take it that far and say that,” he said.

“It’s been the first time in my career I have been looking down but I don’t want to look down, I want to look up.

“The situation is different though – I’ve never been in a situation like this. You just have to prepare differently. You know every game your back is against the wall, teams below you are winning and so you have to as well.

“After this I will go home and be thinking that we have had a good performance, so I will go in and tell the guys ‘what we did here we have to do on Sunday as well, where Newcastle will be very ­phsyical.’

“We have to do like we have in Europe – play our game, dictate the tempo, because when we have lost it is often because we have let other teams dictate to us.”

“Maybe it was the season that I needed…to feel how it is to be the main man and stuff like that. I think I still have a respectable amount of goals – the same as last season now – so there is improvement, but I want to get better and make the team better and help them,” he said.

“It’s been a very good learning experience but I don’t want to learn at this time, I want to win. It has taught me a lot, especially mentally. I’m a very strong person but you know people expect more and more from you.”

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