Everton must wise up to cynical opposition tactics, say Martinez

[Goat]

Everton FC are not a soft touch but must get wise to cynical opposition tactics, says Roberto Martinez.

The Blues were accused of being too nice during their FA Cup quarter final with Arsenal, when they kicked the ball out of play as Mikel Arteta went to ground claiming injury and remonstrating with the referee after a fair challenge by Seamus Coleman.

Official Mark Clattenburg was willing to let Everton play on but they stopped instead, something which angered their manager.

“It was a frustrating moment for me,” he said of the incident during Saturday’s clash at the Emirates. “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.

“That’s something we need to recognise and probably that will come with experience to some of the younger players, but they need to learn that quickly.

“We want to represent our football club with the heritage and history we’re proud of and I’ll never change that.

“If anything we want to be a team that wins with style, without having to look for the small margins in a way which doesn’t represent our history – the game-playing.”

Martinez has previously highlighted how opposition sides have taken advantage of the “small margins” in recent games against his outfit.

And while he does not want his players to emulate such gamesmanship, he has demanded they do not fall victim to it again.

“It happened against Chelsea as well – it’s that hidden know-how that allows players to take advantage,” he added.

“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 it 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. Mikel used that to his advantage and we need to be aware of that.

“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.”

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/everton-fc-roberto-martinez-says-6803252



Im sure we all agree.

 

[ToffeeDan]

Yeah, it's no use being at the top of the fair play league (at least in terms of those teams not certain to get European football we're top, we're in 5th place behind the top 4 in the PL at the moment) - even more so since England are only in 4th place (3 places available) at the moment.

 

[Foot Long Hot Dog]

Surely he should have given that speech the day after Barry placed the ball down nicely for Walker and then proceeded to turn his back on the ball, along with our entire backline, for Walker to then calmly wafted it over their heads for Adebayor to slot the winner........

Just saying.....

 

[chrissyjack]

The moment Everton start doing it, the media will be all over "The Goodison Cheats ". Whereas the SKY/Media /FA darlings have been at it for years . I always found it a mystery why Drogba would fall to the floor whenever the opposition were attacking

 

[BlueLlama]

There is a difference between being honest and being too nice. No need to kick the ball out, that is the refs decison

 

[Minimeister]

Our manager needs to mention time wasting at Goodison too. I'm sick of sitting their watching the visiting keeper wasting time while the ref does nothing then as soon as we take the lead they're telling Howard to get a move on.

We also need to be cuter ourselves. Last week at home to West Ham we had two shots on goal in injury time when we should of been taking the ball into the corner and seeing the game out.
Also we don't waste enough time when we're winning compared to any other team.

 

[Dymak]

We never used to be such bad hermits, but this Rainbow Warrior stuff has been going on for about 12 years now, since Moyes arrived. It's a defence mechanism that is used to decrease the feelings of inferiority that are apparent when it becomes clear that we are no longer good enough to compete with the winners anymore.

Hopefully Martinez can get rid of this utterly pathetic attitude and turn the team into a group of players that are more concerned with winning than rallying together for world peace.

 

[canuckblue]

Surely he should have given that speech the day after Barry placed the ball down nicely for Walker and then proceeded to turn his back on the ball, along with our entire backline, for Walker to then calmly wafted it over their heads for Adebayor to slot the winner........

Just saying.....

That was within the rules as the ref allowed the free kick to be taken quickly. We just fell asleep. Rather, I'd like to see us adopt a honey badger attitude to opposition players who stay down after a challenge unless it's patently obvious they've got a serious injury. In other words, fvck 'em.

 

[radiostar]

Fair enough but it wasnt the reason we lost the game.

 

[Dymak]

Fair enough but it wasnt the reason we lost the game.

I think it is part of the inferiority complex.

 

[Foot Long Hot Dog]

That was within the rules as the ref allowed the free kick to be taken quickly. We just fell asleep. Rather, I'd like to see us adopt a honey badger attitude to opposition players who stay down after a challenge unless it's patently obvious they've got a serious injury. In other words, fvck 'em.

It's exactly what he's talking about though, being 'fair' giving the ball back expecting that they weren't going to then punt it straight over you head, it was naïve in the extreme. I thought the same on Saturday btw, and knew Arteta wasn't injured, as it was, the lego headed beaut just screamed at the ref about the hole in his sock when we'd kicked the ball out, trying to gain a further advantage.

 

[deipnosophist]

That was within the rules as the ref allowed the free kick to be taken quickly. We just fell asleep. Rather, I'd like to see us adopt a honey badger attitude to opposition players who stay down after a challenge unless it's patently obvious they've got a serious injury. In other words, fvck 'em.

We should eviscerate them? Won't that affect our fair play standing? lol

 

[deipnosophist]

We should eviscerate them? Won't that affect our fair play standing? lol

NO GUTS, NO GLORY!! lol

 

[Ashtonian]

the problem i think is big club / small club mentality.

Notice how the 'big clubs' now are the ones who do the little tricks, crowd the ref, get decisions their way?

Notice how the smaller clubs are too nice and are always on the receiving end of said decisions, chelsea maintaining their unbeaten home record for example?

the whole thing is bullocks to be if i'm being honest. It is part and parcel of the expentancy put on the big clubs each game. We don't do it because we are the plucky under dogs and therefore we do things the 'honest' way.

It is probably an unspoken rule, but of course it affects our mentality. It might be natural, it might be the difference between relegation man Roberto and champions league man mourinhio way of thinking.

But top and bottom of it is if we were league contenders we would do it ourselves and get the same sort of decisions as what go against us.

 

[canuckblue]

the problem i think is big club / small club mentality.

Notice how the 'big clubs' now are the ones who do the little tricks, crowd the ref, get decisions their way?

Notice how the smaller clubs are too nice and are always on the receiving end of said decisions, chelsea maintaining their unbeaten home record for example?

the whole thing is bullocks to be if i'm being honest. It is part and parcel of the expentancy put on the big clubs each game. We don't do it because we are the plucky under dogs and therefore we do things the 'honest' way.

It is probably an unspoken rule, but of course it affects our mentality. It might be natural, it might be the difference between relegation man Roberto and champions league man mourinhio way of thinking.

But top and bottom of it is if we were league contenders we would do it ourselves and get the same sort of decisions as what go against us.

True, but if referees started handing out cards like a Vegas dealer when players other than a team captain start surrounding him, you'd see that practice end sharpish. It's dissent, plain and simple, and should be penalized.