Friday 7 November 2014 12:25, UK
Everton manager Roberto Martinez praised the "incredible maturity" his side are showing in the Europa League after they eased past Lille 3-0 at Goodison Park.
Goals from Leon Osman, Phil Jagielka and Steven Naismith leave Martinez’s side top of Group H with eight points from four games in the pool to leave them on the brink of qualification to the group stages of the competition.
"I thought we played really, really well. We were fantastic defensively and, going forward, we always looked a threat,” said the Spaniard.
"To keep the concentration throughout the 90 minutes and keep a clean sheet, that pleases me a lot.
"We showed an incredible maturity, playing in Europe - something it seems we have been doing for many seasons, when the reality is that it is a new experience for us."
Asked about his side’s chances of clinching a last-32 spot, Martinez added: "We are just taking things step by step.
"All we will do is keep trying to get as many points as we can and see where that takes us. We are not looking any further than that."
Martinez admits he is at a club where there is pressure on him to deliver trophies, with Everton’s last silverware the 1995 FA Cup.
When asked about the prospect of going all the way in the Europa League, Martinez said: "I think we are in a football club where we are expected to win things.
"I know it is a long time since we won a trophy. But the relationship between Everton and European competitions goes back to the 1950s. It is in our DNA and we need to galvanize it.
"Obviously we are in November, and if you start talking about where you can get in competitions, you might look a little bit foolish. What we want to do is every game we go into, we want to win it. I think the squad is large enough and has enough quality. We want to be in the Europa League as long as we can be."
