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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.”

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