‘Divisional status’ irrelevant, you have to play the surroundings says Martinez

Roberto Martinez says Stevenage are favourites for Saturday’s FA Cup clash.

Speaking ahead of tomorrow’s game, which sees Premier League side Everton travel to League 1 Boro , the Toffees manager said that ‘divisional status’ counts for nothing in such games and as such it is usually the hosts who have the advantage.

“The home team is always the favourite in these rounds,” Martinez told the BBC.

“It is about how you adapt on the day to the conditions and surroundings. In these rounds people forget divisional status counts for little.

“We are all well aware of the sort of thing we are going to find at the weekend and we have to be prepared for that.

“We are going to try to be as good as we can and make sure we don’t let the home side have the advantage they will otherwise have.”