Investment makes Liverpool favourites for derby, says Martinez

Roberto Martínez has put the pressure on Brendan Rodgers for Sunday's Merseyside derby by claiming Liverpool's "huge investment" makes them favourites and that the scrutiny on the Northern Irishman's position is "normal".

Everton go into the 225th Merseyside derby only one point above their rivals but with Rodgers attracting fierce criticism after a faltering run of form. The Liverpool manager received little sympathy from Martínez, who was interviewed for the Anfield job in 2012, given the £291m Fenway Sports Group has spent on players since he replaced Kenny Dalglish.

Martínez said: “I don’t think being favourites matters going into a derby, it’s about what happens in 90 minutes and your focus on the pitch. Clearly we are showing a bit of form and that could make us favourites but when you look at the money Liverpool have spent over the years they need to be favourites and carrying the expectation.”

The Everton manager added: “The game is about how well we start the game and how consistent we can be over 90 minutes. We respect the opponent, they are a team with a lot of expectation and huge investment behind it.”

Rodgers hit back immediately at Martinez’s claims, saying the greater expectation at Liverpool was a mark of a big club. “We will always take the favourite tag,” said Rodgers. “At Liverpool that is what you want. For us we are happy to take the favourite tag if people want to put that on us because we are Liverpool.

“There is no advantage or disadvantage if you are favourites. It just shows you’re a big club and that’s what we want to have here. There is no more or less pressure. It’s pressure we put on ourselves from within. That shows the club we are at and the level of expectancy here as opposed to another club. We are happy to live with that. We are at a club expected to do well.”

Martínez, who has injury doubts over John Stones and Séamus Coleman for the derby, also said the pressure on Rodgers was to be expected given Liverpool's recent results.

The Everton manager said: “The pressure is the nature of the game. The league has so many high expectations and that is normal. It comes with not winning games. If you win a game, you look to the next one. If you don’t win a game, you are under pressure. That is how it works.”

(Guardian service)