Everton looking to use Europa League after Losing from Champions League

Everton are looking to use the Europa League as a mode of distraction from their poor league form and a way to get into the Champions League next season.

The Merseyside outfit are up against Young Boys of Switzerland in the last 32 round of the Europa League. The first leg will be away from home and the major challenge for Everton will be to do well on the artificial pitch at their opponents. This has been the topic of major debate just ahead of the match and Everton boss Roberto Martinez says that he has held talks with former QPR manager Harry Redknapp about the way to perform well on this artificial turf.

Redknapp has seen his players play on this exact pitch when he was the Tottenham manager a few years ago. Redknapp recently left his post at QPR citing knee injuries, but he is expected to have provided enough advice to Everton. Unlike in the last few years, winners of the Europa League will be guaranteed a place in the Champions League group stages next season. This has been done in order to boost the importance of the Europa League. It seems to be working, as Everton will be taking this competition seriously.

“I had that conversation with Harry after the game we had against QPR. We used the opportunity to ask how he felt about it and how it affected the game. At that time it was a different surface, they went to a grass pitch after that and returned to a fourth generation pitch.We’ve been able to train all week on a similar surface so we’re quite aware of what we’re going to see. If you’re not prepared the players can be shocked a bit, not sure about what footwear to wear, about what will happen with the bounce of the ball,” said Martinez.