Martinez urges Everton to think about the damage THEY can do to teams rather than vice versa, reveals Toffees keeper Howard



Tim Howard has given an insight into Roberto Martinez’s methods by revealing Everton’s manager has banished two words from all conversation this week – and they are not 'Champions League'.

While some managers can get tetchy at this point of the campaign and prevent players from talking about their ultimate target, Martinez is the opposite and is happy for his squad to discuss the prospects of a top four finish.

Where Martinez has differed in recent days is the fact he has not wanted hear ‘Tottenham Hotspur’ mentioned; ahead of Everton’s latest crucial assignment, Martinez has urged his squad to consider the problems they cause at White Hart Lane rather than be concerned with what Spurs may do.

Insight: Goalkeeper Tim Howard has revealed Roberto Martinez wants Everton to focus on themselves

Flying high: Everton have impressed this season and are still in the hunt to finish in the top four come May

Martinez is a firm believer in the power of positive thinking and Everton goalkeeper Howard, who was a stalwart of the David Moyes era, believes the fresh approach that has been introduced can help Everton achieve a return to Europe for the first time in five years.

‘We work on ourselves and that is a difference,’ said Howard, who has been one of Everton’s most consistent performer this season. 'He will have some specific areas in which he thinks Tottenham are weak or Crystal Palace are weak and we will train on trying to exploit them.

‘That is what our training sessions will be about as opposed to, “here is what they are going to do to hurt us” and “this is what we are going to do to defend against them”. That is not in the manager's nature. The way his mind works, he always sees holes in the other team the way he operates.



‘He doesn't see the danger he sees the weakness and he always gets us working on that. Preparations during the week, no matter what game you go into, the focus has not at any point in time this season been on the other team.

Positive: Martinez (left) is keen for his players to focus on how they can cause problems for the opposition

‘On Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, it has always been about us. When you are professional and you have to do this 40 weeks out of the year it is nice thing to not have to come into work every day thinking, "Oh, that's looming ahead."'

Such is Martinez’s ability to snuff out negative thoughts, he has referred to the 9-1 humbling he received at Tottenham when he was Wigan manager as “one of the best experiences” he has had, as he was able to learn about himself and his squad.

Yet being ultra-positive in a sport as capricious as football can create suspicion and Howard admits that, initially, Everton’s players were on guard as Martinez implemented his ideas. Now, though, there is no question they have bought in to a plan he hopes will catapult them into the top four.



‘You're always a bit cagey. The staff he brought in have been brilliant but any time you have a lot of alpha males together, like in the world of sport, it's just natural to put your guard up. There's a bit of bravado that football players have as well.

All smiles: Howard is pleased with Martinez's way of thinking and thinks it has benefited the Everton players

‘We are all insecure, you want your position, you want to be at a club that wins, so it's a very difficult one. There's a bit of a feeling out process, like two animals in the wild figuring out what's going on. But it quickly clicked here.’



There is a feeling, however, that for all the encouraging signs under Martinez, Everton as a club need to achieve something this season, otherwise they will have simply done what they did under Moyes in another style. It a situation the United States international understands.

‘I would 100per cent agree with that,’ said Howard. ‘We have to give as much respect as we can to David Moyes. We have been in good situations before and I take the point it is a different way of getting to the same place and that is what brings so much pressure on now. Every result matters.’







