Roberto Martinez believes the ‘hype’ surrounding Everton’s impending FA Cup semi-final is affecting Premier League performances.
Since confirming their place in the Wembley date on April 23, the Blues have slumped to successive defeats against Arsenal and Manchester United, which has spawned a record of three straight domestic losses.
But Martinez insists that the his players need to forget about the showdown against the winners of West Ham and Manchester United, and instead focus on improving Everton’s league form.
He said: “Football is so simple. Confidence comes from getting good results. We need to simplify it.
“We need to forget about the semi-final. When you reach a real high then it’s difficult to reach the same level. We are not performing well at the moment, but that is something we want to change quickly.”
“We need to make sure we finish the league really strong. We have a lot of points to fight for. We need to address our home form. We are going to be obsessed with the games we have ahead.”
“There’s been a lot of work. We’ve got a squad that has enormous potential. To under-perform you have to achieve something.
“After three defeats in the league it’s difficult to get excited. But we know the quality we have, Clearly the disappointment is there because the standards are so high. We feel we can perform against anyone.”