Roberto Martinez wants Marouane Fellaini to stay and set an example to Everton FC’s talented youngsters next season after he made the Belgian captain for the second half of his side’s opening pre-season game.
The significance of the gesture will not be lost on the 25-year-old midfielder who has been linked with a summer exit from Goodison, amid the revelation that a £23.5m release clause in his contract – which has reportedly tempted Arsenal and Manchester United – will expire on August 14.
He said: “Marouane is an international footballer and he’s going to be involved, if all goes well, in a World Cup next year.
“He’s had a fantastic impact in the Premier League and hopefully now is the time he can carry on showing his massive influence in the game for us. He’s still a very young man but I am really looking forward to seeing Marouane working hard and making sure that he sets really good standards at this club.
“We have a very good group of senior players in our dressing room, and some players need that extra bit of responsibility. We have youngsters at the club and they need to get opportunities but the senior players at the club are massively important to start the season as strong as we can be.”
Hints of the new expressive style Martinez wants his side to play were evident in the Austrian capital, but the Catalan insisted the game was more of a chance to complete the fitness schedule he has worked on with the squad so far. New signings Arouna Kone, Gerard Deulofeu and Antolin Alcaraz were not invovled.
“There are things we need to work on and today we could practise in certain aspects but it was not the full squad,” he said. “It was great to see the youngsters and a good chance to see the talent that has developed. Now we will work on the type of football we want to have as a team.
“If you look at the week we’ve had everyone has put in a lot of work so it was important they all had at least 45 minutes to work at a match intensity. We wanted to give everyone the opportunity to push themselves against a team which is nearer to being ready for their competition.
“From a fitness point of view, which is the reason that we’re here, I think it’s been successful. Importantly, we got through it with no injuries and now is the time to start working on certain partnerships and eventually working towards the team that will start the season.”
Vienna’s goals both came as a result of Everton errors, but Martinez was relaxed about the slip-ups so early into the pre-season fixture list.
He added: “That was pre season sloppiness and you are going to see it at first. Clearly they were those kind of moments.
“Our goal was from a really good piece of football, with a great cross. Of course you always want to win games but it was more about different aims.”
most of the goals scored against wigan came from defensive errors, maybe Martinez will realise just how bad osman is, he targeted osman and neville as the two weakest everton players and was proved right, the wigan players ran rings around them they were too slow, osman has no vision, he’s too small, he’s easily knocked off the ball, he can’t head the ball, he can’t dribble, he must have the weakest shot in the everton squad, apart from that he would make a good 1st division player so sell him i’m sure everton would get £750,000 for him.
A little harsh on ozzy mate but not too far wide of the mark