Everton vs Manchester United : Roberto Martinez hopes fans can help lift Everton to win
Posted Friday, October 16, 2015 by PA
Roberto Martinez wants Everton's fans to roar them on to another home victory against Manchester United on Saturday.
The Toffees have beaten United on the Red Devils' last three visits to Goodison Park, including a stunning 3-0 victory over Louis van Gaal's side in April.
It was the stand-out result of a late-season resurgence that helped Everton finish 11th in the Barclays Premier League table.
Martinez's side have picked up where they left off at the start of this campaign and sit seventh going into the weekend, three points below third-placed United.
The Everton boss said: "I think the records and the previous performances and results mean very little. I think what's important is we respect immensely this Manchester United side.
"A couple of weeks back when they hit top spot in the league, in a way that was a real statement of intent.
"We've got another top team coming to Goodison but we want to perform well and be as good as we can to try to get a win. Whoever we face at Goodison, we should be pushing ourselves.
"Goodison probably gets at its very best (against United), and when Goodison pushes you with that energy and that voice, as a player you feel the difference and as a team you feel you can cope with anything that you get in front of you."
Key defensive duo John Stones and Seamus Coleman are set to make their Everton returns.
Stones missed two club games as well as England's recent internationals because of a knee problem, while Coleman played for the Republic of Ireland on Sunday following a hamstring complaint.
Midfielders Tom Cleverley (leg) and Steven Pienaar (hamstring) are also in contention, and Kevin Mirallas has completed a three-match ban following his red card against Swansea last month.
Captain Wayne Rooney has overcome an ankle injury and is fit to play in Manchester United, but winger Ashley Young is out with a calf injury.
Michael Carrick is fit after recovering from a groin problem and fellow midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger is available even though he suffered an injury in the warm-up for Germany's match against the Republic of Ireland.
Ander Herrera and Marcos Rojo stayed behind at Carrington during the recent international break and they are ready to feature, but defender Paddy McNair is sidelined for a month due to liver damage.
In a frank press conference at the AON Training Complex, United boss Louis van Gaal said the last fortnight had been an "awful" experience.
The Dutchman had taken United to the top of the table after a run of three straight wins, but a chastening 3-0 defeat to Arsenal before the international break gave the United manager something of a reality check.
"It is awful when you have such a result," Van Gaal said. "It has been an awful two weeks.
"Before the last international break in September we lost against Swansea. These are awful weeks.
"You are constantly thinking about how it happened. You cannot manage it with your players. That is what you have to do as a manager.
"But all the players are flying out, especially the last game because we played on a Sunday. They fly out direct after the match."
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