Intro:

Everton manager Roberto Martinez on Tuesday (30 December) looked ahead to his side's English Premier League clash at Hull City on New Year's Day (1 January).

Script:

SOUNDBITE: (English) Roberto Martinez, Everton manager:

(talking about defensive problems)

"At the moment we are suffering. Sometimes individual errors, sometimes things are not going our way, sometimes you get three or four major, major decisions that don't go in your favour and they are not given, and they go against you, and you have to cope with that. I think it's going to make us a stronger unit and there's a real fight to show who's ready to cope with our expectations. It is a bit of a negative run at the moment, our results, and that's something we need to stop. But it's never a question mark on the style, on how we want to play. What's a question mark is being very, very good in the way we want to play. And at the moment we've been conceding too many goals for one reason or another and that's quite easy to rectify."

SOUNDBITE: (English) Roberto Martinez, Everton manager:

(talking about Hull)

"Well, I think Hull, they are a little bit suffering in terms of their confidence of their side, very similar to some teams that happens around Europe and it happened a little bit to us. It's just starting the season with huge expectations, and after reaching the FA Cup final and having a really, really strong competition in the Premier League.... they've got new signings coming in and they've had a little bit of an up and down season, but we know they are going to be very much well organised, very energetic and it's going to be always a well contested game and a difficult place to visit. It always is. But it is a vital game for both teams for more reasons other than getting a positive result. So, you can imagine it's going to be a very (well) contested game and which ever team can adjust to the game more than the occasion, you'll have a real advantage."