Martinez: We need to get tough and stop players conning us
Everton manager Roberto Martinez has said that his team need to be less friendly and stop being nice to try and make sure they aren’t conned by opposition players.
Martinez pinpointed Saturdays FA Cup clash against Arsenal where his team put the ball out for former Everton player Mikael Arteta to get treatment when it seemed like the player wasn’t badly injured after referee Mark Clattenburg allowed play to go on.
Martinez said: “It was a frustrating moment for me.
“It’s not that we’re too nice, it’s that we’re a fair team. It’s important for us, though, to identity when people are playing with that and trying to take advantage.
“We just need to make sure it doesn’t cost us. I don’t care about us using it but we need to know how not to get disadvantaged by it.
“I’ll never compromise what we represent in terms of winning games. But if you have a player that wants to lay on the pitch and moan to the referee we shouldn’t stop the game.
“We should punish that sort of reaction and behaviour with penetrating football and using the players we have on the pitch. It’s a lesson to be learned. But it’s a learning curve.”
Do you agree with Martinez? Do the players need to be less friendly? Have your say at www.theevertonforum.com
Plus we also need to stop leaking goals a plenty.