Under-fire Roberto Martinez: This is how my Everton reign should be judged - 7M sport

Under-fire Roberto Martinez: This is how my Everton reign should be judged

ROBERTO MARTINEZ insists his record at Everton should be judged over his entire reign – and not just the last two months.


Posted Friday, April 29, 2016 by Express.co.uk

Under-fire Roberto Martinez: This is how my Everton reign should be judged
Roberto Martinez reckons he should be judged on his entire Everton reign - not the last two months

Martinez is under increasing pressure, with his team winless in seven matches after losing last Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final to Manchester United at Wembley.

Chairman Bill Kenwright, new major shareholder Farhad Moshiri and director Jon Woods have been considering whether Martinez, who is coming to the end of his third season in charge, is the right man to lead the club forward.

Stoke boss Mark Hughes is among those to have been linked with the vacancy at Goodison Park if a change is made.

Martinez insists he is focusing only on Saturday’s Premier League home game against Bournemouth as he tries to improve on his team’s current position of 11th.

Fans have displayed banners at recent games calling for the manager to go, and he says he understands their frustrations.

Martinez said: "I understand it completely. I never felt being Everton manager is to be judged by being in an average position. I always encourage huge expectations.

"I think, as a football club, we have to drive to challenge for silverware, we have to drive to get into the top-four positions. When you’re not in those positions, the scrutiny needs to be there, from the media especially.

"There shouldn’t be scrutiny over the last two months. It should be scrutiny over three seasons. It should be scrutiny about taking the squad and team that we put together and developed since I’ve been at the club."

Martinez believes that his team’s display in the second half at Wembley was reason for encouragement.

He said: "The performance we had in the second half showed that this is a team who can perform against anyone. We have a very clear idea of how to play and how to be successful. That’s the scrutiny that I welcome and accept.

"I wouldn’t want to be judged on being the manager with the ninth biggest budget in the league. I want to be under the scrutiny of being very proud of being the Everton manager. Everton are a huge club and I expect us to be challenging for silverware."

Martinez, meanwhile, has revealed that captain Phil Jagielka could miss the rest of the season with a hamstring problem.

The centre-back originally suffered the injury at Watford on April 9, and rushed back to play in the semi-final, but has suffered as a result.

"Phil Jagielka got through the game when he had no right to be fully fit and is going to be missing for the next few games,” Martinez said. “It’s too early to know if he’ll be missing for the rest of the season or if he will be available for the last game."

It means that Jagielka is facing a race against time to be fit before England manager Roy Hodgson names his Euro 2016 squad on May 12, three days before Everton’s final Premier League game against Norwich.

Right-back Seamus Coleman will also be missing against Bournemouth with a  hamstring injury, while midfielder Gareth Barry has a groin problem, and central defender Ramiro Funes Mori is suspended.



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