Everton FC news and views: LIVE – Liverpool Echo

Here’s the full story on Raiola’s comments today.

Romelu Lukaku with Roberto Martinez after completing a club record £28m move to Everton from Chelsea

He certainly likes running his mouth, does Raiola.

Now that is genuinely worrying, if that is Raiola’s attitude towards Everton.

Raiola: “If we’d met earlier, he wouldn’t have signed for Everton. He would have played for another club or maybe he would still be at CFC.”

— Kristof Terreur (@HLNinEngeland) April 3, 2015

Romelu Lukaku has signed up with “super agent” Mino Raiola in recent weeks – and in true agent fashion it hasn’t taken long for Raiola to big up his new client and link him with other clubs.

In an interview with Belgian paper Sudpresse, he said: “I do not know if, in Belgium, you realize its immense qualities. He has all the physical, human and technical.

“We often talk about football, but do not forget that this is also someone with a big heart.

“If anyone says that Paul Pogba is the future of the world, while Romelu Lukaku is the Paul Pogba of attackers.

“Yes, he will become one of Europe’s best forwards. I’m not saying this for fun, but when you see all that he has accomplished at a young age, it is only normal. It has already achieved great things while he has not exploited its full potential.

“Later, he will play for a top club like Paris Saint-Germain, the two teams from Manchester, Barcelona or Bayern Munich.”

Want to hear Everton editor Greg O’Keeffe talking the Toffees with ECHO sports editor John Thompson, Ian Doyle and Kristian Walsh?

Of course you do – here it is for your listening pleasure…

Here’s the man in the middle for tomorrow’s game, Lee Mason.

And he’s awarded a penalty in both Everton games he has officiated this season.

Click here to read more, if you really want to know more, about the man in the black.

Roberto Martinez has warned his team that they have something to play for between now and the end of the season – their futures. Dynamo Kiev v Everton FC,in the UEFA Europa League,Round of 16,2nd leg,at the Olimpiyskiy Stadium,Kiev,Ukraine. Everton manager Roberto Martinez pitchside before (Free £25 bet offer) Kick-off.

Martinez said: “It’s not just a motivation for players, it’s the reality. We are in the results business, and always we need to be assessed in terms of being part of a winning team.

“The mentality of the football club is to win things and to be consistent in terms of the level that we showed last season. So for the next eight games, we are all fighting to be part of the future of the football club.”

Click here to read more.

Gavin Buckland has provided us with some excellent pre-match stats ahead of tomorrow’s game – and it appears Leon Osman is Everton’s lucky charm…

• Darron Gibson requires one more start to reach 100 in his club career.
• With Leon Osman starting, Everton have WON 62% of their PL games (21/34) since the start of the 2013/14 season, against 24% when the midfielder does not (8/34).
• This season in the 33-year-old’s seven PL starts this season, Everton have WON FIVE and drawn ONCE .

Click here to see more.

Roberto Martinez

Everton boss Roberto Martinez says his side won’t be bullied by Southampton when the two sides meet tomorrow.

The Toffees lost the physical battle with Ronald Koeman’s side back in December in what was one of the low points of this campaign.

Martinez insists it will be different tomorrow afternoon.

He said: “That game was a key moment in both teams’ season. Southampton went into the game with six straight defeats, and we went in knowing that a good win could have taken our season in a different direction.

“That day, Southampton played in a way that put a lot of physicality into our box, and we couldn’t cope with that. I don’t think it was a bad performance in terms of our overall play, but obviously if you cannot defend your box, you are not going to win football matches.

“We conceded two goals from corners, and another cross where the physicality of Pelle was too much for us. That’s quite rare, I haven’t seen that happen a lot to us before.

“It was a hurtful defeat from that point of view, and it’s something that you can put right the next time you face them.”

Read more from Roberto Martinez.

Liverpool ECHO front page 03.04.15   Liverpool ECHO back page 03.04.15

Good morning and welcome to today’s edition of the Everton FC liveblog. I’m Joe Rimmer and I’m here today to bring you all the very latest news and views from Goodison Park until 3pm. At which point Alex Rea will come on and take you all the way through until 11pm.

It’s Good Friday but you could be forgiven for asking what is so good about it because it’s wet, it’s rainy and it’s miserable. Plus, if you are like me and up at this hour while everyone else enjoys a lie in you mightn’t be feeling so happy.

But don’t despair. I’m not the Easter Bunny and I won’t bring you eggs. But I can bring you all the best build-up to tomorrow’s clash with Southampton, including team news, analysis and opinion.

I’ll be back in just a moment with our top stories.