Martinez wants rules on concussion

The issue has become a talking point after Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris was knocked out in the goalless draw at Goodison Park on Sunday, yet played on after treatment.

Spurs came in for criticism for allowing the France international to continue but Martinez argues the decision should be taken out of manager's hands.

"My view is that I don't think it should be a manager's decision whether you take a player off or not," he said.

"If there is a strong view from the medical side that when a player gets concussed he should come off, I think we should look into it and make it a rule.

"It should be part of the game and a law.

"It shouldn't be the manager's decision or a game decision based on how the result goes, what type of game it is or how many substitutes have been used when it is a serious situation on the health of the player.

"In that situation you need to understand whether the player is in a position to make a decision.

"There are many issues that are medical grounds and others which are football grounds, and we have to be careful one doesn't overlap the other.

"The manager is going to make decisions to win games, but when you have a player who is risking severe damage, that is a completely different area away from sport which no-one wants to go into.

"It is a decision to be made at the highest level and I think there should be a rule included for medical reasons, but I don't think it is a manger's decision."

Martinez also responded to Tottenham counterpart Andre Villas-Boas' questioning of Romelu Lukaku's role in Lloris' concussion.

The Spurs boss claimed the Belgium international could have avoided his knee connecting with the goalkeeper's head and asked why more questions had not been directed at the striker and why Lukaku had not apologised.

But Martinez responded, suggesting there should have been a similar conversation the other way regarding Roberto Soldado's apparent elbow on Phil Jagielka.

"The good thing is you can watch the replay and see the video evidence," said the Spaniard.

"All Romelu is doing is carrying on his run, he cannot disappear. It is unfortunate.

"I don't think Andre Villas-Boas mentioned there was any intent or any wrongdoing from Romelu, he only mentioned he expected a bit of an apology.

"Obviously we are waiting for Roberto Soldado to apologise to Phil Jagielka, and so we can use the same phone call so we don't have to spend on two phone calls."

Asked whether he thought there should have been retrospective action taken against the Spain international, Martinez said: "That is not for me to comment. I don't think it would give anything to Everton.

"That is down to the authorities to decide whether they want to implement it.

"I am more about the referee making decisions in the game and whatever happens in the game is where it matters.

"I'm not too keen about retrospective punishment unless it (the action) goes against the values of the competition.

"I don't think they (officials) saw it, obviously, otherwise they would've acted accordingly.

"Nowadays you have action replays and you can see everything that happens but for the referee it is very difficult."

Source: PA

Source: PA