Roberto Martinez confident Everton will fight in Europa and Premier League
ROBERTO MARTINEZ will not compromise Everton's Europa League hopes despite a precarious Premier League position and maintains he is the right man to lead the club forward.
Roberto Martinez insists he's the right man for the Everton job despite poor domestic form
Everton embark on a critical juncture in their campaign as they host Dynamo Kiev tonight before attentions quickly turn to Sunday's pivotal visit of Newcastle when the need for points is pressing.
Martinez's position has come under scrutiny as Everton have faltered domestically, slipping into the relegation mire, while at the same time continuing to cut a swathe in Europe.
Yet he insists his experience in battling to keep Wigan afloat, before finally succumbing in the same season in which he won the FA Cup, makes him ideally placed to stare down the challenge confronting his side.
"You are going to get doubts, worries," said Martinez. "It is normal when you don't get results. My view is very clear: I have been in this situation many times. "The best thing you can have in this situation is experience of what is needed to get the squad to perform. The second is that we don't look away from the fact we have got a really strong dressing room with a lot of talent.
"We can win games and it is as simple as that. This is the situation I control the most. "I finished fifth in the league. I won a trophy. But I have been four years on the trot having to get 36, 37 points in difficult circumstances. I know the severity of the situation and about not having margin for error.
"I have been brought up with it. When the team gets a bad score-line, I am the one who is responsible. I don't look to blame anyone. Football is a game of errors and the responsibility is mine.
"For us as a football club, the position we are in is unacceptable. At the end of the season, we need to look at why it has happened. But for the time being, we need to show a real desire to win."
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When we built the squad at the start of the season it was with playing in Europe in mind
Roberto Martinez
Everton's eye-catching successes this season have all been in Europe, mostly notably the wins over Wolfsburg, and Martinez is adamant his possesses a squad capable of competing on both fronts. The notion of fielding a weakened side in order to preserve his squad for Sunday's game with Newcastle has not crossed the manager's mind.
"No, I wouldn't do that," said Martinez, who is without the ineligible Aaron Lennon and Leighton Baines due to a groin injury. "When we built the squad at the start of the season it was with playing in Europe in mind. That hasn't changed.
"We have a strong enough squad to face the two competitions. If I were in a position where I had to focus on one competition because we only had a small group of players, it would be completely the opposite.
"But we have put a lot of effort into the Europa League. A football club the size of Everton needs to look to Europe and be as good as we can. "We can't look at the league and use it as an excuse to not do as well as we can in the Europa League." Kiev, coached by former Tottenham striker Sergei Rebrov, are unbeaten in their own domestic league and will pose tough opposition as Everton seek to take an advantage to the Ukraine for next week's return leg.
"Our performances in Europe have come with a lot more bravery, a lot more freedom and the results show that," said Martinez.
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