Martinez: The anfield result has made the players stronger

Everton manager Roberto Martinez feels that his Everton team need to concentrate on the league and the FA Cup in the final quarter of the season and feels that the humiliation by Liverpool in the Merseyside derby has made his team very, very strong.

When asked which was the more important competition Martinez said it was easier to rotate players when your team is winning.

“You have a better chance to get both,” he said. “I don’t think it is one or the other. “You get momentum, competition for places and it is also better to rotate players when you are winning. We could [win the FA Cup and qualify for the Champions League], but I do feel Sunday is a very, very difficult game.

“Swansea will come with a good mentality, they have nothing to lose, are great on the ball and, in that respect, are a possession team like us.”

Martinez feels that his side must cope with the tag of being favourites, but said that they must prepare properly and concentrate or he feels it could end up with a similar result to the one he inflicted on Everton last season.

“It is a similar game to that Wigan one,” he said. “When Wigan came here I thought there was a real feeling of responsibility [on Everton] and of wanting to get to Wembley and that probably affected them a little bit at the start of the game.

“We [Wigan] scored three goals and it became very difficult. That’s what you need to be careful of in cup competitions, when you’re playing at home and you are favourites, coping with that feeling is very important.”

Strangely the Spaniard feels that the 4-0 defeat to Liverpool will actually make his team stronger and help them deal with adversity.

“The result at Anfield has made the team very, very strong, a team that is ready to face any sort of adversity,” he added. “Either people can run away and try and find an excuse, or they can act like men and respond to the challenge.

“Aston Villa was the real test. We hit the post then they scored and it was that half-time that defined our season. If you are asking for a moment that defined our season, it was that. It would have been easy to accept that was our season [over] and we have done great, but they didn’t.

“The players went out and showed the right attitude and won. They showed incredible, incredible character.”

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