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Martinez on Boxing Day mess-up

Roberto Martinez reacted to Everton's loss on Boxing Day saying that there is much to learn from the performance even if it didn't garner any points.

“We have to cope with it," he said after the game, "but we will move on and I feel we're stronger than before the game. We didn't get lot of points but performances like that will give us a lot more over the season.

“Our reaction was good, players showed incredible attitude and a great tactical understanding to cope with man disadvantage. The only critical aspect I can have is we should finish some of those chances.

“I thought we deserved an equaliser and if we'd got that we would probably have gone on to win the game. It doesn't matter that the goalkeeper had outstanding afternoon, we should have got a goal or two. But second half was one of the strongest performances of the season.”

“Sometimes it takes a little bit of time to get momentum in the game; Sunderland were well organised and had a good solid structure behind ball. I thought we made a bad decision which cost us a sending off and a goal and changed the game completely.

“For me, it would be easy to say that was the reason we lost but I thought the second half was terrific. We coped well with 10 men and put Mannone under great pressure."

Martinez thought both Howard and Osman were at fault for the incident which led to Sunderland's goal but refused to blame either player, acknowledging that both have played a huge role in getting Everton to the position they're in coming to the halfway stage of the season.

“We have got strong concepts of when a pass is on and, when you receive the ball, that's another decision, and we probably got both wrong, but both players have won us points this season.

“My disappointment isn't that it's the law itself but because we were doubly punished. The ref was spot on, it's just the law itself.”

Quotes or other material sourced from Liverpool Echo

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