Martinez not thinking about Everton exit talk

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The Spaniard has been the subject of increased criticism following the 4-0 defeat to rivals Liverpool this week.

Roberto Martinez insists he is not thinking about talk surrounding his Everton future, but admits an FA Cup semi-final win over Manchester United on Saturday will help to ease the increasing pressure from fans.

Speculation around the Spaniard’s job at Goodison Park has reached fever pitch since the Toffees’ 4-0 defeat to Liverpool in the Merseyside derby on Wednesday, with some reports suggesting that this weekend’s game could be key in deciding his future.

Martinez joined Everton nearly three years ago after successful spells at Swansea City and Wigan, guiding the latter to a shock FA Cup win in 2013.

But after enjoying a solid first season on Merseyside following Wigan’s relegation, Martinez’s relationship with the club’s fans has begun to sour, sparking speculation that he could soon be shown the door.

According to Talksport, when asked about whether his current situation, Martinez remained defiant, adding that winning the FA Cup would still represent a successful season for the club.

He said: “I wouldn’t say that [this is the toughest situation of my career]. I think when you are in situations a bit more extreme (it’s harder).

“Here of course we are carrying hurt but we’re facing the opportunity of achieving something. It’s the third time in 20 years that we’re going to be in the semi-finals of the FA Cup.

“I’m a positive person by nature and I can see this is an opportunity rather than something to lose.”

And while aware of the growing rumours surrounding his future, Martinez insists he is focusing all of his energy on preparing his side for the next game.

He said: “I wouldn’t be professional if I would be using my time on talking about what people think and what the feeling is around the manager.

“My position is to use the time as well as we can to prepare the team, to get everyone ready for the next game.

“The experience that I had in the last 10 years, I’ve been very fortunate to be in high-pressure situations and I know what my role is and what I have to do in order to help the team.”

But despite his positivity, the 42-year-old admits a win on Saturday will go a long to repairing his strained relationship with the Everton fans, who haven’t seen their team lift a trophy since 1995.

Martinez added: “It would bring a feeling of pride and I think at the moment we’re all finding it very tough with the events that we’ve had of late. We’re hurting. The way to get rid of that is bringing a winning feeling.

“We are desperate to get the winning feeling back but to do that you have to play well, you have to be good enough to get that, and clearly we are desperate to make sure we get back to our best level on Saturday.”