Roberto Martinez: Everton back to their best

Roberto Martinez feels he is now working with his strongest squad of players since taking over the Everton managerial hot seat from David Moyes in summer 2013.

The Spanish tactician enjoyed a fairly successful debut season at Goodison Park as he guided them to a fifth-placed finish in the Premier League.

However the added burden of Europa League football took its toll on the squad last term and they dropped back to an 11th-placed finish.

But Martinez has managed to keep hold of key players, such as John Stones, in the summer and bolstered the numbers with deals for the likes of Ramiro Funes Mori, Tom Cleverley, Gerard Deulofeu and Aaron Lennon.

And with no European football as a distraction, Everton have enjoyed a strong start as they occupy seventh position, ahead of Merseyside rivals Liverpool.

Martinez told the new issue of Everton magazine: “Since I arrived at the club, I would say this is the strongest squad we’ve had in terms of having options and having to make big decisions during the week, and that’s ultimately what will make us as good as we can be.

“It’s not the same to play the game with 11 players, you play it with 14. You’ve got different options, wider options and flexibility of how you are going to use the substitutes.

“We’ve gone back to where we were two seasons ago, when the options and competition for places allows you to have 15 or 16 players when everyone could have an impact and everyone could affect the game and that’s been very important.”

Everton can be backed at 9.00 to secure a top-four finish in the Premier League this season.